Lower Hutt is a city in the lower North Island of the country of New Zealand. Its City Council ("Hutt City Council") has adopted the name Hutt City to refer to the city, but currently the NZ Geographic Board does not accept the revised name (2005), nor does the Local Government Act recognise it. Statistics New Zealand defines New Zealand urban areas for statistical purposes. ... Territorial authorities is the formal term for the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. ... A mayor (from the Latin maīor, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington, New Zealand. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ... Regions is the formal term for the top tier of local government in New Zealand. ... The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island. ... Image File history File links Location map of Lower Hutt, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Montreal skyline at night For alternate meanings see city (disambiguation) A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ...

The alternative name can lead to confusion, as two separate cities exist in the Hutt Valley: Lower Hutt and its neighbour Upper Hutt. The Upper Hutt City Council objects to the name of Hutt City adopted by the Hutt City Council. Furthermore, one should not confuse Hutt City with the former Hutt County, whose territory originally covered much of the area of both present-day Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt. The Hutt Valley is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. ... Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington, New Zealand. ...

Lower Hutt forms part of the Wellington Region. It is the ninth-largest city in New Zealand in population terms, and covers an area of 380 km². The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island. ...

Geography

The city centres on the lower (southern) valley of the Hutt River, to the northeast of Wellington. The valley widens as the river nears its mouth, meaning that the central urban area of the city forms a triangle with its widest side along the shoreline. In the upper reaches of the city, the twin ranges of the Western and Eastern Hutt Hills become closer, culminating in the narrowing known as Taita Gorge at the northern end of Lower Hutt. This gorge separates the city from its neighbour, Upper Hutt. The Hutt River looking downstream. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital city of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital city in Oceania. ...

Lower Hutt also includes the cluster of small settlements which extend down the eastern coast of Wellington Harbour. These include the two large townships of Wainuiomata (inland) and Eastbourne (on the coast). The city also includes a large area of sparsely-populated land to the east of the harbour, extending to Pencarrow Head and into the Rimutaka Ranges. Wellington Habour is the large natural habour at the south-eastern tip of the North Island, on which New Zealands capital stands. ... Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. ... Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt city in the southern North Island of New Zealand. ... The Rimutaka Range (often referred to as the Rimutaka Ranges) is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington. ...

Lower Hutt also encompasses islands in the northern half of Wellington Harbour, the largest of which, Matiu/Somes Island, is commonly referred to by its former name of Somes Island. Matiu/Somes Island is the largest of several islands in the northern half of Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour, New Zealand). ... Matiu/Somes Island is the largest of several islands in the northern half of Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour, New Zealand). ...

Hutt River

The Hutt River forms one of the most significant features of the city, which occupies the lower regions of the river and its flood plain. Modern occupation during the 20th century has led to the construction of stopbanks to contain the river, but the threat of flooding as the result of heavy rainfall persists. This threat came to pass in the flood of 1985, but the river has not burst its banks since then, even though smaller streams and storm-water drains have caused occasional problems when rainfall persistently exceeds average levels. The Hutt River looking downstream. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... This article is about the type of dam. ... Look up Flood in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A flood (in Old English flod, a word common to Teutonic languages; compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float) is an overflow of water, an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge. ... This article is about the year. ...

Much of the land adjacent to the river is protected as reserve and provides a much appreciated recreational feature with walking tracks and grassed areas over the approximately ten km of river bank encompassed by the city.

Panorama

Panorama of Lower Hutt city from Normandale (on the western hills). On the right is the entrance to Wellington Harbour, with Matiu/Somes_Island visible beneath. The Hutt river snakes form the right backgound to the left mid-ground. The Wainuiomata Hill Road can be seen climbing the hills in the center background (the track in the left background is a firebreak going up a ridge rather than a road). At the foot of the Wainuiomata Hill Road is the Gracefield industrial area.

