Solway, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Solway
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Suburb
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Donald's homestead at Manaia in front of a corner of Kuripuni Bush, February 1849
William Mein Smith |
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 Solway
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Masterton |
| Area | |
| • Land | 846 ha (2,091 acre) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 7,030 |
| Railway station(s) | Solway railway station |
| Airport(s) | Hood Aerodrome |
  Solway, New Zealand  |
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Solway is a suburb in Masterton, a main town in New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the south-western part of Masterton, near the Waingawa River. The area was once part of a large farm called Manaia. Solway got its name from Solway House, a building constructed in 1877 for W. H. Donald.
Solway is home to Solway College, a girls' boarding school that opened in 1916. A big part of Solway is also the Solway Showgrounds, which opened in 1911. Here, a Wairarapa Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning, selling local foods and crafts.
The suburb also has several parks. These include the Millennium Reserve, which was built over old trout hatcheries. South Park is another popular spot, used for softball and dog walking.
Contents
A Look at Solway's Past
How Solway Got Its Name
Donald Donald (1854—1922) was born in the Manaia area. He said that the original name for what is now Solway was Purātā. This is a Māori name for a type of flowering Rātā tree.
Solway House was a family home built in 1877. It was part of Manaia, a huge 30,000-acre farm. This farm was owned by partners W. B. Rhodes and William Hodgson Donald (1815—1885). William H. Donald managed the farm. He came to New Zealand in 1842. By 1849, he was one of the first European farmers in the Wairarapa.
William H. Donald named Solway House after the house where he grew up in Cumberland, England. That house was also called Solway House and was located by the Whampool River.
The Manaia Farm
The Manaia farm stretched from the Waingawa River to the Waipoua River. It also included most of the Taratahi area. Brenda Donald was the first Pākehā (European New Zealander) woman born in Masterton. She was born at Manaia on July 12, 1851.
In 1859, Barney Rhodes sold off 14,000 acres of the farm. Donald Donald kept 640 acres near the river, which became known as Solway. His older brother, Rhodes Donald, kept the part called Manaia. The first Manaia house burned down. Rhodes Donald built a new one, but later sold it.
The original Manaia woolshed is the oldest Pākehā building in Masterton. It was moved to Greytown's Cobblestones Museum in 1973. At the museum, you can see a special wool press invented by the Donald family. These presses were made in Masterton and Sydney, Australia, and sent all over the world.
In September 2013, plans were approved for a new housing area with 80 lots in Solway.
People of Solway
Solway is made up of two areas: Solway North and Solway South. It covers about 8.46 square kilometers. As of 2023, the estimated population is around 5,800 people.
Population Changes
The population of Solway has grown over the years:
- In 2006, there were 4,923 people.
- In 2013, the population increased to 5,154.
- By 2018, it reached 5,805 people.
This shows a steady increase in the number of people living in Solway.
Who Lives in Solway?
In 2018, there were 2,241 households in Solway. There were slightly more females than males.
- About 20.4% of the people were under 15 years old.
- Around 19.7% were aged 15 to 29.
- The largest group, 41.4%, was aged 30 to 64.
- About 18.6% were 65 or older.
Most people in Solway (83.7%) are of European/Pākehā background. Other groups include Māori (22.3%), Pasifika (4.3%), and Asian (5.4%). Some people identify with more than one ethnicity. About 12.2% of Solway residents were born overseas.
Beliefs and Work
When asked about religion, nearly half (49.3%) of the people said they had no religion. About 38.2% were Christian. Smaller numbers followed Māori religious beliefs, Hinduism, Buddhism, or other religions.
For those aged 15 and older:
- About 11.2% had a university degree or higher.
- Around 25.8% had no formal qualifications.
- Most people were employed: 47.6% full-time and 15.6% part-time.
- About 2.9% were unemployed.
Schools in Solway
Solway has several schools for different age groups:
- Solway School is a public primary school. It teaches students from Year 1 to Year 6.
- Hadlow Preparatory School is a state-integrated Anglican primary school. It teaches students from Year 1 to Year 8.
- Solway College is a state-integrated Presbyterian school for girls. It teaches students from Year 7 to Year 13 and is also a boarding school. It was founded in 1916.
Getting Around Solway
Roads and Buses
State Highway 2, also known as High Street, runs right through Solway. This makes it easy to get around by car.
There are also two bus services in Solway:
- Bus 200: This bus travels to and from central Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, Featherston, and Martinborough. It runs every day of the week.
- Bus 202: This bus travels from central Masterton, through Solway and Kuripuni, and then back again. It runs four times a day on weekdays.
Train Services
The Solway railway station connects residents to cities like Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, and Wellington. Because it's close to Solway College, many students who live in Wellington and board at the school use this train line.
Hood Aerodrome
Hood Aerodrome is an airport located in Solway. As of 2015, there are no regular commercial flights from here. In the past, there were flights to Auckland, but these stopped in 2013. Other attempts at commercial flights have not been successful. This is mainly because Wellington and Palmerston North have larger airports nearby.
Famous filmmaker Peter Jackson is very interested in aviation. He owns a collection of over 40 World War I-era planes. These planes are kept at Solway's Hood Aerodrome.
