Green Island, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Green Island
Suburb
Main South Road, Green Island
Green Island Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Dunedin
Area
• Land	364 ha (899 acre)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	2,450

	Green Island, New Zealand

Green Island is a suburb found in Dunedin, New Zealand. Even though it's called "Green Island," it's not actually an island! The name comes from the "Green Island bush." This was a large area of native forest that stretched from the valley where the community is now, all the way over the hills to the coast. A nearby island, also called Green Island (Okaihe), gave its name to this bush, and then the bush gave its name to the suburb we know today.

About Green Island Suburb

Green Island is an important part of Dunedin City. In 1989, New Zealand changed how its local areas were governed. This meant that Dunedin and the areas around it became one big "territorial authority" called the Dunedin City. Green Island is now officially an outer suburb within this larger city area.

You can find Green Island right on State Highway 1. It's about 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) west-southwest of the Octagon, which is the centre of Dunedin. Green Island and its neighbour, Abbotsford, are the furthest west suburbs in Dunedin's main city area. The main jobs in Green Island are in factories that make smaller items or process materials.

Before the 1950s, Green Island and nearby Burnside were famous for their strong Brass Band and Silver Band groups. These bands were a big part of the community.

Schools in Green Island

Green Island has two schools for younger students:

• Green Island School is a public primary school. It teaches students from Year 1 to Year 8. The school first opened in 1863 and moved to its current spot in 1883.
• St Peter Chanel School is a Catholic primary school. It teaches students from Year 1 to Year 6. This school is on Main South Road.

Both schools welcome both boys and girls.

Sports in Green Island

Green Island is a great place for sports!

Green Island Rugby Club

The Green Island Rugby Club started way back in 1884. They are known as "The Grizzlies" and their team colours are green and gold. Their home field is Miller Park. In 2017, the club had many teams, including three senior teams, one team for players under 20, and 22 teams for school-aged kids (from 5 to 13 years old). The club won the top championship in 1972, 1973, and 1978.

Even though the number of players has changed over the years, the club still has many loyal fans and a strong social side. In 2019, they won the Speights Jug Trophy for winning the first round of Premier Rugby.

Six players from the Green Island Rugby Club have gone on to become All Blacks, which is New Zealand's national rugby team! These famous players are:

• Greg Cooper
• Jackson Hemopo
• Lyn Jaffray
• Merv Jaffray
• Brian McKechnie
• Ben Smith

Other Sports Clubs

Green Island has other successful sports clubs too:

• Green Island FC is the local football (soccer) club. They play at Sunnyvale Park.
• Green Island Cricket Club also calls Sunnyvale Park home. This club has been very successful recently, winning many national club championships.
• The town also has a successful boxing club.
• The Green Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club is a local club that is ranked nationally.

People of Green Island

Green Island covers an area of about 3.64 square kilometres (1.41 square miles). As of 2023, about 2,300 people live there. This means there are about 632 people for every square kilometre.

In the 2018 New Zealand census, Green Island had 2,319 people living there. This was a small increase from previous years. There were slightly more females than males. The average age was about 38.9 years old. About 18.8% of the people were under 15 years old.

Most people in Green Island are of European/Pākehā background (91.3%). There are also people from Māori (10.3%), Pasifika (2.5%), and Asian (3.1%) backgrounds, along with other ethnicities. Some people identify with more than one ethnicity. About 9.2% of the people living in Green Island were born outside New Zealand.

When asked about their religion, most people (60.7%) said they had no religion. About 28.1% were Christian. A smaller number followed Māori religious beliefs, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, or other religions.

For those aged 15 and older, about 13.2% had a university degree or higher. About 24.4% did not have formal qualifications. The average income was around $32,300. Most people aged 15 and over were employed, with 52.7% working full-time and 13.5% working part-time.

Abbotsford

Abbotsford is a suburb located right next to Green Island, just to the north. It is separated from Green Island by the State Highway and the main railway line. Abbotsford is also a suburb within the Dunedin City area.