Wainui

Etymology

Wainui is Māori for 'big river'.

The earliest recorded name for the area is Parakakau, which referred to the inland forested areas of the upper Weiti River during the mid-19th Century. The locality was named after the Wainui Creek, a tributary of the Waiwera River geographically distant from Wainui township, located to the northeast along Weranui Road.

History

The area was settled soon after the Mahurangi purchase by the Crown in 1841. By the mid-19th century, kauri gum diggers often frequented the area. Wainui was settled by people from England, Scotland and Ireland around 1850, including the Hutson, Thick, King, Lloyd and Jacobs families.

In 1867, the Wainui Presbyterian Church was built, was the first public building constructed at Wainui. It quickly becoming the social hub of the Wainui community. School lessons began informally in homes around the year 1860, and Wainui School was constructed in 1879. In 1894, cartoonist Trevor Lloyd married Lamont's daughter Emily at the church.

The Wainui Road District was formed 14 April 1870. In 1883 the area was transferred from Rodney County to Waitemata County. In 1892 the road district was dissolved.

Wainui was originally a rural farming area. During the 1960s the Waitemata County Council allowed for land to be subdivided into lifestyle blocks.

Demographics

Wainui-Waiwera statistical area, which includes Waiwera, covers 62.24 km2 and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Wainui-Waiwera had a population of 1,686 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 129 people (8.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 363 people (27.4%) since the 2013 census. There were 828 males, 852 females and 6 people of other genders in 621 dwellings. 1.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 48.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 246 people (14.6%) aged under 15 years, 279 (16.5%) aged 15 to 29, 816 (48.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 348 (20.6%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 92.5% European (Pākehā); 9.4% Māori; 1.6% Pasifika; 4.1% Asian; 0.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.0%, Māori language by 1.4%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 10.0%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 24.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 33.5% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 0.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% Buddhist, 0.7% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 58.0%, and 5.3% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 291 (20.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 786 (54.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 276 (19.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $44,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 243 people (16.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 720 (50.0%) people were employed full-time, 243 (16.9%) were part-time, and 18 (1.2%) were unemployed.

Education

Wainui School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of students as of The school opened in 1879 and celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2004.

Notes

References

1. (2004). "Reed New Zealand Atlas". Reed Books.
2. Roger Smith, GeographX. (2005). "The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand". Robbie Burton.
3. {{LINZ
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5. {{LINZ
6. "Church (Presbyterian)".
7. Bloomfield, Gerald Taylor. (1973). "The Evolution of Local Government Areas in Metropolitan Auckland, 1840-1971". Auckland University Press.
8. Bioletti, Harry. (1992). "Rodney Coast to Coast". Rodney District Council.
9. "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service".
10. {{NZ census 2018. Wainui-Waiwera (112100). wainui-waiwera. Wainui-Waiwera
11. "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
12. "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
13. {{TKI. 1552. Wainui School
14. "Wainui School - History". Wainui School.
15. (21 July 2003). "Wainui School, 125th Jubilee". Education Gazette New Zealand.