Waiuku
Encyclopedia
Waiuku is a country town
in the Franklin District, in the North Island
of New Zealand
. It is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River
, which is an estuarial
arm of the Manukau Harbour
. It is 40 kilometres southwest of Auckland
city centre, and 12 kilometres north of the mouth of the Waikato River
.
The town serves to support local farming, and is the residence of many employees of New Zealand Steel
at Glenbrook
, which is four kilometres to the northeast.
Waiuku came into existence as a port in about 1843, on the then important trade route between Auckland and the agricultural area of the Waikato
. It was also the terminal of an ancient Maori portage between the Waikato River
and the Manukau Harbour
. Waiuku was marked out by the Government as a town in 1851. During the Waikato War (1863–64), Waiuku became a frontier stockade guarded by a blockhouse. The Waikato War ended the traffic responsible for the early development of the town as a trading post. Waiuku later grew as a farming centre under road board administration, and in 1914 became a town district. It was constituted a borough in 1955, and subsequently amalgamated into the Franklin District Council [in 1988]. A major development for the town was the Government sponsored establishment, from the mid 1960s, of New Zealand's first steel plant at Glenbrook to convert ironsand brought from the black sand deposits at Waikato Heads into steel. After many changes of ownership and name, the company has returned to being called New Zealand Steel
and is a division of Bluescope Steel
of Australia. The company continues to be a major employer in and influence on the town.
At the entrance to the Reserve stands a striking statue of Tamakae carved from swamp kauri logs. The logs were found during some excavation work at New Zealand Steel and gifted to the local iwi (tribe), Ngati Te Ata. The Reserve also has a small historic “village” with several restored buildings including Hartmann House, dating back to 1886, now operating as a local craft studio, Pollock Cottage (1890), Waiuku Jail (1865) and The Creamery (1890’s). The nearby Waiuku Museum has colonial era memorabilia, Māori artifacts, old sailing boats and historic photographs. A Heritage Trail around town points out further sites of historic interest in Waiuku including Wesley Methodist Church (1883) from where visitors to the town can get a panoramic view across Waiuku and the waterfront reserve.
Neighbouring attractions include the West Coast black sand beach of Karioitahi
and the Glenbrook Vintage Railway
.
Several cafes and restaurants are now open at the weekends. An increasing number of Waiuku shops are opening longer on Saturdays and many on Sundays too with a wide range from boutique fashion stores to antique and artifact stores, a traditional Butcher/Fishmonger, hardware store, handmade solid furniture store and even a macadamia “chocolatier and ice-cream” maker. A “veggie and craft” market runs on the first and 3rd Saturday of each month (9am-2pm).
who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
.
In 2006, 24.2 percent of people are aged under 15 years in Waiuku, compared with 22.1 percent for all of Auckland Region. In 2001, 26.5% of people in Waiuku were under the age of 15 years compared with 22.7% for all of New Zealand.
In 2006, 13.5% of people in Waiuku are aged 65 years and over, compared with 9.9% of the total Auckland Region population. This compared with 2001 when 11.4% of people in Waiuku were aged 65 years and over compared with 12.1% for all of New Zealand.
In 2006, 34.5% of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku had a post-school qualification, compared with 42.5% of people throughout Auckland Region. In Waiuku, 31.0% of people aged 15 years and over had no formal qualifications, compared with 20.3% for Auckland Region as a whole. This compares with 2001, when 26.6% of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku had a post-school qualification, compared with 32.2% for New Zealand as a whole
According to the 2006 Census, the Waiuku population's ethic origin was 75.6% European; 17.7% Māori; 3.6% Pacific peoples; 3.6% Asian; 0.3% Middle Eastern/Latin American/African; and 11.0% other ethnicity. In the Auckland Region, the 2006 census split ethnicity as follows: European 56.5%; Māori 11.1%; Pacific peoples 14.4%; Asian 18.9%; Middle Eastern/Latin American/African 1.5%; and other ethnicity 8.1%. By contrast, in 2001, 86.2% of people in Waiuku said they belong to the European ethnic group, compared with 80.1% for all of New Zealand.
In terms of birthplace 20.7% of people in Waiuku were born overseas, compared with 37.0% for Auckland Region as a whole. For people born overseas living in Waiuku in 2006, the most common birthplace was the UK and Ireland, compared with Asia for all of Auckland Region.
