Paremata is a suburb of Porirua city, on the Tasman Sea coast to the north of Wellington, New Zealand.

Early history

The modern suburb, located just south of Plimmerton, derives its name from the "Parramatta Barracks", which were erected on the north shore of the Porirua Harbour in about 1846 when the infant government was nervous about the local Ngati Toa tribe under its great leader Te Rauparaha. The stone barracks were largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1847.

The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Co built a station nearby, towards the end of the 19th century. In 1936 a road bridge finally spanned the entrance to the Pauatahanui Inlet, greatly easing access to Wellington for the growing suburb. After a coast road was built between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki further north, the route through Paremata became part of State Highway 1. Later developments to ease congestion included the Paremata Roundabout, just south of the road bridge, reducing some of the distress that was occasionally caused at what came to be known as "Glass Corner".

During World War II, United States soldiers were stationed near the barracks, on land that later became the "Ngatitoa Domain".

Recent history

With the building of a new railway station across the inlet, the locality south of the road and rail bridges took on the name Paremata as well. The street along the original shoreline had been known as "The Crescent" for decades, but by the end of the 20th century it was commonly called "Paremata Crescent". The area to the north, which included a subdivision called "Dolly Varden" (named after a Charles Dickens character), came to be called "Mana" because the new railway station a little further north was given that name (probably because that is the first point on the rail journey north at which travellers get a view of Mana Island).

By the start of the 21st century, several members of the Ngati Toa tribe had served on the Porirua City Council, and the whole locality around the Ngatitoa Domain had become a busy suburb and fishing base with housing and commerce. A new suburb, Papakowhai, has grown on the hills to the south, while a large suburb of Whitby has developed to the east, with its main access from the Paremata Roundabout.

In August 2004 a new road bridge was opened for northbound traffic, allowing southbound traffic to use both lanes of the old bridge.