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Wikipedia

Woolston, New Zealand

Woolston is an industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) southeast of the city centre, close to major arterial routes including State Highways 74 and 76 to Banks Peninsula. The Heathcote River flows through the suburb.

Woolston
Suburb
Christchurch from the Port Hills; Woolston is the northern part of the industrial area in the foreground
Christchurch from the Port Hills; Woolston is the northern part of the industrial area in the foreground
Map
Coordinates: 43°33′S 172°41′E / 43.550°S 172.683°E / -43.550; 172.683
CountryNew Zealand
CityChristchurch
Local authorityChristchurch City Council
Electoral ward
  • Linwood
  • Heathcote
Community board
  • Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood
  • Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote
Area
[1]
 • Land636 ha (1,572 acres)
Population
 (June 2024)[2]
 • Total
11,260
Phillipstown Linwood Bromley
Waltham
Woolston
 Ferrymead
Hillsborough Port Hills Heathcote Valley

Woolston became a district in 1882, and remained a self-governing borough until November 1921, when it was amalgamated with Christchurch. Over the 20th century the area grew to become the centre of the New Zealand rubber industry. Woolston's population predominantly consists of European New Zealanders.

History

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In pre-European times the Woolston was not clearly identified. The mudflats at Ferrymead at the eastern end of modern Woolston was considered an important food gathering place by the local Ngāi Tahu iwi. The Māori name for the mudflats was "Ohika paruparu". Māori women gathered shellfish there.[3] This is the only name known to have been used to describe the area prior to European settlement.[4]

Early European records name the western area of Woolston as Roimata, meaning teardrop in Māori.[citation needed] To this day some land titles in this area reference Roimata as their location. More recently the name has been revived by the Roimata Community Incorporated Society (Roimata Community Inc.) and Christ Church Roimata[5] (an independent Anglican church), which are geographically and community-based organisations actively working in Roimata. Its boundaries are defined as Ensors Road, Brougham Street, Ferry Road and Richardson Terrace.[6]

 
The bell tower, St John the Evangelist Woolston

One of the first signs of a growing European community in the Woolston area was the establishment of a Christian church, the Anglican Parish of St John the Evangelist Woolston, which belongs to the Christchurch diocese. The origins of the Parish date back to 1857 when the first Cob Church was built on the current site.[7] In 1882 a new timber church was built. In 1960 the existing concrete Church building was built and dedicated (consecrated 1963).[citation needed] These church buildings are used daily for worship and many other religious and community activities. It is open to the public on Sundays. It is situated on Ferry Road at the eastern end of Woolston Village.[8] The Parish was officially recognised one year after Christchurch was officially recognised as a City in 1856, the same year that the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch was established. St Johns is one of the oldest Anglican parishes in New Zealand.[9]

Woolston initially belonged to the Heathcote County Council. In the 1850s and 1860s, wharves along the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River were used by small ships to service the area.[citation needed] Before the Lyttelton Rail Tunnel was opened in 1867, all the incoming trade arrived in Ferrymead and was transported through Woolston (along Ferry Road) into Christchurch. The road went from the wharf in Lower Heathcote to what is now the corner of High and Madras Streets. The area became quite industrialised after the tunnel opened.[10] Ferry Road later carried the tramlines to Sumner.

 
The Old Ferry Road/Woolston Post Office

Up until early 1870 the area was commonly referred to as Lower Heathcote. At a meeting about the Heathcote Road drain a local store owner, Joseph Harry Hopkins (1837–1910), named the area Woolston after his birthplace Woolston in Southampton, England. On 16 June 1870, in response to a petition to the postmaster-general, Julius Vogel,[11] objecting to the post office being called Ferry Road, the name Woolston was gazetted.[12] Woolston became a district in 1882,[10] and remained a self-governing borough until November 1921, when it was amalgamated with Christchurch.[13]

Evangelical leader William Orange was born at Woolston in 1889.[14]

Woolston Cut

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The Woolston Tidal Barrage and the Woolston Cut

The Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River provided Woolston much needed water for industries like wool scouring, which needed plentiful water. In 1966 the Woolston industrial sewer was built, and up until that time the river had become increasingly polluted.[15]

