Kaniere facts for kids

Kaniere is a small town located in the Westland District of New Zealand's South Island. It's part of the West Coast area. The town is about 5 kilometers southeast of Hokitika, and the Hokitika River flows nearby.

Kaniere first started around 1865. It became an important area during the West Coast gold rush, where people searched for gold in the rivers and streams. To help transport goods and people, a special tramway with wooden rails was built from Hokitika by 1868. Horses pulled the cars along this tramway. A road was also built by 1873.

What's in a Name? The Story of Kaniere

The name Kaniere has an interesting history. It was sometimes spelled "Kanieri" in the past, but the official spelling is Kaniere.

According to a dictionary of New Zealand place names, "Kani" means the act of sawing greenstone. This was a long and difficult process used to make tools, weapons, or ornaments.

The ending "ere" or "eri" is a bit of a mystery. However, it might have originally been "oro," which means to grind or sharpen something on a stone. There's also a legend that says Kanioro was a magical guardian of greenstone.

People and Population

Kaniere is considered a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand. It covers about 2.94 square kilometers.

In 2018, Kaniere had a population of 300 people. This number hadn't changed much since 2013, but it was a small increase from 2006. There were 126 households in the town.

• There were slightly more males (156) than females (144).
• About 19% of the people were under 15 years old.
• Most people (95%) identified as European/Pākehā.
• About 14% identified as Māori.
• When it came to religion, 57% said they had no religion.
• About 33% were Christian.

Many people in Kaniere work full-time (55.6%), and some work part-time (17.3%). A small number (2.5%) were unemployed.

Education

Kaniere has its own school called Kaniere School. It's a primary school for students in years 1 to 6. The school is for both boys and girls.