Waiuku

Waiuku is a rural municipality in the Franklin District of the North Island of New Zealand.

The place is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River, an arm of the Manukau Harbour estuary, 40 km south-west from the city center of Auckland and 40 kilometers north of the mouth of the Waikato River. It is a service center for the surrounding agricultural area and home to many employees of the steelworks New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook four kilometers to the northeast.

According to the census of 2006, the place 6,087 permanent residents, an increase of 609 residents, or 11.1 % since the census of 2001. Their ethnicity was reported as 75.6 % and 17.7%, Europeans than Māori to, the rest are to members of other ethnic groups.

History

The place name comes from the Māori Waiuku a legend of two famous brothers, Tamakae and Tamakou who fought for the hand of a beautiful, high-ranking chief wife. Tamakae was a farmer and utilities, Tamakou of the speakers. Tamakou was the first person she met, but she claimed that she would also presented Tamakae. He was working in the gardens and had therefore previously at the creek that empties today behind the Museum of Waiuku in the Manukau Harbour, washed first with wai (water) and uku ( a special kind of mud ). Tamakae won her heart and married her. From then on, the place " Waiuku " was called.

Waiuku as settlement was founded in 1843 as a port on the important trade route between Auckland and the agricultural area of Waikato. It was also the end point of an old portage for boats of Māori between the Waikato River and the Manukau Harbour. Waiuku were declared by the government in 1851 to the municipality. During the Waikato war (1863-1864), Waiuku was one of a log cabin sheltered border fortification. The Waikato war ended the role as a trading post, which was responsible for the early development of the town. Later Waiuku to an agricultural center under the management of the Road Board, and in 1914 a separate district. In 1955 he became the Borough and merged in 1988 with the Franklin District. An important factor for development of the site was the government sponsored construction of New Zealand's first steel mill in Glenbrook mid-1960s. This processed iron sand from the deposits of the Waikato Heads to steel. After many owners and name changes, the work is called again today and New Zealand Steel is a subsidiary of BlueScope Steel of Australia. This company is still a major employer of the place.

Attractions

The village pub, the The Kentish Hotel, is New Zealand 's longest time continuously licensed hotel. It was opened by one of the first European settlers in Waiuku, Edward Constable as an inn in 1851. Its origin from Kent is reflected in the name of the hotel and the street behind it, of Constable Road. The The Kentish with its richly decorated verandas is a historic center of the city and the nearby Tamakae - reserve.

At the entrance of the sanctuary is a carved statue of the Kauri Tamakae. The strains were found during excavation work for construction works at New Zealand Steel and the local iwi, Ngati Te Ata given. In the reserve there is also a small " historic village " with several restored buildings, including the 1886 goes back Hartmann House, today a workshop for artisans, Pollock Cottage ( 1890), Waiuku Jail (1865) and The Creamery (1890 's). The nearby Waiuku Museum has exhibits from the colonial era, objects of Māori, old sailboats and historic photographs. A historical path around the city shows other historical points of interest, such as the Wesley Methodist Church in 1883, from which a good view is available on the city and the reserve on the banks.

Area attractions include the West Coast with the existing of black sand beach of Karioitahi and the museum railway Glenbrook Vintage Railway.

Several cafes and restaurants and shops open on the weekends.

Well-known residents

Waiuku is home from

  • Rally driver Stumpy Holmes.
  • Rugby player Stephen Donald of the Waikato Chiefs
  • John Campbell Paterson, Bishop of Auckland

In Waiuku were born:

  • National Rugby players Zinzan Brooke
  • Peace activist Elsie Locke
  • Ringer and flag carrier of New Zealand at the opening of the Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976, David Aspin
  • Air Vice -Marshal FHM Maynard ( born May 1, 1893)
  • One of the founders of the Presbyterian Church St Andrew's in Waiuku in the 19th century was Sir John Makgill who here had extensive land holdings. His wife was Margaret Isabella Haldane, sister of Lord Haldane, her son was Sir George Makgill, which was after his return to the UK, the 11th Baronet of Makgill.
List of towns in New Zealand Auckland (Region) Districts of New Zealand Glenbrook, New Zealand Ironsand
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