Whau Valley
Encyclopedia
Whau Valley is a suburb of Whangarei
, in Northland Region, New Zealand
. State Highway 1 runs through it. The valley was named for the whau
trees which grew there in the 1850s.
The population was 2,745 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 81 from 2001.
At the end of the 4 km long Whau Valley Road is the principal water reservoir for Whangarei City, created by the Whau Valley Earth Dam. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow
and brown trout
.
who settled in the Whangarei area.
Coal was discovered in the Whauwhau Valley in the 1860s. Henry Walton and William Grahame took a 99 lease on the land and developed a mine. A wooden tramway was built from the mine to the Hatea River so coal wagons could be pulled by horses to be loaded onto ships. The railway line between Kamo and Whangarei, opened in 1882, replaced the tramway. Output of the mine was 45359 long ton by 1885.
of 2 and a roll of 212.
St Francis Xavier School is a Catholic contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 438.
Whangarei Adventist Christian School is a full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 4 and a roll of 26.
All these schools are coeducational. St Francis Xavier and Whangarei Adventist schools are state integrated.
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
, in Northland Region, 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...
. State Highway 1 runs through it. The valley was named for the whau
Entelea
Entelea arborescens or whau is a species of malvaceous tree endemic to New Zealand. E. arborescens is the only species in the genus Entelea. A shrub or small tree to 6 m with large lime-like leaves giving a tropical appearance, whau grows in low forest along the coast of the North Island and...
trees which grew there in the 1850s.
The population was 2,745 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 81 from 2001.
At the end of the 4 km long Whau Valley Road is the principal water reservoir for Whangarei City, created by the Whau Valley Earth Dam. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
.
History
Some of the early settlers in what was then called Whauwhau Valley were William Hawken and his family, who arrived in 1859, and John MacDonald and his family, in 1860. The MacDonald family was part of the group of people from Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
who settled in the Whangarei area.
Coal was discovered in the Whauwhau Valley in the 1860s. Henry Walton and William Grahame took a 99 lease on the land and developed a mine. A wooden tramway was built from the mine to the Hatea River so coal wagons could be pulled by horses to be loaded onto ships. The railway line between Kamo and Whangarei, opened in 1882, replaced the tramway. Output of the mine was 45359 long ton by 1885.
Education
Whau Valley School is a contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile ratingSocio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
of 2 and a roll of 212.
St Francis Xavier School is a Catholic contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 438.
Whangarei Adventist Christian School is a full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 4 and a roll of 26.
All these schools are coeducational. St Francis Xavier and Whangarei Adventist schools are state integrated.