103-727: Akatarawa Forest is a regional park in the Upper Hutt within the Wellington Region at the southern tip of the North Island of New Zealand . It encompasses 15,000 hectares of native and plantation forest. It includes the headwaters of the Maungakotukutuku Steam, Akatarawa River West and the Whakatīkei River . The park is owned and managed by Greater Wellington Regional Council , making it one of
206-683: A 2500-m-wide floodplain between the Remutaka and Akatarawa Ranges before constricting nine kilometres further downstream at the Taitā Gorge, which separates Upper Hutt from its neighbour, Lower Hutt . The city's main urban area spreads over this plain. A smaller flood plain lies upstream, above the Kaitoke Gorge, but has experienced little urban development. Upper Hutt has a temperate climate however due to its sheltered valley location, it generally tends to be warmer than inner city Wellington in
309-675: A British redoubt on the site of the Kaipopo pā. With British forces in Taranaki boosted to about 2,000 by July, the British intensified efforts to crush resistance. Governor Browne was particularly worried that a general uprising would occur while the bulk of troops in the country were concentrated in Taranaki and he appealed to Britain and Australia for more reinforcements. Major Nelson, meanwhile, destroyed several Te Atiawa villages including Manukorihi, Tikorangi and Ratapihipihi, Pratt launched
412-472: A conflict over individual title and collective land ownership , all-out war broke out and soon spread throughout the region. It was fought by more than 3,500 imperial troops brought in from Australia , as well as volunteer soldiers and militia, against Māori forces that fluctuated between a few hundred and about 1,500. Total losses among the imperial, volunteer and militia troops are estimated to have been 238, while Māori casualties totalled about 200, although
515-453: A confrontation with the imperial government to demonstrate the viability of resistance and draw stronger Kingite support. Early in June, Atiawa war chief Hapurona began building a stockaded pā, Onukukaitara, adjacent to an ancient, and apparently unpopulated and unfortified, pā known as Puketakauere. The two pā were sited on a pair of low hills 800m southeast of Te Kohia and 1.6 km south of
618-525: A detachment of British troops had been placed in the settlement in 1855. The killing of Katatore, an opponent of land selling at Waitara, in January 1858—which in turn sparked more feuding among local Māori and threats of a revenge massacre at Waitara by Kingi —prompted the formation of the Taranaki Militia in 1858 and Taranaki Volunteer Rifle Company in 1859. Teira was paid a £100 deposit for
721-417: A false target for the British artillery with the fortification of Onukukaitara which, despite its flag and flax-covered stockade, was essentially an empty pā. Māori defences were instead concentrated on the old, apparently unfortified pā, where deep trenches concealed the well-armed warriors until the British were almost at point-blank range. When the British were split into two groups at the two hills, Hapurona
824-567: A force of 900 men, Pratt advanced from Waitara on 29 December towards the Matarikoriko pā, between Puketakauere and the Waitara River, before building a redoubt on the old Kairau pā under heavy day-long fire from bush-covered rifle pits 150m away. Both sides exchanged heavy fire the next day, with British troops expending 70,000 rounds of rifle ammunition and 120 rounds of shot and shell and suffering three deaths and 20 wounded. The pā
927-460: A further 1080 operation was carried out in 2021 to combat a resurgence in possum numbers. Upper Hutt Upper Hutt ( Māori : Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta ) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area . Upper Hutt is in an area originally known as Orongomai and that of the river was Heretaunga (today
1030-557: A large land area are usually termed districts, but Upper Hutt maintains its status as a city largely because of its high degree of urbanisation. Upper Hutt was originally administered by the Hutt County Council , which was constituted in 1877. The Town Board was proclaimed on 24 April 1908. Upper Hutt became a Borough on 26 February 1926 and a City on 2 May 1966. On 1 April 1973, the Rimutaka Riding of Hutt County
1133-518: A local militia —set off in two columns to ostensibly rescue those who had remained behind. It would be the first occasion on which a British Volunteer corps engaged an enemy on the battlefield. Captain Charles Brown , in command of the settlers, was ordered to march down the coast until he reached the rear of the Māori positions at Waireka. The Regulars, under Lieut-Colonel G.F. Murray, marched down
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#17327904558371236-520: A major attack with 1,400 men near Waitara on 9 September, burning and looting four entrenched villages, and in October, he marched with a force of more than 1,000 to the Kaihihi River at Ōkato to conduct an operation with sapping and heavy artillery to destroy several more pā. On 6 November, a party of between 50 and 150 Ngati Haua Kingites were routed in a surprise attack by 1,000 troops at
1339-598: A month-long conference of chiefs at Kohimarama, Auckland, ostensibly to discuss the Treaty of Waitangi , but with an aim to halt the conflict at Waitara. Browne opened the conference by explaining that the treaty guaranteed racial equality, but he also warned that violating allegiance to the Crown would negate the rights of British citizenship under the treaty. Among the resolutions adopted was one in which chiefs "are pledged to do nothing inconsistent with their declared recognition of
