Pauatahanui
Encyclopedia
Pauatahanui is a village in New Zealand
's North Island
. It is at the far eastern end of the Pauatahanui Inlet, an arm of the Porirua Harbour
, northeast of Wellington
.
In local government terms, Pauatahanui is part of the Northern Ward of Porirua
City. At the 2001 New Zealand census
, its population (including nearby wholly rural areas) was 831: 429 males and 402 females. This was a 23.1% increase in population since the previous census in 1996.
was beaten in the 1846 Hutt Valley Campaign
the area became safer as a route from the Hutt Valley via Belmont
and Judgeford and on to the north, via Paekakariki
to the Manawatu and Wanganui
. The road from Wellington reached Pauatahanui in September 1848, and a reliable road to the north as far as Paekakariki was completed by November 1849. Known nowadays as the "Paekakariki Hill Road", it continued to be the main road north until the road bridge was built at Paremata
in 1939. Access from the Hutt Valley was also upgraded to a road in 1873, and the road that was to become State Highway 58 from Haywards
was established in the 1870s.
Several churches were built, the first in 1856 (demolished around 1910), St Joseph's Catholic Church (1878), and St Alban's Anglican Church (1898).
The first hotel was constructed in 1847 and by 1866 the town had as many as five hotels, primarily serving the Cobb and Co traffic. In 1912, the area was declared "dry" and all hotels closed.
A community hall was built in 1904. It was demolished in 1966 and replaced.
on the south of the Pauatahanui Inlet caused noticeable silting and raised community concerns. This ultimately led to a detailed 3-year environmental study in 1975–1977, which was published as a book in 1980. Subsequently the Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve was created, in 1984, in order to preserve the only large estuarine wetland
left in the lower North Island
. The wetland reserve is run by the Royal Forest and Bird Society
with ongoing efforts to reduce human impact on the environment and to restore damaged areas. The reserve has several hides for viewing birdlife, boardwalks, and some barbecue / picnic areas for visitors.
skims the southern fringe of the village: to the east it leads to Judgeford, just up the valley, and over the hills to Lower Hutt
in the Hutt Valley; and to the west it travels along the southern shore of the Pauatahanui Inlet skirting Whitby
and through Golden Gate to meet New Zealand's most important road, State Highway 1
, at Paremata
at the mouth of the Inlet.
To the north, the shortest but generally not the fastest route to Paekakariki
is the Paekakariki Hill Road mentioned above, serving the fertile Horokiri Valley. Branching off that road just beyond the urban limit is Grays Road, leading to Plimmerton
.
One of the earliest residential buildings still standing is the Taylor-Stace Cottage, which was used as a craft gallery for several years in the late 20th century.
The former community hall (erected in 1967) was converted early this century to become the only cinema in Porirua's northeastern area.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. It is at the far eastern end of the Pauatahanui Inlet, an arm of the Porirua Harbour
Porirua Harbour
Porirua Harbour is a natural inlet in the south-western coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The city of Porirua, one of the four cities in the Wellington conurbation, surrounds it. The city centre is to the south of the harbour....
, northeast of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
In local government terms, Pauatahanui is part of the Northern Ward of Porirua
Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
City. At the 2001 New Zealand census
New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
, its population (including nearby wholly rural areas) was 831: 429 males and 402 females. This was a 23.1% increase in population since the previous census in 1996.
Early settlement
After Te RangihaeataTe Rangihaeata
Te Rangihaeata , was a Ngāti Toa chief, nephew of Te Rauparaha. He had a leading part in the Wairau Affray and the Hutt Valley Campaign.-Early life:...
was beaten in the 1846 Hutt Valley Campaign
Hutt Valley Campaign
The Hutt Valley Campaign of 1846 during the New Zealand land wars could almost be seen as a sequel to the Wairau Affray. The causes were similar and the protagonists almost the same...
the area became safer as a route from the Hutt Valley via Belmont
Belmont, Wellington
Belmont is a suburb of Lower Hutt, to the north of Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand. It is on the west bank of the Hutt River, on State Highway 2 , the Wellington-Hutt main road, and across the river from the centre of Lower Hutt....
