Hataitai
Encyclopedia
Hataitai is an inner-city suburb
of Wellington
, the capital
of New Zealand
, 3.5 kilometres southeast of the city centre. The suburb extends over the southeastern flank of Mount Victoria
and down a valley between the Town Belt and a ridge along the shoreline of Evans Bay
. Hataitai is bounded by Hepara Street, Grafton Road and the suburb of Roseneath in the north, Wellington Harbour
in the east, Cobham Drive, Wellington Road and Crawford Road in the south, and Alexandra Road in the west.
Hataitai is on important transport links between the central city and Wellington International Airport
, to the south of Evans Bay on the isthmus
at Rongotai
. It is at the eastern end of the Mount Victoria Tunnel
and the bus-only Hataitai Tunnel, built in 1907 for trams
, making Hataitai a popular place to live.
(sea monster) Whataitai, one of the two creatures who helped form the harbour of Te Whanganui-a-Tara
(Wellington Harbour
). When one taniwha broke through the rock that separated the then lake from Cook Strait
, the waters rushed out, leaving Whataitai stranded on rocks. An earthquake later lifted the monster's body into the hills below Tangi Te Keo (Mount Victoria).
Many of the street in Hataitai are named after native trees: Hinau Street, Konini Street, Matai Road, Rata Road, Rewa Road etc.
Significant development took place from the early 20th century into the 1950s, spurred by improved access. The population increased slightly between 2001 and 2006, a result of new dwellings being added to the area.
In the early days the area was part of Kilbirnie in the Evans Bay district - so the school opened in 1884 was called Kilbirnie School. In 1901 the Hataitai Land Company was formed to sell sections on the hillsides north from Waitoa Road, and the area became known as Hataitai.
The suburb has two state primary schools, Kilbirnie School (years 1 - 6) and Hataitai School (years 1 - 8), a playcentre and two kindergartens. Sports facilities include the Badminton Hall on Ruahine Street and Hataitai Park on the Town Belt. Hataitai Park has a velodrome, tennis courts and rugby fields. Other community facilities include a community centre and bowling club, both of which offer venues for community activities, a medical centre, three churches (All Saints Anglican, Hataitai Methodist, Latter-day Saints) and the Treasure Grove and Waipapa Road Play Areas. In addition, the Alexandra Road Play area is accessible from Hepara Street, with a 180 degree view from Wellington Harbour's Eastbourne to Lyall Bay in the South and only a short walk to the Mount Victoria summit.
The Hataitai Residents' Association has the purpose of representing the residents of Hataitai on matters of common interest or concern to the Hataitai community.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, the capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, 3.5 kilometres southeast of the city centre. The suburb extends over the southeastern flank of Mount Victoria
Mount Victoria, Wellington
Mount Victoria, locally abbreviated to Mt. Vic, is a prominent hill to the east of the centre of Wellington, New Zealand, and its associated suburb. To the south of it is a spur, Mount Albert, and the two are linked by a ridge....
and down a valley between the Town Belt and a ridge along the shoreline of Evans Bay
Evans Bay
Evans Bay is an Arctic waterway in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located off northwestern Bathurst Island, the bay is on the east side of Erskine Inlet, across from Île Vanier.Other bays in the area include Dampier Bay and Cameron Bay....
. Hataitai is bounded by Hepara Street, Grafton Road and the suburb of Roseneath in the north, Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...
in the east, Cobham Drive, Wellington Road and Crawford Road in the south, and Alexandra Road in the west.
Hataitai is on important transport links between the central city and Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a secondary hub and focus city for Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries...
, to the south of Evans Bay on the isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
at Rongotai
Rongotai
This article discusses the Wellington city suburb of Rongotai. For the article about the New Zealand parliamentary electorate of the same name see Rongotai ...
. It is at the eastern end of the Mount Victoria Tunnel
Mount Victoria Tunnel
The Mount Victoria Tunnel in the New Zealand capital city of Wellington is 623 metres long and 5 metres in height, connecting Hataitai to the centre of Wellington and the suburb of Mount Victoria, under the mount of the same name...
and the bus-only Hataitai Tunnel, built in 1907 for trams
Wellington tramway system
The Wellington tramway system operated in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The tramways were originally owned by a private company, but were purchased by the city and formed a major part of the city's transport system.-Trams:...
, making Hataitai a popular place to live.
Origin of name
The area that is now Hataitai was known to the earliest European pioneers as "Jenkins Estate". Hataitai was given its name by the syndicate which cut it up for building in 1901 and is a derivation of Whataitai which was the ancient Maori name for what is now Miramar. The ridge of the hill was thought to have been the petrified remains of the great taniwhaTaniwha
In Māori mythology, taniwha are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers...
(sea monster) Whataitai, one of the two creatures who helped form the harbour of Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Te Whanganui a Tara is a Māori name for Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Originally it described the actual harbour , but the term has come to be accepted as the name of the city as well...
(Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...
). When one taniwha broke through the rock that separated the then lake from Cook Strait
Cook Strait
Cook Strait is the strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....
, the waters rushed out, leaving Whataitai stranded on rocks. An earthquake later lifted the monster's body into the hills below Tangi Te Keo (Mount Victoria).
Settlement
Colonial settlement of the area dates from 1841, with land used mainly for farming and grazing. Robert Jenkins acquired in this part an estate of a hundred acres of hill pasture. In order to reach it he made a road up Mount Victoria an, fenced in much of it and used it for breeding horses. Population was minimal until the late 19th century. When the area was cut up for building in 1901 the new suburb was advertised by the cutting of gigantic letters in the turf of the town side of Mount Victoria.Many of the street in Hataitai are named after native trees: Hinau Street, Konini Street, Matai Road, Rata Road, Rewa Road etc.
Significant development took place from the early 20th century into the 1950s, spurred by improved access. The population increased slightly between 2001 and 2006, a result of new dwellings being added to the area.
In the early days the area was part of Kilbirnie in the Evans Bay district - so the school opened in 1884 was called Kilbirnie School. In 1901 the Hataitai Land Company was formed to sell sections on the hillsides north from Waitoa Road, and the area became known as Hataitai.
Amenities
A small shopping village is centred on Moxham Avenue and Waitoa Road, and consists of a superette, dairy, tavern, liquor store, bakery, pharmacy, hair salons, beauty salons, interior decor shop, bathroom design shop, laundrette and a good range of restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets. In 2011 Wellington City Council added Hataitai Village shops to its District Plan list of heritage buildings. The heritage listings mean the buildings are recognised and protected for their heritage value and any major changes to the outside of listed buildings, or demolition of them, would require resource consent. The Victorian precinct is an essential part of Wellington's fabric.The suburb has two state primary schools, Kilbirnie School (years 1 - 6) and Hataitai School (years 1 - 8), a playcentre and two kindergartens. Sports facilities include the Badminton Hall on Ruahine Street and Hataitai Park on the Town Belt. Hataitai Park has a velodrome, tennis courts and rugby fields. Other community facilities include a community centre and bowling club, both of which offer venues for community activities, a medical centre, three churches (All Saints Anglican, Hataitai Methodist, Latter-day Saints) and the Treasure Grove and Waipapa Road Play Areas. In addition, the Alexandra Road Play area is accessible from Hepara Street, with a 180 degree view from Wellington Harbour's Eastbourne to Lyall Bay in the South and only a short walk to the Mount Victoria summit.
The Hataitai Residents' Association has the purpose of representing the residents of Hataitai on matters of common interest or concern to the Hataitai community.