Oratia | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 36°55′S174°37′E / 36.917°S 174.617°E Coordinates: 36°55′S174°37′E / 36.917°S 174.617°E | |
Country | New Zealand |
City | Auckland |
Local authority | Auckland Council |
Electoral ward | Waitākere ward |
Local board | Waitākere Ranges Local Board |
Area | |
• Land | 1,719 ha (4,248 acres) |
Population (June 2021) [2] | |
• Total | 2,210 |
Henderson Valley | McLaren Park | Sunnyvale |
Waiatarua | Oratia | Glen Eden |
Titirangi | Laingholm | Konini |
Oratia is a semi-rural locality on the western edge of Auckland in New Zealand, located in the former territorial authority of Waitakere City.
It is approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) to the south west of Auckland CBD (Central Business District), and sits at the eastern edge of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area. [3] It is a relatively quiet community, bridging metropolitan Auckland with the wild forests and beaches of western Auckland.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of long-lingering sun" for Ōrātia. [4]
The Oratia area is located at the foothills of Waitākere Ranges, forming a large portion of the Oratia Stream catchment, which flows north north-east towards Henderson. Central Oratia forms a part of the Waitematā-Waitākere foothills ecological zone. Sheltered from the Tasman Sea by the Waitākere Ranges, the area was traditionally dominated by forests of kauri, Phyllocladus trichomanoides (tānekaha or celery pine) and rimu, with abundant nīkau palm and silver fern. The soils are a mix of Miocene Waitākere volcanic soil and Waitemata Group sedimentary rock. [5] The north-eastern lowlands in Oratia forms a part of the Waitematā lowland forests ecological zone, which historically featured a broadleaf forest of pūriri, tōtara, karaka and tītoki. [5] The areas adjacent to the Oratia Stream form an alluvial flood zone, preferred by tōtara, tītoki and west coast kōwhai. [5]
The area is within the traditional rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki, an iwi that traces their ancestry to some of the earliest inhabitants of the Auckland Region. [6] [7] The area is named after the Te Kawerau ā Maki pā and kāinga, which was located near modern-day Holden's Road. [7] Carbon dating of shell middens on the western banks of the Oratia Stream near the pā showed evidence of occupation from at least 1570. [8] The name Oratia traditionally referred to the middle and lower catchment areas of the Oratia Stream, [7] while the upper catchment was known as Waihorotiu, named for the landslips which would occur in the area. [7]
A Te Kawerau ā Maki myth involving the naming of the location involves Hauāuru, the personification of the western wind, and his wife. His wife found a sunny spot in the lower Waitākere Ranges foothills, where her sunbathing was noticed by Tama-nui-te-rā, the personification of the sun. Hauāuru was angered by this, and took his wife back to the Waitākere Ranges. The name Oratia refers to the sunny location where Hauāuru's wife sunbathed. [9]
In 1845, early settlers John Bishop and Thomas Canty began felling bush in Oratia. [10] Oratia was first settled in the 1860s, with 40-acre (160,000 m2) land parcels granted to new immigrants. Cochrane's orchard was possibly the earliest orchard in the area dating back to this time, although it no longer exists. Sunnydale in Parker Road is the oldest surviving residence in West Auckland built around 1860 from Kauri timber milled on the site. [11] Oratia Cemetery has burial sites dating from 1867 onwards. The gateway entrance was built in 1935. Its Category II listing is attributed to historical and visual significance.
