Heretaunga, Upper Hutt

Heretaunga
Suburb
Interactive map of Heretaunga
Coordinates: 41°08′35″S175°01′12″E / 41.143°S 175.020°E / -41.143; 175.020
Country	New Zealand
Region	Wellington Region
Territorial authority	Upper Hutt
Established	1840s
Electorates	Remutaka Ikaroa-Rāwhiti (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Upper Hutt City Council
• Regional council	Greater Wellington Regional Council
•  Mayor of Upper Hutt	Peri Zee [1]
•  Remutaka MP	Chris Hipkins [2]
•  Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP	Cushla Tangaere-Manuel [3]
Area [4]
• Total	3.26 km2 (1.26 sq mi)
Population  (June 2025) [5]
• Total	2,450
• Density	752/km2 (1,950/sq mi)

Heretaunga is a suburb of the city of Upper Hutt, located in the lower (southern) North Island of New Zealand. Heretaunga adjoins the suburb of Silverstream to its southwest and the two are commonly thought of associated with each other. To the northeast lies Trentham. The Heretaunga Railway Station on the Hutt Valley Line serves the suburb.

Heretaunga takes its name from one of the Māori names for the nearby Hutt River, originating from a Hawke's Bay district. ^{[6] [7]} Heretaunga as a Māori name combines here, meaning "to tie up", and Tauranga, literally meaning "to be at home" - the name originated with a mooring place for canoes. ^[6]

The settlement, one of the older suburbs in the Hutt Valley, dates from the 1840s when European settlers sought country sections. ^{[8] [ need quotation to verify ]} A prime example of a "leafy" suburb, Heretaunga includes quiet tree-lined streets. It is characterised by large houses, often Edwardian or from the mid-20th century.

The suburb has numerous green spaces, most evident around the site of the Royal Wellington Wellington Golf Club and Trentham Memorial Park. The Royal Wellington Golf Club has been based in Heretaunga since 20 November 1906 after acquiring 48.5 hectares of land from the Barton family (descendants of Richard Barton). ^[9]

The Mawaihakona Stream begins at a spring in Trentham Memorial Park and drains the western side of the Hutt Valley from Trentham to Heretaunga. The stream passes around Heretaunga Park and the perimeter of the playing fields of St Patrick's College, Silverstream. It flows into the Hutt River north of the Silverstream bridge. ^{[10] [11]}

Demographics

Heretaunga's statistical area covers 3.26 km² (1.26 sq mi). ^[4] It had an estimated population of 2,450 as of June 2025, with a population density of 752 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	2,223	—
2013	2,199	−0.15%
2018	2,496	+2.57%
2023	2,424	−0.58%
Source: [12] [13]

Heretaunga had a population of 2,424 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 72 people (−2.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 225 people (10.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,179 males, 1,236 females, and 9 people of other genders in 921 dwellings. ^[14] 3.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 41.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 459 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 381 (15.7%) aged 15 to 29, 1,086 (44.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 501 (20.7%) aged 65 or older. ^[12]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 79.0% European (Pākehā); 12.1% Māori; 7.3% Pasifika; 12.6% Asian; 1.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.3%, Māori by 3.2%, Samoan by 2.4%, and other languages by 15.1%. No language could be spoken by 2.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 24.3, compared with 28.8% nationally. ^[12]

Religious affiliations were 43.1% Christian, 2.6% Hindu, 0.5% Islam, 0.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 44.4%, and 6.6% of people did not answer the census question. ^[12]

Of those at least 15 years old, 591 (30.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 984 (50.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 402 (20.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $48,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 375 people (19.1%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,044 (53.1%) full-time, 231 (11.8%) part-time, and 51 (2.6%) unemployed. ^[12]

Education

St Brendan's School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, ^{[15] [16]} with a roll of 275 as of October 2025. ^[17] It opened in 1961. ^[18]

References

1. "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
2. "Remutaka - Official Result". electionresults. Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
3. "Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
4. "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 27 January 2026.
5. "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand . Retrieved 29 October 2025.
6. Reed, A. W. (2010). Peter Dowling (ed.). Place Names of New Zealand. Rosedale, North Shore: Raupo. p. 163. ISBN   9780143204107.
7. Maclean, Chris (13 July 2012). Wellington places – Hutt Valley – south. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga . Retrieved 12 May 2015. Early residents such as the Ngāi Tara people called the Hutt River Te Awakairangi, 'the watercourse of greatest value'. It was navigable by canoe far inland, giving access to plentiful food. Later tribes knew it as Te Wai o Orutu, 'the waters of Orutu', a Ngāti Māmoe ancestor. When European settlers arrived it was known as the Heretaunga River, after the district in Hawke's Bay.
8. "History". Pinehaven Progressive Association. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
9. "Royal Wellington Golf Club History". RWGC. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
10. "Māwai Hakona - a place that makes us want to learn". Enviroschools. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
11. "Mawaihakona Stream". NZ Topomap. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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. Heretaunga (241400). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
13. "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Heretaunga (241400). 2018 Census place summary: Heretaunga
14. "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
15. "St Brendan's School Official School Website". stbrendans.school.nz.
16. "St Brendan's School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office . Retrieved 31 December 2025.
17. "St Brendan's School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
18. "He Hikoi Whakapono: A Journey of Faith". Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. November 2017.