Spreydon

Prior to European settlement, the Spreydon area was predominantly swampland connected to the nearby Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River, interspersed with fields of tussock.[5] The area was first settled by Europeans in 1853, when 300 hectares of land bordering on Lincoln Road were purchased by Augustus Moore, who gave it the name Spreydon Farm.[6] The origins of this name are disputed, with some claiming it refers to family land in Ireland and others that it is named after a place in Devonshire known to Moore.[7] Moore farmed the land and ran a brewery and tavern, known as the Spreydon Arms, on his land along Lincoln Road until 1865, when he sold his property to William Sefton Moorhouse. A baptist church was soon established in the area, built out of a former sod house on land donated by a neighbouring farmer by Thomas Jefcoate.[8] The church's congregation steadily grew as more people settled the area, and continues to operate to this day.

In 1911, the area was constituted as a borough with its own council to reflect the growing population of the area. By this point, the former property had been heavily subdivided with several large roads through the area.[9] The borough continued for roughly a decade, before it was incorporated into the larger Christchurch City Council in 1921.[10]

Spreydon covers 2.96 km² (1.14 sq mi).[2] It had an estimated population of 9,670 as of June 2023, with a population density of 3,267 people per km².

Spreydon had a population of 9,207 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 483 people (5.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 708 people (8.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,732 households, comprising 4,515 males and 4,698 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female, with 1,620 people (17.6%) aged under 15 years, 2,055 (22.3%) aged 15 to 29, 4,311 (46.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,227 (13.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 80.8% European/Pākehā, 12.3% Māori, 4.2% Pasifika, 11.3% Asian, and 2.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 22.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.9% had no religion, 35.6% were Christian, 0.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.7% were Hindu, 0.8% were Muslim, 0.8% were Buddhist and 2.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,827 (24.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,359 (17.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,083 people (14.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,122 (54.3%) people were employed full-time, 1,059 (14.0%) were part-time, and 270 (3.6%) were unemployed.[11]

• Barrington Shopping Centre,[15] Redeveloped in 2012 houses many shops including a major supermarket, pharmacy, The Warehouse, banks and post office as well as a number of other boutique and lifestyle stores.
• Pioneer Leisure Centre, opened in 1978, is a council-owned and operated centre with swimming pools, an indoor sports stadium and a fitness centre.[4][16]

Te Ara Koropiko West Spreydon School

Christchurch South Karamata Intermediate School is an intermediate school for years 7 to 8[17] with a roll of 497 students. It opened in 1939.[18]

Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School and Te Ara Koropiko West Spreydon School are contributing primary schools for years 1 to 6[19][20] with rolls of 251 and 256 students, respectively. Te Kura o Mōkihi Spreydon School opened as Upper Heathcote School in 1865[21] and Te Ara Koropiko West Spreydon School opened in 1926.[22]

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Whānau Tahi is a composite school for years 1 to 15 teaching entirely in the Māori language.[23] It has a roll of 170 students. It started in 1989.[24]

All of these are coeducational state schools. Rolls are as of April 2023.[25]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spreydon.

• Pioneer Leisure Centre