When the area was settled by Europeans, the name Sunnyvale was often used (however this eventually only referred to the Sunnyvale suburb to the north-east), and the Oratia Stream was given the name Cantys Creek. [12]
Thomas Parr, a pioneer orchardist and nurseryman, bought a 35-acre (14 ha) section between the Oratia and Waikumete streams in 1853. [10] He established a plant nursery called Albion Vale on West Coast Road in 1879. Now a Category I Listed Building, the house has been restored to its original design after being used for many years as "The Town and Country Roadhouse", which was considered to be one of the finest restaurants in Auckland in the 1940s. [13] The small Oratia Folk Museum [14] is adjacent to Albion Vale. It was originally a small settler cottage built around 1870. After a hailstorm in 1904 damaged large quantities of fruit, the Parr family opened one of the first fruit canneries in Auckland, called Atherton after Thomas Parr's wife, which shut in 1910. [15]
The Oratia Valley was settled by Dalmatian migrants in the late 1890s and early 1900s. They planted orchards and vineyards, leading to Oratia becoming known as the fruit bowl of Auckland. A strong sense of community developed which continues today, although some of the old families have moved out of the area. Many of Oratia's roads are named after the families who lived in Oratia in the 1800s, e.g. Parker, Carter, Shaw, Parr. Many of the original orchards have now disappeared. Although still relatively sparsely populated compared to most of metropolitan Auckland, Oratia has developed into a community with many businesses and homes.
From the 1930s until 2007, the Oratia valley was the home of Knock na Gree Camp, a Catholic youth camp. [16] [17] The camp was sold in 2008, [18] The camp is now run as Bella Rakha, a Buddhist retreat. [19]
The Oratia statistical area, which includes Parau, covers 17.19 km2 (6.64 sq mi) [1] and had an estimated population of 2,210 as of June 2021, [2] with a population density of 129 people per km2.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
2006 | 1,839 | — |
2013 | 2,037 | +1.47% |
2018 | 2,151 | +1.10% |
Source: [20] |
Oratia had a population of 2,151 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 114 people (5.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 312 people (17.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 717 households, comprising 1,107 males and 1,041 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female. The median age was 42.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 441 people (20.5%) aged under 15 years, 354 (16.5%) aged 15 to 29, 1,119 (52.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 240 (11.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 92.5% European/Pākehā, 7.7% Māori, 3.2% Pacific peoples, 5.0% Asian, and 3.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 25.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 64.3% had no religion, 25.7% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 522 (30.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 168 (9.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $41,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 486 people (28.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 939 (54.9%) people were employed full-time, 309 (18.1%) were part-time, and 42 (2.5%) were unemployed. [20]
Despite its small size, Oratia has a number of amenities:
Hugh Redgrove, a plant breeder from Oratia, introduced a Hebe named "Oratia Beauty" in 1982. [26]
Ann Endt, [27] an Oratia gardener, had a rose named after her. [28]
Geoff Davidson of Oratia Native Plant Nursery received the Life Time Achievement Award from the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network in 2007 for his work to save species from extinction and being part of major initiatives to protect plants. [29]
Graeme Gash of the folk rock band Waves was born and raised in Oratia. [30]
Oratia District School, established in 1882, [31] provides primary (years 1–6) education for the area. It has 24 classrooms, a learning centre, hall and lunch room. It has a roll of 486 students as of March 2022. [32] [33] It serves Oratia and a catchment area extending to the coast at Piha and Karekare. There is also a kindergarten located on the same site.
The Bruce McLaren Intermediate school in Henderson, named after the New Zealand Racing Driver, provides education for year 7 and 8 students.
The local state secondary school is Henderson High School.
Liston College and St Dominic's College in Henderson both offer Catholic education.
Waitākere City was a territorial authority in the western part of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand; it was governed by the Waitākere City Council from 1989 to 2010. It was New Zealand's fifth-largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%. In 2010 the council was amalgamated with the other authorities of the Auckland Region to form the current Auckland Council.
Henderson is a major suburb of Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west of Auckland city centre, and two kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the Whau River, a southwestern arm of the Waitematā Harbour. The suburb is located within the Henderson-Massey Local Board of the Waitākere Ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland Council.
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located between metropolitan Auckland and the west coast of the former Waitakere City and Rodney District, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some 27,720 hectares of public and private land. The area, traditionally known to Māori as Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa, is of local, regional, and national significance. The Waitākere Ranges includes a chain of hills in the Auckland Region, generally running approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) from north to south, 25 km west of central Auckland. The ranges are part of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.