English is the most commonly spoken language in Waiuku, spoken by virtually the entire population. According to the 2006 census, 3.6% of people in Waiuku speak Māori, compared with 2.7% of people for all of Auckland Region. New Zealand Sign Language is used by 0.4% of people in Waiuku, compared with 0.6% of people for all of Auckland Region. 87.6% of people in Waiuku speak only one language, compared with 70.7% of people for all of Auckland Region.
According to the 2006 census, for people aged 15 years and over, the median income (half earn more, and half less, than this amount) in Waiuku was $24,500. This compares with a median of $26,800 for all of Auckland Region. 42.4 percent of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku had an annual income of $20,000 or less, compared with 40.9 percent of people for Auckland Region as a whole. In Waiuku, 21.3 percent of people aged 15 years and over had an annual income of more than $50,000, compared with 21.6 percent of people in Auckland Region. In 2001, The median income of people in Waiuku was $19,200, compared with $18,500 for all of New Zealand.
In the 2006 census, the unemployment rate in Waiuku is 5.0 percent for people aged 15 years and over, compared with 5.6 percent for all of Auckland Region. The most common occupational group in Waiuku was 'Technicians and trades workers' and 'Professionals' is the most common occupational group in Auckland Region. By comparison, in 2001, the unemployment rate in Waiuku was 6.4 percent, compared with 7.5 percent for all of New Zealand.
In 2006, 29.3% of people aged 15 years and over living in Waiuku had never married, 49.7% were married, and 20.9% were separated, divorced or widowed. 32.3% of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku who have never married, live with a partner.Couples with children made up 42.4% of all families in Waiuku, while couples without children made up 37.4% of all families. In Auckland Region, couples with children make up 46.3% of all families, while couples without children make up 34.8 percent of all families. 20.2% of families in Waiuku are one-parent-with-children families, compared with 18.9% of families for Auckland Region as a whole.
In Waiuku, according to the 2006 census, 64.8% of households in private occupied dwellings own the dwelling, with or without a mortgage. For Auckland Region as a whole, 50.7% of households in private occupied dwellings own the dwelling, with or without a mortgage.
According to the 2006 census, 88.% of Waiuku households have a telephone, compared to 92.6% of people in the Auckland region. 57.4 percent of households in Waiuku have access to the Internet, compared with 65.5 percent of households throughout Auckland Region. In Waiuku 76.6 percent of households have access to a cellphone, compared with 76.4 percent of households for Auckland Region as a whole.
16.0% of households in Waiuku have access to three or more motor vehicles, compared with 17.7% of all households in Auckland Region.
The local Iwi of Waiuku or Mana Whenua of Waiuku are Te Iwi o Ngati Te Ata Waiohua.
. He played his first game for the All-Blacks against England on 14 June 2008, becoming the first All-Black ever to have attended Waiuku College. On 23 October 2011, Stephen kicked a penalty for New Zealand to win the Rugby World Cup
8 - 7 against France at Eden Park. Though born in Papakura on 3 December 1983, Stephen attended Sandspit Primary School in Waiuku then four years at Waiuku College where his father is a long-serving teacher, before spending his seventh form at Wesley College. In honour of his contribution to winning the world cup, Waiuku named their local rugby club ground Beaver Park.
Waiuku is the hometown of John Campbell Paterson
, Bishop of Auckland from 1994 to 2010.
Waiuku was also the birth place of rugby legend and former All Black Zinzan Brooke
, but he attended Mahurangi College. Noted all Blacks Kevin Skinner
and Pat Walsh were already accomplished adult players when they joined Waiuku.
Emeritus Professor James Boyer Brown AM dubbed "Mr Oestrogen" for his work at Edinburgh and Melbourne universities was born in Waiuku on 7 October 1919. Jim, who was part of the think tank led by American biologist and researcher Gregory Pincus that developed the first reliable hormonal contraceptive, the pill, was later a member of the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) team led by Professor Carl Wood, where he provided the expertise for the timing of the egg pick-up. Jim, who joined Professor Lance Townsend's department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Melbourne University in 1962, revolutionised the use of gonadtrophins for the safe induction of ovulation by monitoring ovarian response. This all but eliminated the risk of high order multiple pregnancies. Jim was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia
in 2003 for service to medical science, particularly clinical research into women's health and reproductive issues and the development of the Home Ovarian Monitor.
