Napier Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Napier Hill
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Suburb
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Port of Napier as seen from Bluff Hill.
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 Napier Hill
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Napier |
| Electoral ward | Ahuriri Ward |
| Area | |
| • Land | 339 ha (838 acre) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 5,890 |
  Napier Hill  |
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Napier Hill (Māori: Mataruahou) is a special part of Napier city in New Zealand. It's a big hill made of limestone that stands above the flatter areas of the city. You can find it on New Zealand's North Island.
The hill has two main sections. The north-east end is called Bluff Hill. It has a very steep cliff that looks over the Port of Napier, where ships come and go. On Bluff Hill, you'll find Napier Girls' High School, the old Napier Prison (which is now a historic site), and a lovely walking path with great views.
The western end of the hill is known as Hospital Hill. This was once the location of Napier Hospital. Its services moved to another hospital in Hastings in 1999. The old hospital building was taken down in 2015. The land was bought by the Napier City Council in 2020. They plan to build a new water reservoir there to help supply water to the city.
History of Napier Hill
People from Europe started settling on Napier Hill in 1855. Many of the houses you see on the hill today were built in the 1920s.
The Napier Botanical Gardens were started in the 1860s. For a long time, these gardens were the only public park in the city where people could relax and enjoy nature.
Before a big event called the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, Napier Hill was almost completely surrounded by water. It had only two narrow strips of land connecting it to the mainland. Because of this, it was known as Scinde Island. The earthquake caused the land around Napier to rise up. This made the sea pull back from around the island and the land strips. Scinde Island got its name from a place called Sindh, which was in India and is now part of Pakistan. A local soccer club, Scindians, was also named after Scinde Island.
Who Lives on Napier Hill?
Napier Hill covers an area of about 3.39 square kilometers. As of 2023, about 5,500 people live here. This means there are around 1,622 people living in each square kilometer.
The population has grown a little over the years. In 2018, there were 5,502 people living on Napier Hill. This was an increase of 249 people since 2013.
There are slightly more females than males living here. About 16% of the people are under 15 years old. Around 18.6% are 65 years or older.
Most people living on Napier Hill are of European background (about 89.8%). There are also people of Māori (11.8%), Asian (5.0%), and Pacific peoples (1.4%) backgrounds. About 23% of the people living here were born outside of New Zealand.
When it comes to beliefs, about 54.7% of people said they had no religion. Around 33% were Christian. Smaller numbers followed other religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, or Māori religious beliefs.
Many adults on Napier Hill have a university degree or higher education (about 32.1%). Most adults are employed, with 51.3% working full-time and 16.6% working part-time.
Schools in Napier Hill
Bluff Hill and Hospital Hill are home to three schools:
- Napier Central School is a primary school for both boys and girls, from Year 1 to Year 6. It is a state school.
- Napier Girls' High School is a state high school just for girls.
- Sacred Heart College is a state-integrated high school also just for girls.
Students living on Napier Hill can also attend two other schools nearby:
- Napier Intermediate is a state school for both boys and girls, providing education for intermediate years.
- Napier Boys' High School is a state school just for boys.
