Avalon, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avalon
Suburb
Avalon Studios
Avalon Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Lower Hutt
Electoral ward	Central
Area
• Land	203 ha (502 acre)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	5,440

	Avalon, New Zealand

The Smiling Windmills are kinetic sculptures in Avalon Park

Avalon is a suburb in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It's part of the Wellington Region. This area was built in the 1970s. Before that, it was a place with market gardens. Avalon is on the eastern side of the Hutt River. Many houses here are inspired by California styles. They often have multiple levels and 3 or 4 bedrooms. Avalon is also home to Avalon Park. This is one of the largest playgrounds in Lower Hutt.

The Hutt City Council has clear boundaries for Avalon. It stretches from Percy Cameron Street in the north. The Hutt Valley rail line is to the east. Fairway Drive and Daysh Street are to the south. The Hutt River forms its western border.

Avalon Studios

Avalon became famous in New Zealand because of its television studios. The special Avalon Studios opened in 1975. This was a big deal for TV in New Zealand.

In 1960, New Zealand started regular TV. By 1969, there was only one state-owned TV channel. This meant Avalon Studios had a huge role in New Zealand media. For many years, the name "Avalon" meant television for most people.

Avalon also became a key place for making movies. This happened through the National Film Unit. Famous director Peter Jackson bought this unit in the late 1990s. He made it part of his Park Road Post company. The TV show 100 Hours was filmed at Avalon in 2002.

Television New Zealand (TVNZ) took over Avalon Studios in 1980. Even though TVNZ moved most of its work to Auckland in the 1980s, some shows stayed at Avalon. These included Good Morning and the live Lotto draws.

Studio Buildings

Avalon Studio has two main buildings. There is a 10-storey tower and a large single-story building. The tower was built in 1975. It has a unique design, sometimes called "Soviet-era architecture." It has 10 floors and a lot of space. There are also several satellite dishes on top. When it was first built, the tower was the tallest building in Lower Hutt City. It is still the tallest building in Avalon today.

Changes at the Studios

In 2010, there were talks about moving the Good Morning show to Auckland. Also, the contract for the horse racing show Trackside and the Lotto draws was ending in 2013. In 2011, TVNZ announced they would sell the Avalon site. They planned to move all remaining shows to Auckland by 2013. This meant TVNZ would focus all its work in Auckland.

In April 2012, a group called Avalon Holdings bought the studios. They officially took over in early 2013. In 2017, the studios were used to film parts of the movie Ghost in the Shell (2017 film) starring Scarlett Johansson. In March 2019, plans were made to change the 10-storey Avalon Tower. The idea was to turn it into 61 homes.

Demographics

Avalon is divided into two areas: Avalon West and Avalon East. The total area is about 2.02 square kilometers. As of 2023, the estimated population is around 5,000 people. This means there are about 2,500 people living in each square kilometer.

In 2018, Avalon had 5,094 people living there. This was an increase of 291 people since 2013. There were 1,974 households. The population included 2,418 males and 2,676 females. About 900 people (17.7%) were under 15 years old. Around 1,167 people (22.9%) were 65 or older.

The people in Avalon come from many different backgrounds. About 57.8% were European/Pākehā. Around 14.3% were Māori. About 12.9% were Pasifika. And 24.4% were Asian. About 31.9% of people were born outside New Zealand. This is higher than the national average of 27.1%.

Many people in Avalon have different religious beliefs. About 37.5% said they had no religion. Around 42.5% were Christian. Other religions included Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist.

For those aged 15 and older, about 21.1% had a university degree. About 20.1% had no formal qualifications. Around 14.0% of people earned over $70,000. This is a bit lower than the national average of 17.2%. Most people aged 15 and over were employed. About 43.9% worked full-time. Another 12.6% worked part-time. About 5.7% were unemployed.

Education

Avalon has five schools for students of different ages.

• Avalon Intermediate School is a state school for Year 7 and 8 students. It has 134 students.
• Avalon School is a state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students. It has 209 students.
• Kimi Ora School is a state special school. It helps students with physical disabilities. It has 97 students.
• Naenae College is a state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students. It opened in 1953. It has 815 students.
• Naenae Intermediate School is a state intermediate school for Year 7 and 8 students. It has 332 students.

Climate