Naenae

Naenae (/ˈnaɪnaɪ/, occasionally spelled NaeNae) is a suburb of Lower Hutt, New Zealand. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district. A small tributary of the Hutt, the Waiwhetū Stream, flows through the suburb. Naenae lies 19.7 km from Wellington Central.

For the dance of the same name, see Nae Nae.

Naenae
Suburb
Coordinates: 41.2002°S 174.9525°E / -41.2002; 174.9525
CountryNew Zealand
CityLower Hutt
Local authorityHutt City Council
Electoral wardEastern
Area
[1]
 • Land518 ha (1,280 acres)
Population
 (June 2022)[2]
 • Total9,600
Train station(s)Naenae Railway Station
Avalon Wingate
Boulcott
Naenae
Epuni
Naenae is located in New Zealand Wellington
Naenae
Location of Naenae within Wellington

Toponymy

Naenae or nae-nae is a translation from the Māori, meaning "mosquito" or "sandfly", and is widely believed to recall a time prior to the draining of the area, when the mosquito population predominated. However, the name of the suburb 'Naenae' is an incorrect recording by settler populations of the traditional Māori name 'Te Ngaengae.' In fact, 'Naenae’ is derived from 'Te Ngaengae', which means ‘to cause effect through rupture’. The story of Naenae begins with Māui raising the fish Hāhā-te-Whenua, and his brothers cutting the fish and creating mountains, lakes and rivers. There was a freshwater lake where Naenae cemetery is now. Two man-eating taniwha dwelled there, and people were banned from going into the water because they would disappear. One day a child slipped in and the two taniwha raced towards the child and tore each other apart. Thus two rivers were created: Waiwhetū and Te Awamutu. Taniwha are unexplained phenomena, not necessarily the large monsters they are often represented as. Te Ngaengae could be ‘a volcanic activity underwater’. Maui’s fish was called Hāhā-te-Whenua – a reference to plates shifting under the water.

Setting

Naenae occupies a basin and the lower slopes of the Eastern Hutt Hills in the upper reaches of the Waiwhetū Stream catchment area.[3]

Waiwhetū Stream
Main article: Waiwhetū Stream

The stream has its headwaters in the Eastern Hutt hills, above the suburbs of Wingate and Naenae in Lower Hutt. It has a catchment area of around 18 square kilometres (1,800 ha). The stream is around 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) in length and passes through the eastern suburbs of Fairfield, Waterloo, and Waiwhetū, and the industrial areas of Seaview and Gracefield before entering the estuary of the Hutt River Te Awa Kairangi as it reaches Wellington Harbour.

History

As Lower Hutt expanded after the end of World War II in 1945, the Labour Party government under Peter Fraser selected Naenae as an ideal site to become a "designer community", a model suburb of sorts, where a suburban state-housing estate would complement a substantial shopping centre. This community centre would serve as a social hub for the greater area. The planners hoped to encourage nuclear-family life in such a scheme. Due to the increasing urbanization of New Zealand, demand for housing outstripped the need for such centres, leaving the scheme only partially realized.[4]

Ernst Plischke, an Austrian architect,[5] designed plans for the new community centre between 1942 and 1943.[6] However, government architect Gordon Wilson later drastically changed the design.[7]

Naenae Railway Station (opened 1946), on the Hutt Valley section of the Wairarapa Line, adjoins Naenae's shopping centre.

Naenae's post-modern Post Office building,[8] (officially opened in 1966, closed as a postal centre in 2016) pays homage to the Art Deco era Main Post Office in Lower Hutt town centre.

A re-zoning of Naenae made it partly industrial in the 1960s, but it remained principally a residential area. At its peak, Naenae boasted two manufacturers with strong Dutch connections:

  • Philips, which produced televisions and radios. The last television set produced in this factory was made on 11 June 1988.[9] Resene Paints occupied the buildings as of 2007.[10]
  • Rembrandt Suits, formed following the Second World War by Dutch tailors. It moved out of its 1950s era Naenae factory in 2012.[11]

Swimming pool

Naenae's shopping centre contained an Olympic-size swimming-pool, built when New Zealand hosted an international diving championships. The pool was opened on 10 November 1956,[12] and had three diving boards. Originally open-air, a roof over the pool was completed in 1987, making it usable all year round. A hydroslide was constructed adjacent to the main pool in the same project. The toddlers' paddling pool remained open-air for a few years more. At the time of the completion of the roof, the pool was the only facility in Wellington with both a 50 metre pool and competition diving platforms.[12]

