Dannevirke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dannevirke
Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua
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Dannevirke High Street in May 2016
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Manawatū-Whanganui |
| Territorial authority | Tararua District |
| Ward |
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| Community | Dannevirke Community |
| Electorates |
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| Area | |
| • Total | 6.82 km2 (2.63 sq mi) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 5,640 |
| • Density | 827.0/km2 (2,142/sq mi) |
| Postcode(s) |
4930
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Dannevirke is a small town in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. Its name means "work of the Danes," linking it to an old Viking fort in Denmark. The Māori name for the area is Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua. It is the main town in the Tararua District.
The land around Dannevirke is used for dairy, beef cattle, and sheep farming. This farming is the main way people in the town earn money. The Manawatū River starts near Dannevirke, about 20 minutes north of the town.
Contents
History of Dannevirke
Before European settlers arrived in the 1870s, the Māori people of this area were from the Rangitāne tribe. Their ancestors came from the Kurahaupō waka (canoe). The Rangitāne built a marae (a special meeting place) at Makirikiri, near Dannevirke. This happened around the same time the first European settlers arrived.
The town was started on October 15, 1872. Settlers from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden came to New Zealand. They landed in Napier and then moved inland to this area. These settlers cleared a space in the thick forest, known as the Seventy Mile Bush, to build their new home.
The town was named after the Danevirke, a large Viking Age fort in Denmark. This fort was very important to Danes in the 1800s, especially after it was taken by Germany in 1864. The new settlement quickly became known as "sleeper town." This was because its main job was to provide tōtara wood for railway sleepers. These sleepers were used for the Napier–Wellington railway line. At one point, there were 50 sawmills working in the area. After the native forest was cleared, the land was turned into fields for grazing farm animals.
On October 27, 1917, a big fire destroyed much of the town's business area. The fire started at Andrew's Hotel and spread quickly. It destroyed 27 businesses and 2 hotels. Firefighters from Dannevirke and Woodville, helped by local people, managed to get the fire under control after about three hours.
People of Dannevirke
Dannevirke covers about 6.82 square kilometers. In 2018, about 5,508 people lived here. This was a small increase from 2013.
- There were slightly more females than males.
- About one-fifth of the people were under 15 years old.
- Most people were of European background (75.2%).
- A significant number were Māori (33.1%).
- Smaller groups included Pasifika (2.3%) and Asian (3.9%) people.
- Many people (46.8%) said they had no religion.
- Others were Christian (37.1%) or had Māori religious beliefs (5.9%).
Culture in Dannevirke
Dannevirke has three marae (tribal meeting grounds) for the Rangitāne tribe. Each marae has a wharenui (meeting house).
- Kaitoki marae is linked to the Ngāti Pakapaka and Ngāti Te Rangiwhakaewa hapū (sub-tribes).
- Mākirikiri marae is linked to Ngāti Mutuahi and Ngāti Te Rangiwhakaewa hapū.
- Whiti te Rā marae (also called Poherau marae) is linked to Ngāti Mutuahi hapū.
Totara College in Dannevirke hosts a yearly Garden and Craft Expo. This event has become quite large and popular.
Sports in Dannevirke
Dannevirke has produced many talented sports people.
- John Timu played for New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.
- Ewen Chatfield was an important player for the New Zealand cricket team in the 1980s.
- Duncan Hales and Colin Loader were also All Blacks (New Zealand's national rugby team).
- Lui Paewai is known as the youngest All Black ever, playing at just 17 years old in 1924. His family members also had great rugby careers.
- Roy White was an All Black after World War II.
- Other All Blacks like Wayne Neville and John Ashworth also spent time in Dannevirke.
The Dannevirke Sports Club and Aotea Sports Club are the main places for sports in town. They have teams for netball, cricket, soccer, and rugby. Their rugby teams play in regional competitions.
Climate in Dannevirke
Dannevirke has an Oceanic climate. This means it has mild temperatures all year round. Because it's at a higher altitude, summer temperatures are often cooler than in other towns nearby. In winter, Dannevirke often has frosts, just like other parts of New Zealand. Snow is rare, but it did snow on July 13, 2017.
| Climate data for Dannevirke (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) |
33.1 (91.6) |
31.2 (88.2) |
27.0 (80.6) |
24.1 (75.4) |
21.2 (70.2) |
21.0 (69.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
25.1 (77.2) |
29.5 (85.1) |
29.9 (85.8) |
33.1 (91.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) |
22.6 (72.7) |
20.5 (68.9) |
17.4 (63.3) |
14.6 (58.3) |
12.0 (53.6) |
11.3 (52.3) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
15.9 (60.6) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.5 (68.9) |
16.8 (62.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) |
17.3 (63.1) |
15.4 (59.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.1 (46.6) |
7.5 (45.5) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
13.4 (56.1) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.3 (54.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.9 (53.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.2 (50.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
4.2 (39.6) |
3.6 (38.5) |
4.3 (39.7) |
5.8 (42.4) |
7.4 (45.3) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 80.8 (3.18) |
69.9 (2.75) |
73.0 (2.87) |
87.1 (3.43) |
77.6 (3.06) |
98.0 (3.86) |
99.9 (3.93) |
78.0 (3.07) |
90.7 (3.57) |
101 (4.0) |
91.3 (3.59) |
78.8 (3.10) |
1,026.1 (40.41) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 225.7 | 192.8 | 183.7 | 148.8 | 125.2 | 96.3 | 106.2 | 135.4 | 148.9 | 182.1 | 192.5 | 196.5 | 1,934.1 |
| Source: NIWA | |||||||||||||
Schools in Dannevirke
Dannevirke has several schools for different age groups:
- Dannevirke High School is the main high school for boys and girls.
- There are three state primary schools: Dannevirke South School, Huia Range School, and Ruahine School.
- St Joseph's School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls.
- Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tamaki Nui A Rua is a special school where students learn in the Māori language from Year 1 to Year 13.
- Totara College of Accelerated Learning is another school for students from Year 1 to Year 13.
Famous People from Dannevirke
Many interesting people have come from Dannevirke:
- Lyndon Buckingham – A leader of The Salvation Army.
- Sir William Ian Axford – A famous space scientist.
- Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen – An Australian politician who was the Premier of Queensland.
- Ewen Chatfield and Jack Kerr – New Zealand test cricketers.
- Peter Cullinane – A Catholic Bishop.
- Lauris Edmond – A well-known New Zealand poet.
- Bryan Gould – A Rhodes Scholar and a leader in the British Labour Party.
- Charlotte Kight – A Silver Fern (New Zealand's national netball team player).
- Phil Lamason – A brave World War II pilot.
- Lui Paewai – The youngest All Black (New Zealand rugby player) ever.
- Bill Phillips – An economist who created the Phillips curve.
- Luke Ronchi – A cricketer who played for both Australia and New Zealand.
- John Timu – Played for New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league.
- Sonny Wool – A psychic sheep famous during the 2011 Rugby World Cup!
See also
In Spanish: Dannevirke para niños