1442-652: A purchase from Māori chiefs of about 160,000 acres of land in the Wellington region including Upper Hutt. The Hutt Valley is named after one of the founders of this company. Dealings from the New Zealand Company and following that, the Crown (after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840), with local Māori regarding the land in Upper Hutt were flawed including not transacting with all the iwi that had claims on
1545-654: A short distance to the south of the boundary of Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt, and provides a link between Upper Hutt and Porirua . State Highway 1 (as the Transmission Gully Motorway ) briefly touches Upper Hutt at the Wainui Saddle (the tripoint of Upper Hutt, Porirua City and the Kāpiti Coast District ), but otherwise does not pass through the region. Bus services, planned and subsidised by Greater Wellington Regional Council under
1648-562: A small breach in the fort. His men then approached the pā across open ground, but came under heavy fire from Māori concealed just metres away in deep trenches in a small natural gully. The attack was described by some survivors as "hotter than anything in the great Indian battles or in the attack on the Redan in the Crimea". As they came under fire, Messenger's division found itself the target of other Māori who ambushed them from outlying trenches on
1751-637: A truce. A ceasefire was formally effected on 18 March 1861, ending the first phase of the Taranaki War. For his actions on 18 March, Colour-Sergeant John Lucas was awarded the Victoria Cross . By early 1861, settler opinion was evenly divided on Browne's stance against Māori and the fairness of the Waitara purchase and many believed the British had little hope of wearing the enemy down with further military campaigns. Even Pratt expressed doubts
1854-511: Is largest rātā tree in New Zealand, at 39 metres tall. Greater Wellington Regional Council carried out a 1080 dropping programme in 2013 to reduce pest species. In 2016, some 4WD and motorbike tracks were planted, while others were officially recognised for the first time, following a review of wetlands in the park. A trailbiker was seriously injured in the park in July 2017. A dirt-biker
1957-488: Is the main thoroughfare through suburban Upper Hutt, passing through the city centre and connecting to State Highway 2 at Silverstream and Maoribank. It formed part of State Highway 2 before the River Road bypass opened in 1987. In the 1980s, significant travel delays were being experienced through Upper Hutt, with State Highway 2 traffic travelling from Lower Hutt and Wellington to central Upper Hutt and further afield to
2060-799: The 2018 census , and an increase of 5,208 people (13.8%) since the 2013 census . There were 21,321 males, 21,393 females and 192 people of other genders in 15,909 dwellings. 3.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 38.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 8,316 people (19.4%) aged under 15 years, 7,275 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 20,406 (47.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 6,906 (16.1%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 77.3% European ( Pākehā ); 17.1% Māori ; 6.9% Pasifika ; 12.5% Asian ; 1.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
2163-743: The 2018 census , and an increase of 5,580 people (13.9%) since the 2013 census . There were 22,749 males, 22,803 females and 207 people of other genders in 16,890 dwellings. 3.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 39.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 8,811 people (19.3%) aged under 15 years, 7,728 (16.9%) aged 15 to 29, 21,900 (47.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 7,317 (16.0%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 78.4% European ( Pākehā ); 16.7% Māori ; 6.5% Pasifika ; 11.9% Asian ; 1.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
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#17327904558372266-485: The 40th Regiment . At 3.30 am on 23 January 1861, No.3 Redoubt was stormed by a force of 140 warriors of Ngati Haua, Ngati Maniapoto, Waikato and Te Atiawa, led by Rewi Maniopoto, Epiha Tokohihi and Hapurona. Fierce fighting at close quarters, involving rifles, bayonets, shotgun, hand grenades and tomahawks, took place over the newly built parapet and in the boundary trench and lasted until daylight when British reinforcements arrived from Redoubt No.1. British losses in
2369-495: The 65th Regiment , the Taranaki Militia and the Taranaki Rifle Volunteers, to occupy the disputed block of land at Waitara in preparation for a survey. Four hundred men landed at Waitara the next day to fortify a position and the survey of the land began on 13 March without resistance. On the night of 15 March, however, Kingi and about 80 men built an L-shaped pā , or defensive strong point, at Te Kohia, at
2472-485: The Battle of Mahoetahi . There were some humiliating setbacks for the British, however, with 1,500 troops retreating from a small Māori force at Huirangi on 11 September and a force of 500 suffering casualties in an ambush while destroying a pā on 29 September. Kingite warriors continued to travel between Taranaki and Waikato, providing a peak force of about 800 in January 1861, with weapons and ammunition being bought on
2575-652: The Colony of New Zealand in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island from March 1860 to March 1861. The war was sparked by a dispute between the colonial government and the Te Āti Awa people, led by Wiremu Kīngi , over the fraudulent sale of the Pekapeka land block at Waitara . The deal was orchestrated by minor Te Āti Awa rangatira Te Teira Manuka over lands he had no authority to sell under Māori law . Initially
