Whitiora

Whitiora is a suburb in central Hamilton in New Zealand.[1] The suburb is home to Waikato Stadium, formerly Rugby Park. It is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton with a total capacity of 25,800. The stadium is a multi-purpose facility, though used mainly for rugby union. Many of Hamilton's hotels are in Whitiora, along the main road from the north.[2]

Whitiora
Suburb
Whitiora, Hamilton
CountryNew Zealand
Local authorityHamilton, New Zealand
Electoral wardHamilton West
Established1913
Population
 (2018)
 • Total2,538
Forest Lake Beerescourt Fairfield
Maeroa
Whitiora
 Claudelands
Frankton, Hamilton Hamilton North Hamilton East

Etymology

The name Whitiora began to be used from about 1913, when the new suburb was being developed.[3] Prior to that it had been known as No.1,[4] possibly because No. 1 Company of Militia was once based there.[5] Whitiora was said to translate as prosperity and plenty,[4] though, in a 2019 leaflet[6] and in naming the current Whitiora Bridge, it was said name was derived from the call of the pipiwharauroa, and 'ora', meaning life, or health.[7]

History

Whatanoa Pā

Ngāti Te Ao, a sub tribe of Ngāti Wairere, occupied Whatanoa Pā on what is now Beetham Park. Hanui and Hotumauea of Ngāti Koura took the pā in the late 1600s. The remains of an urupā were exhumed in 1922,[8] ditches show on a 1943 aerial photo[9] and, when FMG Stadium was built in 2002, a waharoa (pā gateway) was placed to mark the site of the pā.[8]

Post colonisation

The street layout was shown on an 1865 plan of the military settlement,[10] just a year after the invasion of the Waikato and confiscation of the land. Ulster[11] and Willoughby Streets were named in 1864, the latter after a colonial secretary, Willoughby Shortland.[12]

Whitiora Lagoon, to the west of Abbotsford Street,[13] was drained in 1915[14] and a 'frog pond' at about the same time,[15] seemingly as part of a scheme to drain the whole area.[16]

In the 1940s Snake Gully accommodation camp had airmen billeted in huts beside the Waitewhiriwhiri Stream, where the Badminton Club now stands.[17] It was converted to an emergency housing camp in 1945.[18]

Waitawhiriwhiri Stream in Edgecumbe Park

Geography

Whitiora lies on the west bank of the Waikato River, just to the south of its confluence with the Waitewhiriwhiri Stream. Pollution of the stream has long been a problem.[19] In 1921 the stench was said to be getting abominable due to factory waste.[20]

Hamilton Town Belt

A stretch of the Hamilton Town Belt runs through Whitiora, including Beetham, Edgecumbe and Willoughby Parks.[21] It was planned as a continuous belt, but has gradually been eroded, beginning with the rugby ground in 1922,[22] which had previously been covered in gorse.[23] It has been calculated that only 56% remains as open green space.[24]

Demographics

In the 2018 census Whitiora area covers 0.91 km2 (0.35 sq mi) and has the Waitewhiriwhiri Stream as its northern and western boundary.[25] In 2013 and earlier it had been part of Hamilton Central area.[26] The population is rising and they are wealthier and younger than the 37.4 years of the national average, as shown below -[27]

Year Population Average age Households Median income National median income
2006 1,797
2013 2,043
2018 2,538 31.3 1,113 $33,300 $31,800

In 2018 the main ethnic groups were -

European Asian Māori
47.4% 34.5% 19.5%

Education

Whitiora school was founded in October 1919,[28] though a Whitiora school was mentioned in 1916.[29] It was built for 160,[30] but Hamilton was growing so fast that 3 extra rooms had to be added before opening, as too many children wanted to attend.[31] In 1920 it was extended to cater for another 200,[32] but by 1923 it was again overcrowded.[33]

The primary school has years 1 to 8. 47% of the roll of 230 identify as Māori and 11% as of Pacific origin.[34]

Infrastructure

Roads

Whitiora was on the Great South Road, called Jersey Street until 1913, when the name Victoria Street was extended to it.[35]

The surface of Victoria Street was improved in 1914,[36] with gravel added in 1929[37] and asphalt being laid on roads and footpaths by 1935.[38]

There was a proposal to divert the main road from Victoria Street in 1930,[39] but it wasn't until the 1960s[40] that Ulster Street was extended to absorb Gurnell Avenue and form a 4-lane main road,[41] by putting Waitewhiriwhiri Stream in a culvert and filling the valley.[42] A 2019 plan proposed to investigate restoring a link by putting a pedestrian and cycling tunnel parallel with the culvert.[21] It remained part of SH1 until Avalon Drive opened in 1992.[43]

