Naenae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Naenae
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Suburb
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Lower Hutt City |
| Electoral ward | Eastern |
| Area | |
| • Land | 517 ha (1,278 acre) |
| Population
(June 2022)
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| • Total | 9,600 |
| Train station(s) | Naenae Railway Station |
| Avalon | Wingate | |
| Boulcott |
  Naenae  |
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| Epuni |
Naenae ( occasionally spelled NaeNae) is a suburb of the city of Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district. A small tributary of the Hutt, the Waiwhetu Stream, flows through the suburb.
Naenae's shopping centre contained an Olympic-size swimming-pool, built when New Zealand hosted an international diving championships. The pool had three diving boards. Originally open-air, the complex gained a roof due to overwhelming public support, making it accessible all year round. A hydroslide adjacent to the main pool attracted more people. The toddlers' paddling pool remained open-air for a few years more. The pool closed in April 2019 due to earthquake concerns.
Naenae or nae-nae is a translation from the Māori, meaning "mosquito" or "sandfly", recalling a time prior to the draining of the area, when the mosquito population predominated.
History
As Lower Hutt expanded after the end of World War II in 1945, the Labour government under Peter Fraser selected Naenae as an ideal site to become a "designer community", a model suburb of sorts, where a suburban state housing estate would complement a substantial shopping centre. This community centre would serve as a social hub for the greater area. The planners hoped that nuclear family life could manifest itself in such a scheme. Due to the increasing urbanisation of New Zealand, demand for housing outstripped the need for such centres, leaving the scheme only partially realised.
Ernst Plischke, an Austrian architect, designed plans for the new community centre between 1942 and 1943. However the design was later drastically changed by government architect Gordon Wilson.
Naenae railway station (opened 1946), on the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line, adjoins Naenae's shopping centre.
Naenae's post-modern Post Office officially opened in 1966, paying homage to the Art Deco era Main Post Office in Lower Hutt town centre.
A re-zoning of Naenae made it partly industrial in the 1960s, but it was principally a residential area. At its peak, Naenae boasted two manufacturers with strong Dutch connections:
- Philips, which produced televisions and radios, see pictures here. This industry closed down during the 1980s: Resene Paints now[update] occupies the buildings.
- Rembrandt Suits Ltd, formed following the Second World War by Dutch tailors. It now[update] exports mainly to Australia, and has major contracts throughout the world.
Demographics
Naenae, comprising the statistical areas of Naenae Central, Naenae North and Naenae South, covers 5.17 km2 (2.00 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 9600 as of June 2022, with a population density of 1857 people per km2.
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 2006 | 8,286 | — |
| 2013 | 8,184 | −0.18% |
| 2018 | 8,700 | +1.23% |
Naenae had a population of 8,700 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 516 people (6.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 414 people (5.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,913 households. There were 4,272 males and 4,422 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female, with 2,046 people (23.5%) aged under 15 years, 1,980 (22.8%) aged 15 to 29, 3,831 (44.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 843 (9.7%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 53.6% European/Pākehā, 29.3% Māori, 24.5% Pacific peoples, 10.9% Asian, and 3.9% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).
The proportion of people born overseas was 23.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 42.7% had no religion, 41.2% were Christian, 1.8% were Hindu, 1.5% were Muslim, 1.1% were Buddhist and 4.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 945 (14.2%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 1,692 (25.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,096 (46.5%) people were employed full-time, 855 (12.8%) were part-time, and 519 (7.8%) were unemployed.
| Name | Population | Households | Median age | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naenae Central | 3,420 | 1,158 | 33.4 years | $24,200 |
| Naenae North | 2,535 | 855 | 33 years | $24,500 |
| Naenae South | 2,745 | 900 | 30.6 years | $25,900 |
| New Zealand | 37.4 years | $31,800 |
Education
Naenae has four schools:
- Naenae School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school serving the southern half of the suburb. It has 323 students as of April 2023.
- Rata Street School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school serving the northern half of the suburb. It has 278 students as of April 2023.
- St Bernadette's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary and intermediate (Year 1–8) school. It has 96 students as of April 2023.
- Wa Ora Montessori School is a state-integrated Montessori composite (Year 1–10) school. It has 257 students as of April 2023.
State intermediate students (Year 7–8) and secondary students (Year 9–13) are served by Naenae Intermediate School and Naenae College respectively, which despite their names are located in the adjacent suburb of Avalon.