2678-1189: The Metlink brand, are centred around the Upper Hutt railway station and operate from Monday to Saturday on most routes, with the 110 route between Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt operating 7 days a week. All of the urbanised areas of the city are served by public bus routes, and the rural areas are served by school buses. Upper Hutt is on the Hutt Valley Line , Metlink electric trains operated by Transdev Wellington run between 4:30 am and 11 pm weekdays, (midnight Fridays), 5 am till midnight Saturdays and 6 am till 11 pm Sundays. Service which reaches Waterloo in Lower Hutt in around 20 minutes and Wellington in around 45 minutes. Express peak hour weekday trains reach Wellington in around 38 minutes. Services run every 20 minutes between 6 am and 4:30 pm weekday and half-hourly Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Evening services run hourly from 8 to 11 pm. The railway continues beyond Upper Hutt to Masterton , becoming
2781-617: The Rimutaka Incline in 1955. There are six railway stations within the boundaries of the city: Silverstream , Heretaunga , Trentham , Wallaceville , Upper Hutt (the main station for the city and outer terminus of electric services), and Maymorn (a request stop on the Wairarapa Line). Upper Hutt's main railway station was originally built in 1876 but has been rebuilt twice, firstly in 1955 and more recently in 2015. The most recent rebuild, jointly funded by NZTA and
2884-537: The Wairarapa Line , which is not electrified. Masterton is about an hour away by morning and afternoon diesel hauled trains. There are services five times a day each way Monday to Thursday, six on Friday, and twice a day, each way on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays. A notable feature of this section of railway is the Rimutaka Tunnel , the second-longest railway tunnel in New Zealand, which replaced
2987-404: The 1920s, but from the late 1940s onwards, Upper Hutt's population exploded as people moved from the crowded hustle and bustle of inner-city Wellington into a more secluded yet sprawling Hutt Valley. In 1950, Trentham Memorial Park was created with an area of almost 50 hectares. Upper Hutt continued to grow in population and became a city within the Wellington metropolitan area on 2 May 1966 after
3090-646: The 1980s. In February 1979 Muhammed Ali came to New Zealand, staying at Upper Hutt. There are twelve historic sites within Upper Hutt included on the Heritage New Zealand list of historic places, including four Category 1 sites, seven Category 2 sites, and one historic area. The historic area, the Remutaka Incline Rail Trail , crosses into part of neighbouring South Wairarapa District . The Upper Hutt city centre lies approximately 26 km north-east of Wellington. While
3193-538: The 8.8 km Rimutaka Tunnel opened, bypassing the Remutaka Incline and most of the existing line between Upper Hutt and Featherston, and reducing the time between the two from 2.5 hours to just 40 minutes. First Taranaki War The First Taranaki War (also known as the North Taranaki War ) was an armed conflict over land ownership and sovereignty that took place between Māori and
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3296-400: The British commander at Waitara, Major Thomas Nelson, marched out with 350 experienced troops and two 24-pound howitzers to storm the pā, which was defended by about 200 Atiawa. The troops intended to encircle the two hills, cutting off a path of retreat for the Māori, before destroying Onukukaitara, above the flax-covered stockade of which flew a flag. The troops split into three divisions for
3399-503: The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. In November 1987, the company laid off around 120 of its 500 workers citing deregulation of the tyre industry that had led to reductions in the tariffs imposed on imported tyres. In June 2008, the company announced that the plant would be closing within 8 months. In 2008, a 20.2 hectares (50 acres) site including the former tyre factory was purchased by property developer Malcolm Gillies, with
3502-592: The Government Statistician certified that the population had reached 20 000, allowing the Town Clerk to make an application for city status. On 9 April 1976, Upper Hutt became the first area in New Zealand to implement subscriber toll dialling (STD) , allowing telephone subscribers to make national calls without operator assistance. Residential subdivision in areas such as Clouston Park, Maoribank, Tōtara Park and Kingsley Heights continued into
3605-478: The Governor's "wrong". The aggressor having been identified, others were then free to launch reprisals under utu laws. Within days, Māori war parties began plundering the farms south of New Plymouth, killing six settlers who had not taken refuge in the town. Fearing an attack on New Plymouth was imminent, the British withdrew from Waitara and concentrated around the town. The military action at Waitara brought
3708-648: The Māori succeeded in thwarting the British bid to impose sovereignty over them, and had therefore been victorious. But he said the Māori victory was a hollow one, leading to the invasion of the Waikato . In its 1996 report to the Government on Taranaki land claims, the Waitangi Tribunal observed that the war was begun by the Government, which had been the aggressor and unlawful in its actions in launching an attack by its armed forces. An opinion sought by
3811-515: The Natives now fighting at Taranaki", was also passed. From August to October 1860, there were numerous skirmishes close to New Plymouth, including one on 20 August involving an estimated 200 Māori, just 800 metres from the barracks on Marsland Hill. Many settlers' farms were burned and the village of Henui, 1.6 km from town, was also destroyed. Several farmers and settlers, including children, were killed by hostile Māori as they ventured beyond
3914-588: The North Island. One of the uniting principles of the King Movement was their opposition to the sale of Māori land and the concomitant spread of British sovereignty. The settlement of New Plymouth —at the time "a line of wooden houses straggling untidily along the waterfront and intersected by bush-filled gullies which provided perfect cover for an attacking party" —was deemed vulnerable to assault by hostile Māori because of tensions over land sales and