and Judgeford and on to the north, via Paekakariki
Paekakariki
Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city....
to the Manawatu and Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
. The road from Wellington reached Pauatahanui in September 1848, and a reliable road to the north as far as Paekakariki was completed by November 1849. Known nowadays as the "Paekakariki Hill Road", it continued to be the main road north until the road bridge was built at Paremata
Paremata
Paremata is a suburb of Porirua, on the Tasman Sea coast to the north of Wellington, New Zealand.-Early history:The modern suburb, just south of Plimmerton, derives its name from the "Parramatta Barracks", erected on the north shore of Porirua Harbour in about 1846 when the infant government was...
in 1939. Access from the Hutt Valley was also upgraded to a road in 1873, and the road that was to become State Highway 58 from Haywards
Haywards
Haywards is the location in Wellington, New Zealand, where the North Island's static inverter plant of the HVDC Inter-Island transmission line is located. Suburbs and towns near Haywards include Belmont, Judgeford, Silverstream, Trentham and Taita....
was established in the 1870s.
Several churches were built, the first in 1856 (demolished around 1910), St Joseph's Catholic Church (1878), and St Alban's Anglican Church (1898).
The first hotel was constructed in 1847 and by 1866 the town had as many as five hotels, primarily serving the Cobb and Co traffic. In 1912, the area was declared "dry" and all hotels closed.
A community hall was built in 1904. It was demolished in 1966 and replaced.
Environmental preservation
In the early 1970s the development of sections at WhitbyWhitby, New Zealand
Whitby, a large suburb of Porirua City, New Zealand, located along much of the southern shore of the Pauatahanui Inlet of Porirua Harbour was comprehensively planned in the 1960s and it has been continuously developed since, with current landscaping and expansion in the hills behind the eastern...
on the south of the Pauatahanui Inlet caused noticeable silting and raised community concerns. This ultimately led to a detailed 3-year environmental study in 1975–1977, which was published as a book in 1980. Subsequently the Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve was created, in 1984, in order to preserve the only large estuarine wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
left in the lower North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. The wetland reserve is run by the Royal Forest and Bird Society
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....
with ongoing efforts to reduce human impact on the environment and to restore damaged areas. The reserve has several hides for viewing birdlife, boardwalks, and some barbecue / picnic areas for visitors.
Pauatahanui School
Pauatahanui School is notable as being one of the very few schools in New Zealand to be over 150 years old. It was established in 1855, originally in an undenominational chapel on the site of Rangihaeata's Pa, and later in the military barracks vacated by the troops. It is now increasing its pupil numbers because it serves the north-east corner of Whitby.Road links
State Highway 58New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
skims the southern fringe of the village: to the east it leads to Judgeford, just up the valley, and over the hills to Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
in the Hutt Valley; and to the west it travels along the southern shore of the Pauatahanui Inlet skirting Whitby
Whitby, New Zealand
Whitby, a large suburb of Porirua City, New Zealand, located along much of the southern shore of the Pauatahanui Inlet of Porirua Harbour was comprehensively planned in the 1960s and it has been continuously developed since, with current landscaping and expansion in the hills behind the eastern...
and through Golden Gate to meet New Zealand's most important road, State Highway 1
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
, at Paremata
Paremata
Paremata is a suburb of Porirua, on the Tasman Sea coast to the north of Wellington, New Zealand.-Early history:The modern suburb, just south of Plimmerton, derives its name from the "Parramatta Barracks", erected on the north shore of Porirua Harbour in about 1846 when the infant government was...
at the mouth of the Inlet.
To the north, the shortest but generally not the fastest route to Paekakariki
Paekakariki
Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city....
is the Paekakariki Hill Road mentioned above, serving the fertile Horokiri Valley. Branching off that road just beyond the urban limit is Grays Road, leading to Plimmerton
Plimmerton
The township of Plimmerton is adjacent to one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area of Porirua in New Zealand...
.
Notable buildings
The remaining churches are notable in themselves.One of the earliest residential buildings still standing is the Taylor-Stace Cottage, which was used as a craft gallery for several years in the late 20th century.
The former community hall (erected in 1967) was converted early this century to become the only cinema in Porirua's northeastern area.