Elsie Locke
, then named Elsie Violet Farrelly, was born in Waiuku, New Zealand on 17 August 1912. She attended Waiuku District High School from 1925 until 1929, where she was the sole student in her class during her final two years. She was widely known as a peace activist and historian but she was also a groundbreaking and successful author of children’s literature. Her literary reputation rests primarily on her historical novels set in New Zealand’s colonial past, many of which have been reprinted. Attending university during the Depression, she associated with many of New Zealand’s emerging literary figures. She also became a socialist because of her experiences and observations of poverty at this time. Her son is Keith Locke
, a Green Party MP.
David Aspin
competed in the freestyle wrestling discipline, and was the 1974 Commonwealth Games champion and 1970 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, in the middleweight category. He was also New Zealand's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the 1972 Summer Olympics, in Munich, and of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
Air Vice-Marshal F. H. M. Maynard, CB, AFC, Legion of Merit (US); RAF (retd.); England; was born in Waiuku,on 1 May 1893. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and served in France and United Kingdom in First World War in RNAS and RAF. He was AOC RAF, Mediterranean, 26 Jan 1940 – 1 Jun 1941; Air Officer in Charge of Administration, RAF Coastal Command, 1941–44; AOC No. 19 Group, Coastal Command, 1944–45.
One of the founders of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Waiuku in the 19th century was Captain Sir John Makgill, who had a large land holding locally. His wife was Margaret Isabella Haldane, sister of Lord Haldane, and their son was George Makgill
who returned to Britain to be 11th Baronet of Makgill.
Waiuku is the hometown of Stumpy Holmes, a national rally car driver.
Ross Ihaka
is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Auckland who is recognized as co-founder of the R programming language. He received the Royal Society of New Zealand's Pickering Medal in 2008 for his work on R. R is used by an estimated 250,000 people on a regular basis
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Franklin District, 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 is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River
Waiuku River
The Waiuku River is located to the southwest of the city of Auckland in New Zealand. Despite its name, the "river" is in fact an estuarial arm of the Manukau Harbour. It joins the harbour at the south west and extends south for 12 kilometres, having its head close to the town of Waiuku....
, which is an estuarial
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
arm of the Manukau Harbour
Manukau Harbour
Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and is an arm of the Tasman Sea.-Geography:...
. It is 40 kilometres southwest of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
city centre, and 12 kilometres north of the mouth of the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
.
The town serves to support local farming, and is the residence of many employees of New Zealand Steel
New Zealand Steel
New Zealand Steel is a large steel mill located at Glenbrook, New Zealand. It uses a unique method of producing steel from ironsand, abundant on the west coast of the North Island...
at Glenbrook
Glenbrook, New Zealand
Glenbrook is a rural and industrial area in the Franklin district of New Zealand.The industrial site, that of New Zealand's major steel mill, New Zealand Steel, is not located close to any towns - the surrounding countryside is occupied by huge farms...
, which is four kilometres to the northeast.
History
The Māori name Waiuku comes from a legend that two prominent brothers, Tamakae and Tamakou, vied for the hand of a beautiful high-ranking Waikato chieftainess. Tamakae was the cultivator, provider and Tamakou the orator. Tamakou was the first to meet her, but she requested that Tamakae be presented to her. He was working in the kumara gardens and had to be washed in the wai (water) and uku (a particular type of mud) at the stream that flows into the Manukau Harbour just behind the Waiuku Museum, before he was able to meet her. Tamakae won her heart and married her. From then the place was named Waiuku.Waiuku came into existence as a port in about 1843, on the then important trade route between Auckland and the agricultural area of the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
. It was also the terminal of an ancient Maori portage between the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
and the Manukau Harbour
Manukau Harbour
Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and is an arm of the Tasman Sea.-Geography:...
. Waiuku was marked out by the Government as a town in 1851. During the Waikato War (1863–64), Waiuku became a frontier stockade guarded by a blockhouse. The Waikato War ended the traffic responsible for the early development of the town as a trading post. Waiuku later grew as a farming centre under road board administration, and in 1914 became a town district. It was constituted a borough in 1955, and subsequently amalgamated into the Franklin District Council [in 1988]. A major development for the town was the Government sponsored establishment, from the mid 1960s, of New Zealand's first steel plant at Glenbrook to convert ironsand brought from the black sand deposits at Waikato Heads into steel. After many changes of ownership and name, the company has returned to being called New Zealand Steel
New Zealand Steel
New Zealand Steel is a large steel mill located at Glenbrook, New Zealand. It uses a unique method of producing steel from ironsand, abundant on the west coast of the North Island...
and is a division of Bluescope Steel
BlueScope Steel
BlueScope Steel is a flat product steel producer with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Pacific and North America. It was spun off from BHP Billiton in 2002 as BHP Steel and renamed BlueScope Steel on 17 November 2003...
of Australia. The company continues to be a major employer in and influence on the town.