4017-491: The Queen's sovereignty, and the union of the two races," and that they would halt all actions that would tend to breach that covenant. Author Ranginui Walker noted: "The Maori were too trusting. There was no reciprocal promise extracted from the Governor to abide by the Treaty." Another resolution proposed by Maori "kingmaker" Wiremu Tamihana , which "deprecates in the strongest manner the murders of unarmed Europeans committed by
4120-523: The Rev. Thomas Gilbert and several others who were either French or Portuguese. All felt safe: both ministers were treated by Māori as tapu or untouchable, while the others were confident the Māori grievance was with only the British. About 1 pm on 28 March, a British force of about 335 men—28 Navy, 88 from the British 65th Regiment , 103 members of the newly formed Taranaki Rifle Volunteers and 56 from
4223-588: The Upper Hutt City Council, cost $ 3.5m and features a coffee bar, public toilets and an upgraded ticket office featuring real-time information of arrivals and departures of trains in a larger waiting room than the 1955 building. In July 1955, the electrification of the railway line from Wellington to Upper Hutt was completed, allowing fast electric multiple unit trains to replace steam- and diesel-electric-hauled carriage trains. Later in November,
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4326-481: The Wairarapa being funnelled down the two-lane Fergusson Drive and mixing with local traffic through Silverstream and Trentham. With the central government reluctant to fund any road improvements in the area, the Upper Hutt City Council commissioned the construction of a two-laned high-speed bypass along the banks of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River from the Taitā Gorge in the south to Māoribank in the north. River Road, as
4429-545: The Waitara River. Pokikake Te Teira Manuka , a minor chief of the Te Atiawa iwi , first offered the land to the New Zealand government in 1857, immediately attracting the vehement opposition of the paramount chief of the tribe, Wiremu Kīngi , who declared a veto on the plan. Teira's sale was, however, supported by Ihaia Kirikumara and his brother Tamati, who wrote letters to newspapers claiming that European occupation would allow returned slaves to live in security and lessen
4532-557: The best that civilization had to offer and saw it as both their duty and their right to impose it on other peoples. However, in the 20 years since the signing of the Treaty, the Māori had made significant political advances. They had moved from being a collection of independent tribes to an effective confederation known as the Māori King Movement , which was centred on the Waikato region, but which had influence over large areas of
4635-694: The black market in Auckland, Waiuku and Kawhia , while in Taranaki posts at Omata, the Bell Block , Waireka and Tataraimaka were garrisoned – with each of those often surrounded by a cordon of pā. In December 1860, Major-General Pratt began operations against a major Māori defensive line called Te Arei ("The barrier") on the west side of the Waitara River, barring the way to the historic hill pā of Pukerangiora. The principal defences were Kairau and Huirangi, skilfully engineered lines of rifle-pits, trenches and covered walkways. Backed with heavy artillery and
4738-653: The campaign, with most losses coming from Waikato Tainui (predominantly Ngāti Maniapoto , Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Mahuta ). Ngāti Ruanui chief Te Rei Hanataua of the Tangahoe hapū, who was killed during the Battle of Waireka. In June 2016 the New Plymouth District Council announced it had paid $ 715,000 to a private seller for Te Kohia Pa near Waitara. The council said it would work with Te Atiawa governance entity Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa on
4841-422: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 6,321 (18.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 18,645 (53.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 7,761 (22.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 48,200, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 5,262 people (15.2%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
4944-422: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 6,804 (18.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 20,001 (54.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 8,130 (22.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 48,600, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 5,823 people (15.8%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
5047-410: The chance that Waikato war parties would return. Governor Browne felt obliged to resist the veto; he insisted Māori had the right to sell if they wished, and was also keen to demonstrate support for a friendly chief over an individual who was resisting the authority of the Crown and the expansion of European law. Browne accepted the purchase with full knowledge of the circumstances and tried to occupy
5150-521: The colonists' hunger for land in Taranaki, the greater issue fuelling the conflict was the Government's desire to impose British administration, law and civilisation on the Māori as a demonstration of the substantive sovereignty the British believed they had gained in the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi . The hastily written Māori translation, however, had given Māori chiefs an opposing view that the English had gained only nominal sovereignty, or "governorship" of
5253-478: The council. This decision was made as to ensure the maintenance of the significant rural character and amenity in the Mangaroa Valley. In 1945, Dunlop was granted a government licence to manufacture tyres. A site in Upper Hutt was purchased for a factory, and the first Dunlop tyres were produced on 11 March 1949. South Pacific Tyres was subsequently formed as a joint venture between Pacific Dunlop and