Panorama of the Lower Hutt valley taken from the top of the Wainuiomata hills. The point this 180deg shot was taken from can been seen in the previous panorama. Following the ridgeline left from the top of the Wainuiomata hill road to the first major firebreak

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2609x480, 480 KB)90 degree panorama looking from East to South taken from Lower Hutts Western Hills, at an altitude of 171m/560ft. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2609x480, 480 KB)90 degree panorama looking from East to South taken from Lower Hutts Western Hills, at an altitude of 171m/560ft. ... Wellington Habour is the large natural habour at the south-eastern tip of the North Island, on which New Zealands capital stands. ... Matiu/Somes Island is the largest of several islands in the northern half of Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour, New Zealand). ... Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. ... A firebreak is a usually-man-made gap in vegetation that is expected to slow or stop the progress of wildfires. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (4150x480, 428 KB)180 degree panorama of the Lower Hutt valley from Tawai atop the Wainuiomata hill. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (4150x480, 428 KB)180 degree panorama of the Lower Hutt valley from Tawai atop the Wainuiomata hill. ... Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. ... Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. ... A firebreak is a usually-man-made gap in vegetation that is expected to slow or stop the progress of wildfires. ...

Population

The central urban area of Lower Hutt has a population of around 75,000, or 95,500 including the area around and between Wainuiomata and Eastbourne. In either case, it forms the eighth largest city in New Zealand.

Suburbs

Listed north to south from upper valley:

North of Central Business District (CBD)

Pomare; Stokes Valley; Taita; Wingate; Kelson; Naenae; Avalon; Belmont; Boulcott; Epuni; Fairfield; Harbourview

Stokes Valley is a major suburb of Lower Hutt, in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Naenae is a major suburb of Lower Hutt, in the North Island of New Zealand. ... Suburb of 1970s origin privately owned mostly california style often split level 3 and 4 bedroom houses,built on market garden land adjacent to the Hutt River ...

South of CBD

Waterloo; Normandale; Alicetown; Maungaraki; Woburn; Waiwhetu; Ava; Korokoro; Gracefield; Moera; Petone

Petone is a suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. ...

Eastern harbour

Wainuiomata; Seaview; Point Howard; Lowry Bay; Days Bay; Homedale; Rona Bay; Eastbourne; Muritai

Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. ... Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt city in the southern North Island of New Zealand. ...

History

Prior to European settlement, the Hutt Valley was thickly forested, with areas of marshland close to the river's mouth. Maori inhabited the shoreline, with a pa at each end of Petone beach. Te Puni, Māori Chief Māori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their language. ... Pa, Maori word meaning a fortified village or redoubt, described at length in Maori Wars. ...

The Maori welcomed the arrival of the New Zealand Company ship Tory in 1839, and William Wakefield (the company's agent) negotiated with local chiefs to allow settlement. 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Colonel William Wakefield (1801-1848), married 1826 to Emily Sydney, the fifth child of Edward Wakefield and Priscilla Bell, he was the leader of the first colonizing expedition to New Zealand and founder of Wellington. ...

The first immigrant ship, the Aurora, arrived on 22 January 1840, still celebrated every year as Wellington's Anniversary Day. The settlement, Britannia, was established close to the mouth of the Hutt River, and settlers established the country's first newspaper and bank. January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The city got its name from the river, which was named after the founding member, director and chairman of the New Zealand Company, Sir William Hutt.

Within months of settlement, however, the Hutt River flooded, and the settlers decided to move the new colony to Thorndon, in what is now the heart of Wellington, though some settlers remained at the north end of the harbour. Thorndon is an inner suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. ...

In 1846 there was conflict between settlers and Maori which led to skirmishes (see Hutt Valley Campaign). In 1855 a major earthquake raised part of the lower valley, allowing land to be reclaimed from swamp. 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Hutt Valley Campaign of 1846 during the Maori Wars could almost be seen as a sequel to the Wairau Massacre. ...

The arrival of the railway north from Wellington in 1874 and the subsequent location of the railway's engineering works at Petone led to a rapid expansion of the area's population and economy. Other industries were soon attracted to the district.

In 1987-89 the policy of the Government of the day forced local authorities to become more efficient through consolidation, which led to Lower Hutt amalgamating with the adjacent Boroughs of Petone and Eastbourne and the Wainuiomata District (which had its own independence for barely a year). Petone is a suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. ... Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt city in the southern North Island of New Zealand. ... Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. ...

Culture and Leisure

Several education and research facilities of national significance are in the southern half of the city. Cultural facilities include the Dowse Art Gallery and the former Avalon Television studios, now used for world-class cinematic purposes.