Attractions
The local pub, called The Kentish Hotel, is New Zealand's longest continuously licenced hotel. It was built by one of the first European settlers in Waiuku, Edward Constable, as an inn in 1851. His presence can still be felt in the name of the pub (he was from Kent), and the street behind it - Constable Road. The Kentish, with its ornate verandahs, provides a historical centre point to the town and the nearby Tamakae Reserve.At the entrance to the Reserve stands a striking statue of Tamakae carved from swamp kauri logs. The logs were found during some excavation work at New Zealand Steel and gifted to the local iwi (tribe), Ngati Te Ata. The Reserve also has a small historic “village” with several restored buildings including Hartmann House, dating back to 1886, now operating as a local craft studio, Pollock Cottage (1890), Waiuku Jail (1865) and The Creamery (1890’s). The nearby Waiuku Museum has colonial era memorabilia, Māori artifacts, old sailing boats and historic photographs. A Heritage Trail around town points out further sites of historic interest in Waiuku including Wesley Methodist Church (1883) from where visitors to the town can get a panoramic view across Waiuku and the waterfront reserve.
Neighbouring attractions include the West Coast black sand beach of Karioitahi
Kariotahi Beach
Karioitahi Beach is a black sand beach located in Franklin District, near Auckland, on the west coast of New Zealand.It is a rugged and windswept environment, often used for beach activities such as surfing, fishing, horse riding, off-road motorcycling and, most notably, paragliding...
and the Glenbrook Vintage Railway
Glenbrook Vintage Railway
The Glenbrook Vintage Railway is a steam railway in Glenbrook, New Zealand. One of New Zealand's premiere rail heritage sites, it is not a museum as such, but rather a fully self-supporting, operating steam railway, built almost entirely by volunteer labour...
.
Several cafes and restaurants are now open at the weekends. An increasing number of Waiuku shops are opening longer on Saturdays and many on Sundays too with a wide range from boutique fashion stores to antique and artifact stores, a traditional Butcher/Fishmonger, hardware store, handmade solid furniture store and even a macadamia “chocolatier and ice-cream” maker. A “veggie and craft” market runs on the first and 3rd Saturday of each month (9am-2pm).
Association football
Waiuku is home to Waiuku AFCWaiuku AFC
Waiuku AFC is a semi-professional football club in Waiuku, New Zealand.Waiuku currently compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2.-External links:**...
who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
The Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 is a New Zealand Association football semi-professional status league competition that is run by the Auckland Football Federation and includes soccer clubs located in the northern part of the North Island, New Zealand. It is open to clubs from the Northland,...
.
Education
There are many schools in the area around Waiuku, including Waiuku College (the local secondary school), Sandspit Road Primary School, Waiuku Primary School and Pukeoware Primary School.Statistics
According to the 2006 census, 6,087 people usually live in Waiuku. This is an increase of 609 people, or 11.1 percent, since the 2001 Census. There were 2,244 occupied dwellings in Waiuku.In 2006, 24.2 percent of people are aged under 15 years in Waiuku, compared with 22.1 percent for all of Auckland Region. In 2001, 26.5% of people in Waiuku were under the age of 15 years compared with 22.7% for all of New Zealand.
In 2006, 13.5% of people in Waiuku are aged 65 years and over, compared with 9.9% of the total Auckland Region population. This compared with 2001 when 11.4% of people in Waiuku were aged 65 years and over compared with 12.1% for all of New Zealand.
In 2006, 34.5% of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku had a post-school qualification, compared with 42.5% of people throughout Auckland Region. In Waiuku, 31.0% of people aged 15 years and over had no formal qualifications, compared with 20.3% for Auckland Region as a whole. This compares with 2001, when 26.6% of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku had a post-school qualification, compared with 32.2% for New Zealand as a whole
According to the 2006 Census, the Waiuku population's ethic origin was 75.6% European; 17.7% Māori; 3.6% Pacific peoples; 3.6% Asian; 0.3% Middle Eastern/Latin American/African; and 11.0% other ethnicity. In the Auckland Region, the 2006 census split ethnicity as follows: European 56.5%; Māori 11.1%; Pacific peoples 14.4%; Asian 18.9%; Middle Eastern/Latin American/African 1.5%; and other ethnicity 8.1%. By contrast, in 2001, 86.2% of people in Waiuku said they belong to the European ethnic group, compared with 80.1% for all of New Zealand.