The pool closed in April 2019 due to earthquake concerns.[13] In 2021, the Hutt City Council approved a budget of $68m for replacing the pool as part of their 10-year plan. In 2020, the council had funding support of $27m from central government.[14] Demolition of the original pool began in 2021, in preparation for redevelopment.[15] In 2022, the former Community Hall was demolished in preparation for building a new Naenae Pool and Fitness Centre that includes an Olympic size pool with 10 lanes. Other projects include refurbishing the library, building a new community centre, and redeveloping Walter Mildenhall park.[16][17]

Demographics

Naenae, comprising the statistical areas of Naenae Central, Naenae North and Naenae South, covers 5.18 km2 (2.00 sq mi).[1] It had an estimated population of 9,600 as of June 2022, with a population density of 1,853 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20068,286—    
20138,184−0.18%
20188,700+1.23%
Source: [18]

Naenae had a population of 8,700 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 516 people (6.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 414 people (5.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,913 households, comprising 4,272 males and 4,422 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female, with 2,046 people (23.5%) aged under 15 years, 1,980 (22.8%) aged 15 to 29, 3,831 (44.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 843 (9.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 53.6% European/Pākehā, 29.3% Māori, 24.5% Pasifika, 10.9% Asian, and 3.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 23.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 42.7% had no religion, 41.2% were Christian, 2.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.8% were Hindu, 1.5% were Muslim, 1.1% were Buddhist and 2.5% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 945 (14.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,692 (25.4%) people had no formal qualifications. 573 people (8.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,096 (46.5%) people were employed full-time, 855 (12.8%) were part-time, and 519 (7.8%) were unemployed.[18]

Individual statistical areas
NameArea
(km2)		PopulationDensity
(per km2)		HouseholdsMedian ageMedian
income
Naenae Central1.383,4202,4781,15833.4 years$24,200[19]
Naenae North2.612,53596785533.0 years$24,500[20]
Naenae South1.182,7452,32690030.6 years$25,900[21]
New Zealand37.4 years$31,800

Education

Naenae has four schools:

  • Naenae School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school serving the southern half of the suburb. It has 323 students as of April 2023.[22]
  • Rata Street School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school serving the northern half of the suburb. It has 278 students as of April 2023.[22]
  • St Bernadette's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary and intermediate (Year 1–8) school. It has 96 students as of April 2023.[22]
  • Wa Ora Montessori School is a state-integrated Montessori composite (Year 1–13) school. It has 257 students as of April 2023.[22]

State intermediate students (Year 7–8) and secondary students (Year 9–13) are served by St Bernadette's School, Naenae Intermediate School and Naenae College respectively, which despite their names are located in the adjacent suburb of Avalon.

Notable people

People who have grown up or lived in Naenae include:

References
  1. "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  3. "Review of Valley Floor Reserves: Naenae". Hutt City Council. July 2014. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023. Naenae is dominated visually by the eastern hills, and Waiwhetu Stream and its tributaries are a key natural feature and connecting element.
  4. "Naenae Spatial Plan - Have your say - 02 - Background". Hutt City Council. 2020. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  5. O'Brien, Gregory (2004). "The Importance of Being Ernst". New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  6. Tso, Matthew (7 December 2019). "Naenae - The changing face of a working-class paradise". Stuff. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  7. Bowman, Ian (2008). The Challenge of Change: Dealing with the Legacy of the Modern Movement - Proceedings of the 10th International DOCOMOMO Conference. IOS Press. ISBN 9781586039172. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023. Translating the New Old-World into the New New-World - Reassessing Ernst Plischke's plan for Naenae, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
  8. Schrader, Ben (December 2018). "Naenae and me : a public history journey". Phanzine - Newsletter of the Professional Historians’ Association of New Zealand /Aotearoa. 24 (3): 2–3. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023 – via National Library of New Zealand.
  9. "Last TV set at Philips Electronic Centre, Naenae, Lower Hutt - Photograph taken by Martin Hunter". National Library of New Zealand. 11 June 1988. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  10. Edwards, Simon (2 March 2011). "Philips Naenae "family" gathers for reunion". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  11. Schouten, Hank (7 September 2012). "Rembrandt to sell suit factory". Stuff. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  12. "Opening of the new roofed Naenae pool complex and zoom tube". Hutt City Archives. 7 March 1987.
  13. "Naenae Pool closed over earthquake concerns". Stuff. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  14. "PM visits new Naenae Pool construction site – 80% local suppliers". Scoop. 22 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  15. Tso, Matthew (26 October 2021). "Demolition of Naenae pool begins ahead of multi-million dollar rebuild". Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  16. "Naenae Projects". Hutt City Council. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  17. "Naenae Pool and Fitness - Naenae Community Hall Salvage update". Hutt City Council. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  18. "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Naenae Central (245400), Naenae North (246200) and Naenae South (246400).
  19. 2018 Census place summary: Naenae Central
  20. 2018 Census place summary: Naenae North
  21. 2018 Census place summary: Naenae South
  22. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 December 2022.

Further reading
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