Whitby, New Zealand facts for kids

	Whitby

Southern Whitby, with the lower lake at centre

Whitby is a large suburb in Porirua City, New Zealand. It sits along the southern shore of the Pauatahanui Inlet, which is part of Porirua Harbour. Whitby was carefully planned in the 1960s and has been growing ever since. New areas are still being developed in the hills to allow the suburb to expand.

The name "Whitby" and many street names have a nautical theme. They are inspired by the life of the famous Pacific explorer, James Cook. The development of Whitby began around the 200th anniversary of his first visit to New Zealand in 1769.

The main place for shopping and businesses in Whitby is the Whitby Shopping Centre.

History of Whitby

In 1967, a group of companies bought a large area of farmland. This land, about 1,290 hectares, was meant for a new housing development. The idea was to create a place similar to new towns in North America. It was planned to have four "neighbourhoods," each with its own primary school. Later, this plan changed to two neighbourhoods, called Adventure and Endeavour.

The first building plots were sold in 1970. By May 1971, eight homes were already lived in, with the first one at 5 Spinnaker Drive. By 1972, many more plots were sold, and 62 houses were occupied. By 1998, about 2,000 houses had been built. The companies also built a village centre and a golf course. They even started a bus service for people to travel to work in 1973.

In 1978, the New Zealand Institution of Engineers gave the Whitby development an award. This award was for how well the engineering work considered and protected the environment.

Originally, parts of Whitby were in Hutt County, and some later land was in Porirua City. In 1988, it was decided that all of Whitby would be part of the Porirua City Council.

People of Whitby

Whitby is made up of four statistical areas: Whitby, Postgate, Endeavour East, and Endeavour West. These areas cover about 6.67 square kilometers. As of June 2023, the estimated population is 12040 people.

The population of Whitby has grown quite a lot over the years:

• In 2006, there were 8,364 people.
• In 2013, the population was 8,844.
• By 2018, it had grown to 10,413 people.

In 2018, about 22% of the people in Whitby were under 15 years old. Most people were aged between 30 and 64.

Whitby is a diverse place with people from many backgrounds:

• About 83.8% of people were European/Pākehā.
• 10.3% were Māori.
• 6.7% were Pasifika.
• 8.6% were Asian.
• 2.8% were from other ethnic groups.

Many people identify with more than one ethnicity. About 26.4% of people in Whitby were born overseas.

When asked about their religious beliefs in 2018:

• 51.2% said they had no religion.
• 38.2% were Christian.
• Smaller numbers followed Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, or other religions.

Many adults in Whitby have higher education. About 31% of people aged 15 or older had a university degree. Most adults were employed, with about 59% working full-time.

Getting Around Whitby: Public Transport

Whitby has bus services to help people travel around. Here are the main bus routes:

Bus Number 230

This bus runs between The Crowsnest in Whitby and the Porirua Railway Station in Porirua. Some of its stops include:

• The Crowsnest
• Spinnaker Drive at Hicks Close
• Aotea College opposite Okowai Road
• Porirua Station - Stop B

Bus Number 236

This bus travels between Navigation Drive in Whitby and the Porirua Railway Station in Porirua. Some of its stops include:

• Navigation Drive
• Whitby Lakes (Upper Lake)
• Spinnaker Drive at Hicks Close
• Paremata Road (near 132)
• Paremata Station (bus stop)
• Oak Avenue (opposite 10)
• RNZ Police College - Papakowhai Road
• Porirua Station - Stop B

Education in Whitby

Whitby has several schools for different age groups.

Primary Schools

There are three co-educational state primary schools for students in Year 1 to 8:

• Postgate School has a roll of 283 students as of February 2024.
• Adventure School has a roll of 462 students.
• Discovery School has a roll of 504 students.

Whitby Collegiate

Whitby Collegiate is a private secondary school for students in Year 7 to 13. It is a co-educational school, meaning both boys and girls attend. It has a roll of 231 students as of February 2024.

The school started in January 2004 as Whitby Independent College. It was founded by David Bradford, who owned Whitby Coastal Estates Ltd. The first classrooms were set up in a former golf clubhouse. It was the first new independent secondary school in the Wellington region in 100 years.

Three years later, in 2007, the school was bought by Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and renamed Samuel Marsden Collegiate Whitby. A new classroom building was also added.

In 2019, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School decided to close the Whitby campus. However, a company called Fiso Group Ltd stepped in and bought the school. The sale was completed in December 2019. The school then became Whitby Collegiate at the start of the 2020 school year.

Other Education Options

For younger children, there are preschools like Discovery Kindergarten, Adventure Kindergarten, and Mana Montessori Preschool.

The closest public secondary school for students in Whitby is Aotea College, located in Aotea.