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#17327904558375356-556: The country as a whole while Māori retained "chieftainship" over their lands, villages and treasures. By 1860, it was tacitly recognised that British law prevailed in the settlements and Māori custom elsewhere, though the British, who by then outnumbered Māori, were finding this fact increasingly irksome. One commentator observed, with reference to Waitara: "We seem to be fast approaching a settlement of that point, whether Her Fair Majesty or His Dark Majesty shall reign in New Zealand." The British were convinced that their system represented
5459-479: The cover of bush and flax in the river gully—and the militia and Volunteers, who had retreated to the safety of the farmhouse of settler John Jury. Most of the battle took place on the flat farm land below the pa. About 5.30 pm, Murray sounded the bugle for a retreat, withdrawing his Regulars for the march back to New Plymouth so they could arrive before dark. His withdrawal left the settler force, which had already suffered two killed and eight wounded, isolated at
5562-444: The defeat. He was accused of cowardice and stupidity and an attempt was made to persuade the senior militia officer to arrest him. He was subsequently replaced by Major-General Thomas Pratt . The real reason for the Māori victory, however, was a combination of tactics and engineering techniques. Hapurona had enticed the British to fight at a place of his own choosing and then used the twin ploys of deception and concealment. He created
5665-576: The farmhouse with little ammunition and late in the night, carrying their casualties, they scrambled across paddocks to the Omata stockade, arriving about 12.30 am, before returning to New Plymouth. Late in the afternoon, meanwhile, Captain Peter Cracroft, commander of HMS Niger , had landed 60 bluejackets at New Plymouth and marched via Omata to Waireka, encountering Murray as he prepared to retreat. Cracroft's troops fired 24-pound rockets into
5768-492: The fern-covered slopes. Messenger's division became disordered and was split into groups. Many troops were tomahawked in the swamp or drowned as they fled to the flooded Waitara River. Most of the wounded were abandoned and many of those were hacked to death. A group of survivors with Messenger managed to join Nelson, who sounded the retreat, while others remained hiding in the swamp and fern and returned to camp later. Puketakauere
5871-542: The fight were five killed and 11 wounded. Māori losses were estimated at 50. From 22 January, the day before the attack on No.3 Redoubt, Pratt began employing the Royal Engineers to systematically apply the technique of sapping to advance towards Te Arei. Excavating through night and day under frequent fire, Pratt's sap extended 768 yards and crossed the rifle pits of the Huirangi pā, prompting Māori to abandon
5974-424: The firepower, the Māori suffered no casualties and abandoned the pā that night. Though it was small—about 650 square yards—the pā had been situated so that it was difficult to surround completely and had also been built with covered trenches and 10 anti-artillery bunkers, roofed with timber and earth, that protected its garrison. The British objective at Waitara had been a rapid and decisive victory that would destroy
6077-435: The garrison known as Camp Waitara (site of the modern town of Waitara), which had been established to protect the surveying of Waitara. The pā posed a military threat to the Waitara garrison and was seen as extreme provocation. On 23 June, a British reconnaissance party approached the pā, in what may have been an attempt to bait the Māori, and was fired on. Colonel Gold immediately authorised an attack. Before dawn on 27 June,
6180-491: The hostilities between 1864 and 1866 as a continuation of the initial Taranaki war. The catalyst for the war was the disputed sale of 600 acres (2.4 km ) of land known as the Pekapeka block, or Teira's block, at Waitara. The block's location perfectly suited European settlers' wish for a township and port to serve the north of the Taranaki district and its sale was viewed as a likely precedent for other sales that would open up for settlement all land between New Plymouth and
6283-526: The intention of turning it into an industrial park. The subsequent development of the site has focussed on craft brewing and the area has been branded as Brewtown . State Highway 2 is the principal highway through Upper Hutt, connecting with Lower Hutt and Wellington 's motorway system to the south, and the Wairarapa region via the Remutaka Hill Road to the north. Fergusson Drive
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#17327904558376386-481: The land in December 1859. When Māori obstructed surveyors as they began work on the block, Browne responded by declaring martial law throughout Taranaki on 22 February 1860. Two days later a deed for the sale of the disputed Pekapeka block was executed, with 20 Māori signatories of Te Teira's family accepted as representing all owners of the land. On 4 March, Browne ordered Colonel Charles Emilius Gold , commanding
6489-526: The land, anticipating it would lead to armed conflict. A year earlier Browne had written to the Colonial Office in England, advising: "I have, however, little fear that William King (Kingi) will venture to resort to violence to maintain his assumed right, but I have made every preparation to enforce obedience should he presume to do so." Although the pressure for the sale of the block resulted from
6592-461: The land. Disputes arose and there were skirmishes and warfare in the Hutt Valley in 1846 between troops under Governor George Grey and Māori including chiefs Te Rauparaha , Te Rangihaeata , Te Mamaku and iwi including Ngāti Toa , Ngāti Rangatahi , Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Hāua-te-rangi. Richard Barton , who settled at Trentham in 1841 in the area now known as Trentham Memorial Park ,
