Moera
Encyclopedia
Moera is a suburb of the city of Lower Hutt
in New Zealand
and urban district of the city of Wellington
.
, the suburb's name Moera is thought to be a simplification of Moe-i-te-ra, meaning "sleeping in the sun".
In 1843 William Trotter settled in the area and established a fruit garden and nursery. A large earthquake
in 1855 raised the Hutt Valley from 1 to 2 metres, thus draining the swampy estuary.
The area remained farmland up until 1926 when the Petone Railway Workshops were moved to Moera. Prefabricated housing was built by the Railways Department and sold to the railway workers.
developments in later years.
Many of the current houses are original Railways Department built prefabricated cottages dating from that era.
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
in 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...
and urban district of the city 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...
.
Location
Located at the south-eastern end of the Hutt RiverHutt River, New Zealand
thumb|300px|The Hutt River looking downstream.The Hutt River flows through the southern North Island of New Zealand...
, the suburb's name Moera is thought to be a simplification of Moe-i-te-ra, meaning "sleeping in the sun".
History
Prior to European settlement, the Moera area was part of a large tidal estuary at the mouth of the Awamutu and Waiwhetū Streams. The southern side of Waiwhetū Stream contained a number of Ngati Ira villages.In 1843 William Trotter settled in the area and established a fruit garden and nursery. A large earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1855 raised the Hutt Valley from 1 to 2 metres, thus draining the swampy estuary.
The area remained farmland up until 1926 when the Petone Railway Workshops were moved to Moera. Prefabricated housing was built by the Railways Department and sold to the railway workers.
Influence
To house the workers almost 600 kitset homes were built to a simple 5 room layout. The whole project was completed by May 1927. These provided a template for State housingState housing
State housing is the system of public housing offered to New Zealand residents on low to moderate incomes. Some 66,000 houses are managed by Housing New Zealand Corporation, most of which are owned by the government.-The Liberal Government:...
developments in later years.
Many of the current houses are original Railways Department built prefabricated cottages dating from that era.