Flooding had also become a problem and in 1986 the Woolston Cut began to allow flood waters to bypass a long loop of the river. This resulted in effluent from the surrounding government settlements to pollute this stretch of river. The 510 metres (1,670 ft) long project, which cost NZ$2m, had as a consequence that the trees on the riverbank died as far upstream as the Opawa bridge, and that banks collapsed.[citation needed] During normal flow regimes, the Heathcote remains to flow through what is called the Woolston Loop.[16][17]

Today

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Union Wharf memorial bollard in Catherine Street, Woolston
 
Woolston during the 2011 New Zealand snowstorms

In later years Woolston's close proximity to the Lyttelton rail line continued to sustain Woolston as a prime location for industry. Over the 20th century the area grew to become the centre of the New Zealand rubber industry. Other industries grew here and included a nugget factory and a gelatine and glue works. Many of these businesses are still present in one form or another. Woolston hosts Christchurch's largest container terminal.[citation needed]

Residential growth from the city gradually moved out through the Woolston area and it is now well merged with Christchurch City.[citation needed] Te Ara, the on-line Encyclopedia of New Zealand, says that "Factory workers living nearby gave Woolston a strong working-class identity."[15]

Woolston is home to The Woolston Drivebys, an indoor football team. The Woolston Brass Band, established in 1891,[18] has gained a national reputation and has won many competitions.[15]

Heritage buildings

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Prior to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the following heritage buildings were listed with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust:

  • A & T Burt building, the former Nugget Boot Polish Factory (Category II), built in 1924, it was damaged beyond repair in the February 2011 earthquake and demolished later that year.[19]
  • Bloomsbury (Category II), a large residential building at 37 Maunsell Street.[20]
  • Jubilee Hospital (Category I), a hospital for the old and infirm established in 1888 in the Woolston Loop. It closed in 1990 and some of the buildings were demolished. The remaining buildings house a fish processing plant.[21]
  • Stone Cottage (Category II), built in 1863 from Port Hills stone and these days used as Dizzy Lizzy's restaurant and catering service.[22]
  • Whalebone Cottage (Category II), built in ca 1867. Whale ribs used to form an arched gateway for over a century, but those bones are no longer there.[23]
  • Woolston Borough Monument (Category II), a monument from 1893.[24]

Demographics

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Woolston comprises five statistical areas. Woolston North, West and East and Ensors are primarily residential. Woolston South is primarily industrial.

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Households Median age Median
income
Woolston North 1.30 3,390 2,608 1,314 36.6 years $28,300[25]
Ensors 0.87 2,298 2,641 921 35.9 years $32,200[26]
Woolston West 0.51 1,218 2,388 465 35.3 years $30,700[27]
Woolston East 1.28 3,225 2,520 1,284 39.4 years $27,400[28]
Woolston South 2.40 507 211 216 39.0 years $29,000[29]
New Zealand 37.4 years $31,800

Residential areas

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The residential areas of Woolston cover 3.96 km2 (1.53 sq mi).[1] They had an estimated population of 10,730 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2,710 people per km2.

Historical population for residential areas
YearPop.±% p.a.
20069,489—    
20139,816+0.49%
201810,131+0.63%
Source: [30]

The residential areas had a population of 10,131 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 315 people (3.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 642 people (6.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,984 households, comprising 5,154 males and 4,983 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female, with 1,863 people (18.4%) aged under 15 years, 2,028 (20.0%) aged 15 to 29, 4,788 (47.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,455 (14.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 77.5% European/Pākehā, 15.1% Māori, 7.7% Pasifika, 10.3% Asian, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 21.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.8% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.9% were Hindu, 0.8% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 2.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,158 (14.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,037 (24.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 759 people (9.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,215 (51.0%) people were employed full-time, 1,050 (12.7%) were part-time, and 387 (4.7%) were unemployed.[30]

Woolston South

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Woolston South covers 2.40 km2 (0.93 sq mi).[1] It had an estimated population of 530 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 221 people per km2.