In terms of birthplace 20.7% of people in Waiuku were born overseas, compared with 37.0% for Auckland Region as a whole. For people born overseas living in Waiuku in 2006, the most common birthplace was the UK and Ireland, compared with Asia for all of Auckland Region.
English is the most commonly spoken language in Waiuku, spoken by virtually the entire population. According to the 2006 census, 3.6% of people in Waiuku speak Māori, compared with 2.7% of people for all of Auckland Region. New Zealand Sign Language is used by 0.4% of people in Waiuku, compared with 0.6% of people for all of Auckland Region. 87.6% of people in Waiuku speak only one language, compared with 70.7% of people for all of Auckland Region.
According to the 2006 census, for people aged 15 years and over, the median income (half earn more, and half less, than this amount) in Waiuku was $24,500. This compares with a median of $26,800 for all of Auckland Region. 42.4 percent of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku had an annual income of $20,000 or less, compared with 40.9 percent of people for Auckland Region as a whole. In Waiuku, 21.3 percent of people aged 15 years and over had an annual income of more than $50,000, compared with 21.6 percent of people in Auckland Region. In 2001, The median income of people in Waiuku was $19,200, compared with $18,500 for all of New Zealand.
In the 2006 census, the unemployment rate in Waiuku is 5.0 percent for people aged 15 years and over, compared with 5.6 percent for all of Auckland Region. The most common occupational group in Waiuku was 'Technicians and trades workers' and 'Professionals' is the most common occupational group in Auckland Region. By comparison, in 2001, the unemployment rate in Waiuku was 6.4 percent, compared with 7.5 percent for all of New Zealand.
In 2006, 29.3% of people aged 15 years and over living in Waiuku had never married, 49.7% were married, and 20.9% were separated, divorced or widowed. 32.3% of people aged 15 years and over in Waiuku who have never married, live with a partner.Couples with children made up 42.4% of all families in Waiuku, while couples without children made up 37.4% of all families. In Auckland Region, couples with children make up 46.3% of all families, while couples without children make up 34.8 percent of all families. 20.2% of families in Waiuku are one-parent-with-children families, compared with 18.9% of families for Auckland Region as a whole.
In Waiuku, according to the 2006 census, 64.8% of households in private occupied dwellings own the dwelling, with or without a mortgage. For Auckland Region as a whole, 50.7% of households in private occupied dwellings own the dwelling, with or without a mortgage.
According to the 2006 census, 88.% of Waiuku households have a telephone, compared to 92.6% of people in the Auckland region. 57.4 percent of households in Waiuku have access to the Internet, compared with 65.5 percent of households throughout Auckland Region. In Waiuku 76.6 percent of households have access to a cellphone, compared with 76.4 percent of households for Auckland Region as a whole.
16.0% of households in Waiuku have access to three or more motor vehicles, compared with 17.7% of all households in Auckland Region.
The local Iwi of Waiuku or Mana Whenua of Waiuku are Te Iwi o Ngati Te Ata Waiohua.
Notable people
Waiuku is the hometown of Waikato Chiefs rugby teams star kicker Stephen DonaldStephen Donald
Stephen Donald is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays at First five-eighth or Second five-eighth. Despite an international career that had not lived up to expectations, Donald, aka 'The Beaver', kicked the winning penalty in the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 for New Zealand...
. He played his first game for the All-Blacks against England on 14 June 2008, becoming the first All-Black ever to have attended Waiuku College. On 23 October 2011, Stephen kicked a penalty for New Zealand to win the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
8 - 7 against France at Eden Park. Though born in Papakura on 3 December 1983, Stephen attended Sandspit Primary School in Waiuku then four years at Waiuku College where his father is a long-serving teacher, before spending his seventh form at Wesley College. In honour of his contribution to winning the world cup, Waiuku named their local rugby club ground Beaver Park.