6695-497: The largest landowners in New Zealand. Akatarawa is a Maori name meaning 'Trailing vines'. Activities include cycling, hunting, fishing, horse riding, 4WD-vehicle trips and trail biking, including at the Karapoti Gorge . Akatarawa Forest has ancient northern rātā which predate human habitation of New Zealand, including one tree which is believed to be 1100 years old. Some of these trees are wider than Tāne Mahuta . One
6798-705: The main areas of urban development lie along the Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River valley floor, the city extends to the top of the Remutaka Pass to the north-east and into the Akatarawa Valley and rough hill-country of the Akatarawa ranges to the north and north-west, almost reaching the Kāpiti Coast close to Paekākāriki . Upper Hutt is in the bed of an ancient river flood plain and as such
6901-603: The main enemy warrior force, checking and crippling Māori independence and asserting British sovereignty. That mission failed and the Te Kohia clash ended as little more than a minor skirmish with a result that disappointed English settlers. Yet for Māori, too, the engagement had strong symbolic importance. Outnumbered and outgunned, Kingi needed to draw allies from several places, but by Māori tikanga , or protocol, support would not be offered to an aggressor. Te Kohia pa, hastily built and just as quickly abandoned, appeared to have been built for one purpose: to provide plain evidence of
7004-475: The main road to Omata, intending to dislodge a war party reported to be at Whalers Gate, north of Omata. Once the road was clear, it was intended they would be joined by the Volunteers and militia, who would rescue the settlers, before marching back to New Plymouth. Because of the heightened state of fear in New Plymouth, however, Murray had been ordered to return his troops to the town before nightfall. The Volunteers were armed with muzzle-loading Enfield rifles and
7107-423: The march. Nelson led the main body of almost 180 men and the two howitzers on an approach from the north, intending to bombard the stockade from the south-west. A second division of 125 men, led by Captain William Messenger, was given the more difficult task of approaching the area in darkness through a swampy gully and high fern and scrub to the east, taking possession of the apparently deserted Puketakauere, blocking
7210-474: The militia had old smooth-bore muskets from the 1840s, with each man issued with just 30 rounds of ammunition. Murray met no resistance at Whalers Gate, but as he approached Waireka he heard the sound of rapid firing towards the coast. He entrenched his men and opened fire on the Kaipopo pā with a rocket tube. The gunfire Murray heard was being exchanged between about 200 Māori warriors —who, armed mostly with double-barrel shotguns and some rifles, were firing from
7313-406: The name of a suburb of Upper Hutt). The first residents of the area were Māori of the Ngāi Tara iwi . Various other iwi controlled the area in the years before 1840, and by the time the first colonial settlers arrived the area was part of the Te Āti awa rohe . Orongomai Marae is to the south of the modern city centre. In 1839, the English colonising company, The New Zealand Company made
7416-496: The path of any possible reinforcements and supporting Nelson's efforts against the main target. His approach was made more challenging by the heavy mid-winter rain that had deepened the swamp. The remaining division, about 60 men under Captain Bowdler, was to take up a position on a mound between the pā and Camp Waitara, blocking an escape to the north. About 7 am, Nelson's howitzers began pounding their target, but created only
7519-407: The proportion of Māori casualties was higher. The war ended in a ceasefire, with neither side explicitly accepting the peace terms of the other. Although there were claims by the British that they had won the war, there were widely held views at the time they had suffered an unfavourable and humiliating result. Historians have also been divided on the result. Historian James Belich has claimed that
7622-426: The pā and fall back on Pukerangiora. Despite widespread criticism for his slowness and caution, Pratt pressed on towards Te Arei, creating the most extensive field-engineering works ever undertaken by British troops in New Zealand. Five more redoubts were built as the saps continued to the edge of the cliff above the Waitara River, but ceased after the intervention of Kingite chief Wiremu Tamihana , who helped negotiate
7725-452: The pā from a distance of about 700 metres and stormed it at dusk, tearing down three Māori ensigns. The first man into the pā was leading seaman William Odgers , who was awarded a Victoria Cross for bravery–the first awarded in the New Zealand wars. Cracroft's men then returned to New Plymouth, without making contact with the settler force, who were still at the Jury farmhouse. The storming of
7828-440: The pā was more of a camp and all but empty and the total Māori casualties amounted to no more than one. He described the "legend" of Waireka as a classic example of the construction of a paper victory, with invented claims of "enormous" losses and a great British victory. The settlers, apparently overlooked in the fracas, watched the action from their house and the next day made their own way to New Plymouth, where Gilbert said: "It
7931-465: The pā was the second stage of the battle. Most or all or the Maori casualties—between 17 and 40—occurred during the first stage of fighting around the gully and Jury homestead, according to Cowan. Cracroft was lauded as a hero for his mission, with claims of the number of Māori killed by his troops ranging from 70 to 150. Total European losses were 14 killed and wounded. Historian James Belich has claimed
