Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, and lies 20 km north of the City of Wellington. Since a large proportion of the population commute to Wellington, Porirua may be considered a satellite city of Wellington. The city completely surrounds Porirua Harbour at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast. The harbour is notable for its world class estuarine values. The estimated population of Porirua is 50,000 (2004).
History
The name "Porirua" is of Māori origin. It is possibly a variant of "Pari-rua" ("two tides"), a reference to the two arms of the Porirua Harbour. It was the name given in the 19th century to a land registration district that stretched from Kaiwharawhara (or "Kaiwarra") (on the north-west shore of Wellington Harbour) northwards to and around Porirua Harbour. A road climbing the hill from Kaiwharawhara towards Ngaio and Khandallah is still called "Old Porirua Road".
In the 19th century a small European settlement grew up, partly because of the need for a ferry across the harbour. At the time a small Māori settlement already existed.
In the 1880s and 1890s the Porirua Lunatic Asylum was established on the hill south-west of the village. The Asylum later became the Porirua Mental Hospital following the Mental Defectives Act of 1911.
Originally planned in the late 1940s to become a satellite city to Wellington with state housing, Porirua has grown to a city population approaching 55,000. Major territorial additions to the city were made in 1973 and 1988 as part of the reduction and eventual abolition of the Hutt County.
Suburbs and features
Suburbs include Ascot Park, Cannons Creek, Elsdon (named after writer Elsdon Best), Onepoto, Papakowhai, Paremata, Pauatahanui, Plimmerton, Pukerua Bay (where film-maker Peter Jackson grew up), Ranui Heights, Takapuwahia (a Ngati Toa settlement), Titahi Bay (where pro golfer Michael Campbell grew up), Waitangirua, and Whitby. Rural localities include Judgeford and Horokiri. Porirua is the home of the Royal New Zealand Police College, where all police recruits receive some 19 weeks' training. While Porirua has a reputation outside its confines as an impoverished and somewhat undesirable area, it currently has the highest per capita average personal income of any New Zealand city, largely due to the affluence of many of its coastal suburbs.
City administrative area
Local government in the area is shared by Porirua City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council. The name Porirua was first applied to a local government unit in 1961 when Makara County to the west of Wellington was abolished, the mostly rural western part becoming the Makara Ward of Hutt County and the rapidly growing eastern urban portion becoming the Borough of Porirua. Four years later, the population was officially estimated at over the 20,000 threshold then necessary for Porirua to be declared a city.
On 1 April 1973 large areas to the north-east (and a few elsewhere), and Mana Island, were transferred to the city by popular vote from Hutt County. In 1988 a further addition was the Horokiri riding of the about-to-be-abolished county, containing most of the new Whitby suburb and substantial rural areas.
The city and its council have remained into the 21st century despite a couple of proposals that the name be changed to "Mana" and several small movements for amalgamation with Wellington.
Councillors and other notable residents
Notable councillors of Porirua have included Whitford Brown (first Mayor); Ken Douglas (trade unionist); Ken Gray (former All Black); Garry McCormick (media personality); Helen Smith (the first member of the Values Party to be elected to local government); and Tutu Wineera (a kaumatua of the Ngati Toa iwi).
Other prominent residents have included poet Alistair Campbell, golfer Michael Campbell, and singer/songwriter Ramon Te Wake.
External links
- Porirua City New Zealand Online
- Porirua City Council
- [1] (a history of Porirua Hospital)