Naenae
Encyclopedia
Naenae is a suburb
of the city of Lower Hutt
in the North Island
of New Zealand
. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River
, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district
. A small tributary of the Hutt, the Waiwhetu Stream, flows through the suburb.
Naenae has a population of around 8,000 people. It has several schools, including Naenae College (previously the second largest in Lower Hutt), Naenae Intermediate, Naenae Primary, Rata Street School, St. Bernadettes' and Wa Ora Montessori.
Naenae's shopping centre contains an Olympic-size swimming-pool
, built when New Zealand hosted an international diving
championships. The pool has three diving board
s. Originally open-air, the complex gained a roof due to overwhelming public support, making it accessible all year round. A hydroslide adjacent to the main pool attracts more people. The toddlers' paddling pool remained open-air for a few years more.
Naenae or nae-nae is a translation from the Māori
, meaning "mosquito" or "sandfly", recalling a time prior to the draining of the area, when the mosquito population predominated.
government under Peter Fraser selected Naenae as an ideal site to become a "designer community", a model suburb of sorts, where a suburban state housing
estate would complement a substantial shopping centre. This community centre
would serve as a social hub for the greater area. The planners hoped that nuclear family
life could manifest itself in such a scheme. Due to the increasing urbanisation of New Zealand, demand for housing outstripped the need f or such centres, leaving the scheme only partially realised.
Ernst Plischke
, an Austrian architect, designed plans for the new community centre between 1942 and 1943. However the design was later drastically changed by government architect Gordon Wilson.
Naenae railway station (opened 1946), on the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line
, adjoins Naenae's shopping centre.
Naenae's post-modern Post Office officially opened in 1966, paying homage to the Art Deco
era Main Post Office in Lower Hutt town centre.
A re-zoning of Naenae made it partly industrial in the 1960s, but it was principally a residential area. At its peak, Naenae boasted two manufacturers with strong Dutch connections:
Despite considerable investment and think-tanks on how to bolster the faltering local economy, Naenae has faced a steady decline since about 1980. In times the demographics of the suburb have shifted significantly. Following the post-war baby-boom
period, many of the parents of these children remained in Naenae, eventually progressing to pensioner status. As these people died, many migrants — predominately Pacific Islander
s, but later including Somalis
— replaced them. National economic difficulties have seen teenagers and young adults prone to violence and other criminal acts.
Naenae has a stagnant population. Statisticians predict minimal growth over the , combined with an overall lower than average household income in comparison to the greater Wellington region.
According to the 2001 census
, Naenae has approximately 7,150m2 retail floor-space, four times the economically viable amount sustainable by the local population. This retail space is mainly filled with takeaway shops and a pool, a library and some secondhand shops. There are also a supermarket and petrol station.
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 the city of Lower Hutt
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 the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
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...
. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River
Hutt River, New Zealand
thumb|300px|The Hutt River looking downstream.The Hutt River flows through the southern North Island of New Zealand...
, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. A small tributary of the Hutt, the Waiwhetu Stream, flows through the suburb.
Naenae has a population of around 8,000 people. It has several schools, including Naenae College (previously the second largest in Lower Hutt), Naenae Intermediate, Naenae Primary, Rata Street School, St. Bernadettes' and Wa Ora Montessori.
Naenae's shopping centre contains an Olympic-size swimming-pool
Olympic size swimming pool
An Olympic-size swimming pool is the type of swimming pool used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is 50 meters in length. This is typically referred to as "long course", delineating it from "short course" which applies to competitions in pools that are either 25 meters or 25 yards in...
, built when New Zealand hosted an international diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
championships. The pool has three diving board
Diving board
Diving board may refer to:*Springboard*Diving platform, referred to as a "tower" or sometimes "firm board"...
s. Originally open-air, the complex gained a roof due to overwhelming public support, making it accessible all year round. A hydroslide adjacent to the main pool attracts more people. The toddlers' paddling pool remained open-air for a few years more.
Naenae or nae-nae is a translation from the Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
, meaning "mosquito" or "sandfly", recalling a time prior to the draining of the area, when the mosquito population predominated.
History
As Lower Hutt expanded after the end of World War II in 1945, the LabourNew Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
government under Peter Fraser selected Naenae as an ideal site to become a "designer community", a model suburb of sorts, where a suburban state housing
State 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:...
estate would complement a substantial shopping centre. This community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
would serve as a social hub for the greater area. The planners hoped that nuclear family
Nuclear family
Nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a father and mother and their children. This is in contrast to the smaller single-parent family, and to the larger extended family. Nuclear families typically center on a married couple, but not always; the nuclear family may have...
life could manifest itself in such a scheme. Due to the increasing urbanisation of New Zealand, demand for housing outstripped the need f or such centres, leaving the scheme only partially realised.
Ernst Plischke
Ernst Plischke
Ernst Anton Plischke was an Austrian-New Zealand modernist architect, town planner and furniture designer whose work is well known throughout Europe and New Zealand.-Early years:...
, an Austrian architect, designed plans for the new community centre between 1942 and 1943. However the design was later drastically changed by government architect Gordon Wilson.
Naenae railway station (opened 1946), on the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line
Wairarapa Line
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...
, adjoins Naenae's shopping centre.
Naenae's post-modern Post Office officially opened in 1966, paying homage to the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
era Main Post Office in Lower Hutt town centre.
A re-zoning of Naenae made it partly industrial in the 1960s, but it was principally a residential area. At its peak, Naenae boasted two manufacturers with strong Dutch connections:
- PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, which produced televisions and radios, see pictures here. This industry closed down during the 1980s: Resene Paints occupies the buildings. - Rembrandt Suits Ltd, formed following the Second World War by Dutch tailors. It exports mainly to Australia, and has major contracts throughout the world.
"Modern" Naenae
A recent article in the local Hutt News newspaper outlined some of the problems with the subway that connects Naenae centre to the railway station and Avalon. Many students of Naenae College and Naenae Intermediate use this subway to get to and from school. In recent times violent crimes and assaults have occurred within the subway, obliging the Principal of Naenae Intermediate to patrol the area. In 2009 security cameras were installed and a poorly-lit stairway was closed off.Despite considerable investment and think-tanks on how to bolster the faltering local economy, Naenae has faced a steady decline since about 1980. In times the demographics of the suburb have shifted significantly. Following the post-war baby-boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
period, many of the parents of these children remained in Naenae, eventually progressing to pensioner status. As these people died, many migrants — predominately Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
s, but later including Somalis
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
— replaced them. National economic difficulties have seen teenagers and young adults prone to violence and other criminal acts.
Naenae has a stagnant population. Statisticians predict minimal growth over the , combined with an overall lower than average household income in comparison to the greater Wellington region.
According to the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Naenae has approximately 7,150m2 retail floor-space, four times the economically viable amount sustainable by the local population. This retail space is mainly filled with takeaway shops and a pool, a library and some secondhand shops. There are also a supermarket and petrol station.