Historical population for Woolston South
YearPop.±% p.a.
2006474—    
2013519+1.30%
2018507−0.47%
Source: [31]

Woolston South had a population of 507 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 12 people (−2.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 33 people (7.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 216 households, comprising 282 males and 225 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.25 males per female. The median age was 39.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 75 people (14.8%) aged under 15 years, 105 (20.7%) aged 15 to 29, 261 (51.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 66 (13.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 72.8% European/Pākehā, 13.6% Māori, 5.9% Pasifika, 9.5% Asian, and 3.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 21.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.3% had no religion, 30.2% were Christian, 1.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.8% were Hindu, 0.6% were Buddhist and 3.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 54 (12.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 84 (19.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 45 people (10.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 240 (55.6%) people were employed full-time, 51 (11.8%) were part-time, and 21 (4.9%) were unemployed.[31]

Economy

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The Tannery was established in Woolston in 2013.[32] It features 60 stores including a cinema complex.[33]

Education

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Ngutuawa School and Te Waka Unua School are full primary schools for years 1 to 8.[34][35] They have rolls of 151 and 473 students, respectively. Ngutuawa started as Bamford School in 1952. It was damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes, and moved to a new site with the new name in 2020.[36] Te Waka Unua opened in 2015 after the merger of Phillipstown School with Woolston School.[37]

St Anne's Catholic School and Tamariki School are state-integrated full primary schools for years 1 to 8.[38][39] They have rolls of 178 and 52 students, respectively. St Anne's was established in 1906.[40] Tamariki opened in 1966.[41] It provides education following the principles of A. S. Neill.[42] Kimihia Parents' College is a Teen Parent Unit of Linwood College.[43] All these schools except Kimihia are coeducational. Rolls are as of August 2024.[44]

References

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  Media related to Woolston, New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons

  1. ^ a b c "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ Williams Anderson, Taylor (1952). Lore and history of the South Island Māori. Christchurch, New Zealand. p. 20.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Taylor, William Anderson (1952). "Otautahi – Christchurch and its district". Lore and History of the South Island Maori. Christchurch: Bascands Ltd. p. 49. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  5. ^ "History and origin of Christ Church Roimata christian church". September 2022. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  6. ^ "A little bit more about us". Roimata Community Incorporated Society. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  7. ^ Blundell, Sally (2 April 2021). "Christchurch church back from the brink after surviving same-sex marriage split". Stuff. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Location". Anglican Church of St John the Evangelist Woolston Christchurch. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  9. ^ "St Johns Woolston was established in 1857, only 22 years after Christ Church Russell (est. 1835)". Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b Mosley, Montague (1885). "Woolston". Illustrated Guide to Christchurch and Neighbourhood. J. T. Smith & Co. pp. 222ff. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  11. ^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 34.
  12. ^ Harper, Margaret (July 2011). "Christchurch Place Names" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Christchurch – a Chronology : 1921". Christchurch City Libraries. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  14. ^ Clark, Jeremy J. "William Alfred Orange". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  15. ^ a b c Wilson, John (14 September 2006). "Canterbury places – South Christchurch". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  16. ^ "What is the Woolston Tidal Barrage?". Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  17. ^ Roper-Lindsay, Judith (1993). "Tales of the Riverbank – Examples of Bank Restoration on Urban Rivers" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  18. ^ "About Woolston Brass". Woolston Brass. Archived from the original on 10 December 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  19. ^ "Lost heritage 2010–11". NZHPT. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Bloomsbury". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  21. ^ "Jubilee Hospital Complex". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  22. ^ "Stone Cottage". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Whalebone Cottage". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  24. ^ "Woolston Borough Monument". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  25. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Woolston North
  26. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Ensors
  27. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Woolston West
  28. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Woolston East
  29. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Woolston South
  30. ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Woolston North (330100), Ensors (330500), Woolston West (331000) and Woolston East (331100).
  31. ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Woolston South (331500). 2018 Census place summary: Woolston South
  32. ^ Paulin, Alastair. "Seven great Christchurch places to have emerged post quake". stuff.co.nz. The Christchurch Press. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Our Stores – The Tannery". thetannery.co.nz. The Tannery. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  34. ^ Education Counts: Ngutuawa School
  35. ^ Education Counts: Te Waka Unua School
  36. ^ "Kids love their beautiful new school". CityCare Group. 23 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  37. ^ Law, Tina (2 February 2015). "Te Waka Unua School opens in Christchurch". Stuff. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  38. ^ Education Counts: St Anne's School
  39. ^ Education Counts: Tamariki School
  40. ^ "Welcome from the Principal". St Anne's Catholic School. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  41. ^ "Welcome to Tamariki School". Tamariki School. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  42. ^ "Special Character". Tamariki School. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  43. ^ Education Counts: Kimihia Parents' College
  44. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
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