8034-593: The remaining scrub and underbrush. Alarmed by unrest in Taranaki and sightings of local Māori bearing arms, settlers in the Hutt Valley lobbied for the construction of fortifications in Upper and Lower Hutt. The government and the military responded by constructing 2 stockades in the Hutt Valley in 1860. While the stockade in Upper Hutt was manned for 6 months, the threat of hostilities soon passed and neither installation ever saw hostile action. The railway line from Wellington reached Upper Hutt on 1 February 1876. The line
8137-419: The resources to defend Auckland if troops were engaged in Taranaki. Both Kingi and the Government made repeated diplomatic approaches to King Pōtatau Te Wherowhero seeking his allegiance, but by early May Pōtatau seemed to have decided to offer at least token support to Taranaki Māori, sending a Kingite war party to the district under the control of war chief Epiha Tokohihi. Kingi seized the opportunity to spark
8240-569: The result Kingi had been hoping for and within 10 days of the Te Kohia battle, about 500 warriors from the Taranaki , Ngati Ruanui and Ngā Rauru iwi converged on the New Plymouth area to provide support. The warriors built an entrenched and stockaded pā named Kaipopo on one of the hills at Waireka, about 8 km southwest of New Plymouth and 4 km from the Omata stockade that lay on
8343-550: The road became known, opened in 1987. It promptly ran at full capacity and, after several serious accidents that were a legacy of its origins, it was enlarged and re-engineered to cope with the growing traffic volume. Today, River Road is a median-divided 2+1 road from the Taitā Gorge to Tōtara Park, with two-laned undivided sections over the Moonshine Bridge and from Tōtara Park to Maoribank. State Highway 58 , while only briefly in Upper Hutt itself, intersects with SH 2
8446-416: The road to the town. The area was scattered with some houses built by European settlers, and on 27 March, five settlers, including two boys, were either shot or tomahawked in the Omata district. Tensions in New Plymouth quickly climbed and settlers with large families were ordered, under martial law, to evacuate to the safety of the town. Among those who remained in the Omata area were the Rev. Henry Brown,
8549-447: The south-west extremity of the block, commanding the road access. The next day, they uprooted the surveyors' boundary markers and when ordered the following day, 17 March, to surrender, they refused. Gold's troops opened fire and the Taranaki wars had begun. Gold's troops, by then numbering almost 500, poured in heavy fire all day from as near as 50 metres, firing 200 rounds from two 24-pound howitzers as well as small arms fire. Despite
8652-444: The summer and much colder in the winter. It is not uncommon in summer for temperatures to reach the mid-30s Celsius (+/- 95 °F), and in winter, the temperature to drop to as low as −5 °C (about 23 °F) with regular and often heavy frost . Snow generally doesn't fall below 300 m, but in 2011 Upper Hutt sea level snow occurred twice, as part of 2011 New Zealand snowstorms . On 25 July and again between 14 and 16 August, which
8755-534: The town's entrenchments, including John Hurford (tomahawked at Mahoetahi on 3 August), Joseph Sarten (shot and tomahawked, Henui, 4 December), Captain William Cutfield King (shot, Woodleigh estate, 8 February 1861) and Edward Messenger (shot, Brooklands, 3 March). There were frequent skirmishes around Omata and Waireka, where extensive trenches and rifle pits were dug on the Waireka hills to threaten
8858-472: The tribunal from a senior constitutional lawyer stated that the Governor, Thomas Gore Browne , and certain officers were liable for criminal and civil charges for their actions. The term "First Taranaki War" is opposed by some historians, who refer only to the Taranaki Wars , rejecting suggestions that post-1861 conflict was a second war . The 1927 Royal Commission on Confiscated Land also referred to
8961-511: The war could be won. The district had also suffered great economic hardship, with immigration all but coming to a stop and the destruction of three-quarters of farmhouses at Omata, Bell Block, Tataraimaka, and settlements nearer the town. 237 British soldiers were killed or wounded during the war, and 120 people had died due to disease in New Plymouth, due to the cramped conditions. Māori casualties were often exaggerated by colonial authorities, however at least 99 Māori died or were injured during
9064-659: Was added to the city. When the Hutt County Council was abolished on 1 November 1988, the city took over administration of the Heretaunga/Pinehaven ward, which was incorporated into the city on 1 November 1989 when the Heretaunga/Pinehaven Community Council was abolished. Today, Upper Hutt City falls entirely within the boundaries of the Remutaka electorate, currently held by Labour's Chris Hipkins . Upper Hutt
9167-479: Was also able to switch warriors from each focus of action, forcing the British to fight two battles while the Māori fought just one. In the wake of the demoralising loss, the central portion of New Plymouth was entrenched and most women and children were evacuated to Nelson , out of fear the town would be attacked. The garrison was reinforced with almost 250 soldiers from the 40th Regiment , sent from Auckland, as well as additional artillery. In July Browne convened
9270-568: Was both the most important and most disastrous battle of the First Taranaki War for the British, who suffered losses of 32 killed and 34 wounded, almost one in five of the force engaged. It was also one of the three most clear-cut defeats suffered by imperial troops in New Zealand. Despite claims at the time that the British killed between 130 and 150 of the enemy, Māori casualties were estimated to be just five, including two Maniapoto chiefs. Colonel Gold came under heavy criticism for
