Whangārei Heads facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whangārei Heads
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Mt Aubrey viewed across McLeod Bay
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Northland Region |
| District | Whangārei District |
| Ward | Whangarei Heads Ward |
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| Area | |
| • Total | 5.16 km2 (1.99 sq mi) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 1,100 |
| • Density | 213/km2 (552/sq mi) |
Whangārei Heads is a cool place in Northland, New Zealand. It's a land area that sticks out into the sea, located on the northern side of the Whangārei Harbour.
The city of Whangārei is about 29 kilometers (18 miles) to the north-west. Ocean Beach is 8 kilometers (5 miles) to the south-east, with Taurikura in between. A tall mountain called Mount Manaia rises to 420 meters (1,378 feet) in the east.
Right next to Whangārei Heads is McLeod Bay, which is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long. When the tide is low, you can see the McDonald sandbank just a few meters offshore. To the south, there's a hill called Mount Aubrey and a small gravel beach, Reotahi Bay, which is about 200 meters wide.
Contents
How Whangārei Heads Was Formed
The land at Whangārei Heads was created by ancient volcanoes that are no longer active. The main rocks found here are called andesite and dacite. These volcanoes were active a very long time ago, between 16 and 22 million years ago. They were part of a huge volcano that covered about 50 square kilometers (19 square miles) and even reached the Hen and Chickens Islands.
A Look Back in Time: History of Whangārei Heads
Early Land Deals
In 1839, a trader named Gilbert Mair bought the entire peninsula of Whangārei Heads from a Māori chief named Te Tao. This was a huge area, about 10,000 acres (40 square kilometers). Mair planned to sell it to Captain Bernard, but sadly, the captain and his ship were lost at sea.
Later, another chief, Te Tirarau, said he should get some payment because his ancestor's blood had been spilled on the land. He asked for three horses but agreed to two horses in 1844. When the government checked the land sale in 1844, they only gave Mair the right to 414 acres (1.7 square kilometers). Mair had already sold his claim to Logan Campbell. Campbell then tried to get the rest of the land.
Settlers Arrive
Around 1855, a group of settlers from Nova Scotia, led by Reverend Norman McLeod, came to live at McLeod Bay. However, the land ownership was still not fully sorted out. In 1861, Logan Campbell was allowed to buy 1,800 acres (7.3 square kilometers) for 10 shillings an acre. He was then given 910 acres (3.7 square kilometers) of land, which he sold to the Nova Scotian settlers.
The Awarua Shipwreck
On February 8, 1907, a tugboat called Awarua sank near Whangārei Heads. The boat, which belonged to the Devonport Steam Ferry Company, hit a rock that wasn't on any maps. The Awarua was on its way to Kauri Mount to pick up logs to take to Auckland. This ship was built in England in 1884 and weighed 159 tons. Luckily, all the crew members survived the shipwreck.
People of Whangārei Heads
Whangārei Heads is considered a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand. It covers about 5.16 square kilometers (2 square miles). As of 2018, around 963 people lived here.
Population Changes Over Time
The population of Whangārei Heads has changed over the years:
- 2006: 723 people
- 2013: 762 people
- 2018: 963 people
- 2023: 948 people
In the 2023 New Zealand census, there were 948 people living in Whangārei Heads. This was a small decrease of 15 people since 2018, but an increase of 186 people since 2013. The average age of people living here was 53.2 years.
Who Lives Here?
Most people in Whangārei Heads are of European (Pākehā) background (94.9%). About 10.4% identify as Māori. Smaller numbers of people identify as Pasifika, Asian, or other ethnicities.
English is spoken by almost everyone (98.1%). A small number of people also speak the Māori language (1.3%) or other languages (6.0%). About 20.6% of the people living in Whangārei Heads were born outside of New Zealand.
Beliefs and Work
When it comes to religion, about 25.0% of people identify as Christian. Most people (65.8%) said they had no religion.
Many adults in Whangārei Heads have completed higher education. About 22.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 51.4% have a post-high school certificate or diploma. The average income was $35,700. About 39.0% of adults work full-time, and 16.6% work part-time.
Learning at Whangārei Heads School
Whangarei Heads School is a school for students from Year 1 to Year 8 (ages 5-13). As of 2023, it has about 100 students. This school is very old, established in 1858. It's actually the second oldest school in New Zealand that is still operating in its original location!