Power

Gas pipes were extended into the suburb in 1921.[44] An electric substation was built near No.1 Bridge in 1922.[45]

Waste

From 1922[21] to 1973 Hamilton West rubbish dump occupied 5.4 ha (13 acres), bounded by Willoughby Street Cemetery, Waitawhiriwhiri Stream and Ulster Street.[46] Provision was made to stop leachate reaching the stream and gas entering nearby properties, when the rugby training ground in Beetham Park was built in 2009.[47]

Sewage

Until 1976 Waitawhirwhiri Stream was one of the locations for septic tanks,[48] which were emptied into the stream.[49]

Notable people
gollark: Oh no, was Rui running on the osmarks.tk server?
gollark: Plus, uptime.
gollark: It feels inelegant.
gollark: I can't find the terminal gear, my SSH (well, mosh) session is *entirely* dead, and the status page has just given up.
gollark: Ah. Well. This is problematic.

See also

References
  1. "Hamilton Map". Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  2. "hotels in hamilton". Google Hotel Search. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  3. "PROGRESSIVE HAMILTON. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 November 1913. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. "WHITIORA'S PROGRESS. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 10 June 1922. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. "WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 March 1913. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  6. "HCC Community Profile Infographics – (Whitiora, Hamilton Lake, Hospital)" (PDF). 2019.
  7. Centenary celebrations : 100 years of local government 1878-1978. Hamilton City Council. 1978.
  8. "Whatanoa Gateway - FMG Stadium Waikato". ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  9. "Survey Number: SN266 Run Number: 830 Photo Number: 37". retrolens.nz. 14 June 1943. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  10. "Plan of the military settlements in the upper Waikato". cdn-waikato-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. 1865. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  11. "Ulster Street". ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  12. "Willoughby Street". ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  13. "WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 July 1915. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  14. "WHITIORA LAGOON. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 23 January 1915. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  15. "DAY BY DAY. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 March 1914. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  16. "TO DRAIN WHITIORA. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 26 June 1915. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  17. "RNZAF Stations Waikato BOP region". www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  18. "Hamilton Transit Camp. NEW ZEALAND HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 May 1945. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  19. "WAITEWHIRIWHIRI STREAM. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 October 1921. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  20. "WAITEWHIRIWHIRI STREAM. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 September 1921. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  21. "West Town Belt Masterplan" (PDF). HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL. August 2019.
  22. "FOOTBALL. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 May 1922. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  23. "RUGBY FOOTBALL. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 29 June 1921. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  24. H, Peter (4 August 2018). "Waitawhiriwhiri to Ward, Town Belt – land use". Hamilton Urban Blog. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  25. "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  26. "2013 Census map – QuickStats about a place". archive.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  27. "2018 Census place summaries Whitiora". www.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  28. "Centenary 2019 - Whitiora School Website". www.whitiora.school.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  29. "WHITIORA SCHOOL PICNIC. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 16 December 1916. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  30. "EDUCATION IN HAMILTON. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 11 July 1919. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  31. "WHITIORA SCHOOL. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 September 1919. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  32. "LOCAL AND GENERAL. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 July 1920. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  33. "RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 8 November 1923. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  34. "Whitiora School - 09/07/2019". Education Review Office. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  35. "Victoria Street". ketehamilton.peoplesnetworknz.info. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  36. "HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 17 January 1914. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  37. "MAIN ROADS. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 May 1929. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  38. "STREET WORKS. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 May 1935. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  39. "NECESSARY FOOTPATH. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 15 July 1930. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  40. SWAINSON, RICHARD (10 February 2017). "Camera Obscura - Waikato Times". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  41. "Ulster Street". Hamilton Libraries Heritage Collection Online. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  42. "Ulster Street gully culvert". Hamilton Libraries Heritage Collection Online. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  43. "Transit New Zealand Act 1989" (PDF). The New Zealand Gazette. 18 June 1992.
  44. "HAMILTON GASWORKS. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 28 July 1921. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  45. "HYDRO-ELECTRICITY. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 13 April 1922. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  46. "Resource consent granted to manage city rubbish dump legacy". www.infonews.co.nz. 23 October 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  47. "New rugby training facility at Beetham Park". www.hamilton.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  48. Hamilton City Sewerage Scheme 1978 publisher Hamilton City Council Hamilton reference library 628.309 931 151 HAM
  49. Astride the River: P J Gibbons 1977

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