The city possesses civic administration buildings constructed in the 1950s that are regarded as representative architecture of the era. A building of national significance is Vogel House, a two-storey wooden residence that was the official residence of the Prime Minister of New Zealand for much of the 20th century. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ...

The city is popular for outdoor sports, especially mountain biking, hiking, fishing, recreational walking and swimming.

Economy

Historically, Petone and nearby parts of Lower Hutt acted as the principal area for light industry in this region, with industries including meat processing and freezing, motor vehicle assembly, and timber processing. This activity has been significantly diminished or discontinued in recent decades with either the transfer of industrial activity to the more heavily populated area of Auckland or cessation at a national level. Such movement has often resulted from competitive pressures on commercial organisations for increased efficiency, as a result of opening up the New Zealand economy to international competition since the mid-1980s. Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... The 1980s, in its most obvious sense, was the decade between 1980 and 1989. ...

Nevertheless, Lower Hutt acts as the main location for light industrial activity in the Wellington Region. The city largely lacks heavy industry, however. Trends over the past 25 years have seen service, distribution, and consumer oriented activity replace the industrial activity previously a feature of the Petone area.

Lower Hutt also continues to act as one of Wellington's dormitory areas and a significant proportion of the population commutes to the commercial and Government offices in Wellington 12 km to the south-west.

David Ogden was elected Mayor in 2004, replacing John Terris.

Fauna and Flora

Hills to about 350 m (1000 ft) line both sides of the valley within the city limits. The western hills have been populated as residential areas, but the eastern side is protected and clad in native bush and scrub, including the ubiquitous gorse in areas that have been cleared as a result of scrub fires or earlier human activity. A dense growth of softwoods (a forest) in the Sierra Nevada Range of Northern California A forest is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, a wooded area set aside for hunting). ... Species Ulex argenteus Ulex boivinii Ulex borgiae Ulex cantabricus Ulex densus Ulex europaeus - Common Gorse Ulex gallii - Western Gorse Ulex genistoides Ulex micranthus Ulex minor - Dwarf Gorse Ulex parviflorus Ref: ILDIS Version 6. ...

Large areas of reserve land with native bush is held in both the western and eastern hills and certain species of native bird life are common, including the wood pigeon (kererū), tui, fantail, waxeye, shining cuckoo (in season), grey warbler, morepork (native owl) as well as introduced species such as blackbird, song thrush, sparrow, goldfinch, chaffinch, starling, and magpie. Binomial name Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, 1789) The Kereru or New Zealand Pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae) is a bird endemic to New Zealand. ... Tui can refer to: the Tui bird, endemic to New Zealand. ... Fantails are small, insectivorous birds of Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura. ... Genera See text. ... Binomial name Ninox novaeseelandiae ( Gmelin, 1788) The Southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae) is a small brown owl found mainly in New Zealand and the more fertile and temperate parts of Australia. ... For uses of the word Owl as a three letter acronym, see OWL. Families Strigidae Tytonidae An owl is any of some 220+ species of solitary, mainly nocturnal birds of prey in the order Strigiformes. ... Binomial name Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 The Blackbird or Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae. ... Binomial name Turdus philomelos Brehm, 1831 The Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a common European member of the thrush family Turdidae. ... Genera Passer Petronia Carpospiza Montifringilla This article is about the Old World sparrows in the family Passeridae. ... Binomial name Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) The Goldfinch or European Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, is a small passerine bird of the finch family. ... Binomial name Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 The Chaffinch, (Fringilla coelebs), is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. ... Genera Aplonis Poeoptera Grafisia Onychognathus Lamprotornis Cinnyricinclus Speculipastor Neochicla Spreo Cosmoparus Sarroglossa Creatophora Fregilupus (extinct) Necropsar (extinct) Sturnus Leucopsar Basilornis Streptocitta Sarcops Scissirostrum See also Myna, Oxpecker Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. ... Genera Pica Urocissa Cyanopica Cissa The magpies are medium to large, often colorful and noisy passerine birds in the crow family, Corvidae. ...

External links

• Hutt City Council
• Lower Hutt City (Name of City Council) Act 1991