Piha is a coastal settlement on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially in summer.
Karekare is a small coastal settlement in the Auckland Region of northern New Zealand, sandwiched between the Waitākere Ranges and a large black sand surf beach.
Konini is a suburb in the west of Auckland, New Zealand, under the local governance of Auckland Council. Kōnini is the Māori language name for the fruit of the tree fuchsia.
Glen Eden is a suburb of West Auckland, New Zealand, located at the foothills of Waitākere Ranges. Originally known as Waikumete, the suburb gained the name Glen Eden in 1921. The suburb is in the Waitākere Ward, one of the thirteen administrative areas of Auckland governed by Auckland Council.
Waiatarua is a small settlement near the top of the Waitākere Ranges, which border New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, close to the junction of Scenic Drive, West Coast Road and Piha Road to Piha and runs east until the junction of Scenic Drive and Mountain Road. Surrounded by native bush in the Centennial Memorial Park and the water catchment area, Waiatarua is over 300 metres above sea level and some houses are over 400 metres above sea level. Waiatarua means “song of two waters”, possibly referring to the ability to see both the wild west coast, and the still, sparkling waters of the Manukau and Waitemata harbours from certain points in the area.
The Kumeu River drains the northern Waitākere Ranges near Auckland, New Zealand, running past the town of Kumeū before merging into the Kaipara River.
Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It had 251 registered adult members as of June 2017. Auckland Council gave it land for a marae at Te Henga in 2018; it has no wharenui yet.
Lake Wainamu is a small lake near Te Henga in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located south-west of Lake Kawaupaka.
Henderson Valley is a locality west of Auckland, in New Zealand. The major road in the locality is Henderson Valley Road, and Scenic Drive is on the western boundary.
Kaurilands is an Auckland suburb, which is under the local governance of Auckland Council. The area was subdivided and developed in the 1920s.
Parrs Park is a public recreational and sporting facility in Oratia, Auckland, New Zealand. The park has lease arrangements with clubs and cultural organisations that have buildings and facilities on the perimeter and share the amenities of the park. The local community has a strong relationship with the park, organising and participating in events on the grounds, providing feedback to the council and voicing concerns. Parrs Park has been managed under a number of different Council structures since 1966 and as of 2022, is jointly governed by elected members of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, as part of Auckland Council.
The Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek is an estuarine river of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its sources in the Henderson Valley and Titirangi, before reaching the western Waitematā Harbour.
The Little Muddy Creek is a river of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows south from its source in Titirangi, meets the tributaries Waituna Stream and Waiohua Creek which run through the suburbs of Waima and Woodlands Park, before reaching the Manukau Harbour.
The Waikumete Stream is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its sources in Titirangi, before joining the Oratia Stream. Both bodies are tributaries of Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, which flows into the western Waitematā Harbour. The stream passes through the suburbs of Titirangi, Kaurilands, Glen Eden and Sunnyvale, and since the mid-2000s has been forested with native flora.
The Oratia Stream is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north-east from its source at the township of Waiatarua in the Waitākere Ranges, before entering into the Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, which flows into the western the Waitematā Harbour. After beginning at Waiatarua, the stream passes through the rural locality of Oratia and the West Auckland suburbs of Sunnyvale and Henderson. Since the mid-2000s has been forested with native flora.
The Opanuku Stream, formerly known as the Henderson Stream, is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows east from its source the Waitākere Ranges through the Henderson Valley, then north-east through West Auckland before entering into the Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, which flows into the western the Waitematā Harbour. The stream passes through the rural locality of Henderson Valley and the West Auckland suburbs of Western Heights and Henderson. Since the mid-2000s has been forested with native flora.
The Swanson Stream is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north-east from its source the Waitākere Ranges through rural west Auckland towards the suburb of Swanson, before joining the Momutu Stream, which exits into Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek and the western the Waitematā Harbour. Since the mid-2000s has been forested with native flora.