Wakari facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wakari
Suburb
Wakari Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Dunedin
Area
• Land	221 ha (546 acre)
Population  (June 2022)
• Total	4,190

	Helensburgh	Glenleith
Halfway Bush	Wakari	Maori Hill
Brockville	Kaikorai	Roslyn

Wakari ( wah-kah-ree) is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the northwest of the city centre, immediately to the west of the ridge which runs to the west of the city's centre. Wakari lies to the north of the upper reaches of the Kaikorai Valley, and is also north of the suburb of Kaikorai. The suburbs of Roslyn and Maori Hill are situated on the ridge immediately to the southeast and east of Wakari. The suburb of Halfway Bush lies to the northwest, and the smaller suburb of Helensburgh lies to the north.

Wakari is an anglicisation of the Māori Whakaari, "exposed to view". This is the Māori name for the hill, Flagstaff, which lies 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the northwest. A shibboleth is that many (though not all) local residents pronounce the name as "wy-kar-ree".

The suburb is bounded in the south by Taieri Road, a main suburban arterial route which links central Dunedin with the Taieri Plains. West of Halfway Bush, the road becomes Three Mile Hill Road, crossing the eponymous hill to reach the Taieri Plain northeast of Mosgiel. To the southeast of Wakari, Taieri Road runs under the Roslyn Overbridge and becomes Stuart Street, one of central Dunedin's main streets. Other main roads in and around Wakari include Balmacewen Road in the northern part of the suburb, Helensburgh Road in the northeast, Nairn Street, and Shetland Street.

Wakari's most prominent structure is the Wakari Hospital, one of Dunedin's main health care centres, which specialises in psychiatric services. This hospital is located in the west of the suburb, close to its boundary with Halfway Bush.

Arai te Uru Marae is also located in Wakari. It is a marae (meeting ground) of Ngāi Tahu and includes Arai te Uru wharenui (meeting house). It is next to Balmacewen Intermediate School.

Helensburgh

The small suburb of Helensburgh is located immediately to the north of Wakari and east of Halfway Bush. It is located on a series of small crescents which branch off the northern side of Helensburgh Road and off Wakari Road, which runs roughly parallel with Helensburgh Road some 300 metres (980 ft) to the northwest (confusingly, this means that Helensburgh Road is largely in Wakari, and Wakari Road is largely in Helensburgh). Wakari Road, a long, straight semi-rural road, links Taieri Road with Glenleith, 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) to the northeast, by way of the forest plantations surrounding Ross Creek Reservoir. Helensburgh is bounded in the northeast by the Balmacewen Golf Course.

Demographics

Wakari covers 2.21 km² (0.85 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 4,190 as of June 2022, with a population density of 1896 people per km².

Wakari had a population of 4,098 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 276 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 405 people (11.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,725 households. There were 1,929 males and 2,169 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female. The median age was 37.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 780 people (19.0%) aged under 15 years, 828 (20.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,896 (46.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 600 (14.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 85.3% European/Pākehā, 9.6% Māori, 2.9% Pacific peoples, 8.8% Asian, and 3.5% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 19.4%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 56.3% had no religion, 32.2% were Christian, 1.0% were Hindu, 1.2% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 996 (30.0%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 492 (14.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $31,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 453 people (13.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,626 (49.0%) people were employed full-time, 528 (15.9%) were part-time, and 114 (3.4%) were unemployed.

Education

Wakari School is a state contributing primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of 297 students. The school started in 1858.

St Mary's School is a state-integrated Catholic school for Year 1 to 6 students. It has a roll of 53 students. It started in St Mary's Church in 1913.

Balmacewen Intermediate is a state intermediate school for Year 7 to 8 students, with a roll of 470 students. It first opened in 1964.

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of April 2023.