Wainuiomata
Wainuiomata (/ˌwaɪnuːiˈɔːmɑːtə/) is a large dormitory suburb of Lower Hutt, in the Wellington metropolitan area in New Zealand. Its population was estimated as being 19,840 as of June 2023, with a density of 1,600 people per km2. European settlement of Wainuiomata began in the 1850s with timber-felling and farming and began to grow in the 1920s. After World War 2 there was rapid population expansion, with Wainuiomata earning the nickname 'Nappy Valley' because of the large number of families with young children. From the late 1980s the economy slowed and the population decreased, but since about 2020 there has been a housing boom and corresponding increase in population. Wainuiomata is noted for being the origin of New Zealand's kōhanga reo (Māori-language immersion preschool) movement.
Wainuiomata | |
|---|---|
A view of Wainuiomata as seen from above Sunny Grove looking North. | |
| Nickname: Nappy Valley (historic) | |
| Coordinates: 41°15′41″S 174°57′3″E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Wellington |
| Territorial authority | Lower Hutt City |
| Ward | Wainuiomata |
| Community board | Wainuiomata Community Board |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Hutt City Council |
| • Regional council | Greater Wellington Regional Council |
| • Hutt South MP | Chris Bishop |
| • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP | Cushla Tangaere-Manuel |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.76 km2 (4.93 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 86 m (282 ft) |
| Population (June 2023) | |
| • Total | 19,840 |
| • Density | 1,600/km2 (4,000/sq mi) |
| Postcode | 5014 |
| Website | www |