Waiuku is the hometown of John Campbell Paterson
John Campbell Paterson
John Campbell Paterson was the Anglican Bishop of Auckland from 1994 to 2010.Paterson was educated at King's College, Auckland and the University of Auckland His qualifications are a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Auckland, a Licentiate in Theology from St John's College,...
, Bishop of Auckland from 1994 to 2010.
Waiuku was also the birth place of rugby legend and former All Black Zinzan Brooke
Zinzan Brooke
Zinzan Valentine Brooke is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at number eight...
, but he attended Mahurangi College. Noted all Blacks Kevin Skinner
Kevin Skinner
Patrick Kevin Skinner , better known as Kevin Skinner, is an American country music singer from the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky. He was the winner of the fourth season of America's Got Talent.- Early life :...
and Pat Walsh were already accomplished adult players when they joined Waiuku.
Emeritus Professor James Boyer Brown AM dubbed "Mr Oestrogen" for his work at Edinburgh and Melbourne universities was born in Waiuku on 7 October 1919. Jim, who was part of the think tank led by American biologist and researcher Gregory Pincus that developed the first reliable hormonal contraceptive, the pill, was later a member of the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) team led by Professor Carl Wood, where he provided the expertise for the timing of the egg pick-up. Jim, who joined Professor Lance Townsend's department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Melbourne University in 1962, revolutionised the use of gonadtrophins for the safe induction of ovulation by monitoring ovarian response. This all but eliminated the risk of high order multiple pregnancies. Jim was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in 2003 for service to medical science, particularly clinical research into women's health and reproductive issues and the development of the Home Ovarian Monitor.
Elsie Locke
Elsie Locke
Elsie Violet Locke was a New Zealand writer, feminist and social activist. She was born Elsie Violet Farrelly in Waiuku.- Life :...
, then named Elsie Violet Farrelly, was born in Waiuku, New Zealand on 17 August 1912. She attended Waiuku District High School from 1925 until 1929, where she was the sole student in her class during her final two years. She was widely known as a peace activist and historian but she was also a groundbreaking and successful author of children’s literature. Her literary reputation rests primarily on her historical novels set in New Zealand’s colonial past, many of which have been reprinted. Attending university during the Depression, she associated with many of New Zealand’s emerging literary figures. She also became a socialist because of her experiences and observations of poverty at this time. Her son is Keith Locke
Keith Locke
Keith James Locke is a current New Zealand MP representing the Green Party who was first elected to parliament in 1999. he is the Green Party spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Ethnic Affairs, Pacific Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration, Police and Auckland Transport...
, a Green Party MP.
David Aspin
David Aspin
David Anthony Aspin , is a wrestler from Waiuku, New Zealand. He competed in the freestyle wrestling discipline, where he was the 1974 Commonwealth Games champion and 1970 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, in the middleweight category...
competed in the freestyle wrestling discipline, and was the 1974 Commonwealth Games champion and 1970 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, in the middleweight category. He was also New Zealand's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies of the 1972 Summer Olympics, in Munich, and of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
Air Vice-Marshal F. H. M. Maynard, CB, AFC, Legion of Merit (US); RAF (retd.); England; was born in Waiuku,on 1 May 1893. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 and served in France and United Kingdom in First World War in RNAS and RAF. He was AOC RAF, Mediterranean, 26 Jan 1940 – 1 Jun 1941; Air Officer in Charge of Administration, RAF Coastal Command, 1941–44; AOC No. 19 Group, Coastal Command, 1944–45.
One of the founders of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Waiuku in the 19th century was Captain Sir John Makgill, who had a large land holding locally. His wife was Margaret Isabella Haldane, sister of Lord Haldane, and their son was George Makgill
George Makgill
Sir George Makgill, 11th Baronet was a Scottish novelist and right-wing propagandist.George Makgill was the son of Captain John Makgill and Margaret Isabella Haldane, sister of Lord Haldane. Educated privately, Makgill lived for several years in New Zealand where his father had a station at Waiuku...
who returned to Britain to be 11th Baronet of Makgill.
Waiuku is the hometown of Stumpy Holmes, a national rally car driver.
Ross Ihaka
Ross Ihaka
Ross Ihaka is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Auckland, who is recognized, along with Robert Gentleman, as one of the originators of the R programming language...
is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Auckland who is recognized as co-founder of the R programming language. He received the Royal Society of New Zealand's Pickering Medal in 2008 for his work on R. R is used by an estimated 250,000 people on a regular basis