9373-461: Was captured on 31 December after being abandoned, and a stockade and blockhouses built on the site for a garrison of 60. A second redoubt, No.2, was built in 11 hours on 14 January 500m past the Kairau redoubt and garrisoned by 120 men with artillery. Four days later, Pratt and a force of 1,000 moved out another 400m to build Redoubt No.3, which was garrisoned with 300 men and made the headquarters of
9476-625: Was extended to Kaitoke at the top end of the valley, reaching there on 1 January 1878. The line continued over the Remutaka Ranges to Featherston in the Wairarapa as a Fell railway , opening on 12 October 1878. Upper Hutt in 1897 was recorded in the Cyclopedia of New Zealand. By the beginning of March 1914, the area of Upper Hutt controlled by the Upper Hutt Town Board had its own water supply. The supply capacity
9579-600: Was increased when the Birchville Dam was built in 1930. On the evening of 28 March 1914, fire broke out at the Benge and Pratt store in Main Street. An explosion killed 8 of the volunteers fighting the fire and destroyed the building. For many years, Upper Hutt was a rural service town, supporting the surrounding rural farming and forestry community. Serious urbanisation of the upper Hutt Valley only started around
9682-419: Was no wish of ours that an armed expedition should be set on foot on our behalf. We were perfectly safe." Murray was widely condemned for his actions in withdrawing his troops and a court of inquiry was convened into his conduct. On 20 April 1860 Browne ordered a suspension of hostilities against Taranaki Māori, fearing the intervention of the King Movement and a possible attack on Auckland. He knew he lacked
9785-466: Was prone to flooding. In the 1970s and 1980s, a stop bank was built alongside the eastern side of the river from northern Upper Hutt to the mouth of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River in Lower Hutt to prevent further flooding. Centred on the upper (northern) valley of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River , which flows north-east to south-west on its way to Wellington harbour, the flat land widens briefly into
9888-517: Was represented by the Heretaunga electorate prior to the introduction of MMP in 1996, when the seat was merged with Eastern Hutt to form Remutaka. Upper Hutt City's territory covers 539.88 km (208.45 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 47,900 as of June 2024, with a population density of 89 people per km . Upper Hutt City had a population of 45,759 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 1,779 people (4.0%) since
9991-610: Was rescued from the forest in February 2021. Between December 2017 and August 2018, a 1.7 kilometre zig-zag track that is part of the Cannon Point Walkway was closed to the public due to a disagreement between Upper Hutt City Council and a private landowner over land access. In early 2021, Forest and Bird campaigned for Upper Hutt City Council to keep a 35-hectare block as a wildlife corridor and reserve, connecting Akatawa Forest with Wainuiomata . In July 2021,
10094-557: Was spoken by 96.4%, Māori language by 3.5%, Samoan by 1.7% and other languages by 13.0%. No language could be spoken by 2.3% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 23.5, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 33.6% Christian , 3.0% Hindu , 0.6% Islam , 0.9% Māori religious beliefs , 0.8% Buddhist , 0.6% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 2.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 51.7%, and 6.7% of people did not answer
10197-557: Was spoken by 96.6%, Māori language by 3.4%, Samoan by 1.7% and other languages by 12.7%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 23.3, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 33.3% Christian , 2.8% Hindu , 0.6% Islam , 0.9% Māori religious beliefs , 0.8% Buddhist , 0.6% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 2.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 52.2%, and 6.8% of people did not answer
10300-501: Was that 19,119 (55.3%) people were employed full-time, 3,945 (11.4%) were part-time, and 915 (2.6%) were unemployed. The main suburbs of Upper Hutt, from north-east to south-west, include: Developments in the area include Mount Timbale Marua , Marua Downs , Waitoka Estate , Wallaceville Estate , and Riverstone Terraces . A development called The Lanes was proposed but rejected by the Lanes Commissioners appointed by
10403-420: Was that 20,517 (55.5%) people were employed full-time, 4,293 (11.6%) were part-time, and 942 (2.5%) were unemployed. The urban area of Upper Hutt covers 51.16 km (19.75 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 45,000 as of June 2024, with a population density of 880 people per km . Upper Hutt had a population of 42,903 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 1,602 people (3.9%) since
10506-433: Was the first European resident. Barton subsequently subdivided his land and set aside a large area that was turned into parkland. James Brown settled in the area that became the Upper Hutt town in 1848. Having divided the land into 100 acre block, the settlers set about clearing the land of its indigenous forest and turning it into farmland. Sawmillers milled larger trees, such as Totara, for building materials and burned off
10609-500: Was the heaviest blizzard in Upper Hutt since 1976 and came as a great novelty to residents. Upper Hutt receives about 1400 mm of rain per year. At 17.5 °C on average, February is the warmest month, while July is the coldest at 8.5 °C. Upper Hutt City Council administers the city with its surrounding rural areas, parks and reserves. Its area is 540 km , the third-largest area of city council in New Zealand, after Dunedin and Auckland . New Zealand local authorities with
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