Gordonton (Māori: Hukanui) is a village and rural community in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located southeast of Taupiri on State Highway 1B.[3]
Gordonton
Hukanui (Māori) | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Woodlands Estate homestead | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 37°40′12″S 175°18′14″E / 37.670°S 175.304°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Waikato |
| District | Waikato District |
| Ward | Hukanui-Waerenga Ward |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Waikato District Council |
| • Regional council | Waikato Regional Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 88.43 km2 (34.14 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Population (June 2024)[2] | |
• Total | 1,970 |
| • Density | 22/km2 (58/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
The area was initially called Hukanui, which means "heavy frost" in the Māori language.[4] It was renamed to Gordonton after John Gordon, who was a manager for the New Zealand Land Association in the Waikato from 1886.[5]
The local Hukanui Marae is a meeting place of the local Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Makirangi and Ngāti Wairere.[6] It includes Te Tuturu-a-Papa Kamutu meeting house.[7]
Demographics
editKainui-Gordonton statistical area covers 88.43 km2 (34.14 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 1,970 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 22 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,497 | — |
| 2013 | 1,629 | +1.21% |
| 2018 | 1,734 | +1.26% |
| Source: [8] | ||
Kainui-Gordonton had a population of 1,734 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 105 people (6.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 237 people (15.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 549 households, comprising 873 males and 861 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female. The median age was 35.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 435 people (25.1%) aged under 15 years, 306 (17.6%) aged 15 to 29, 813 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 177 (10.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 82.2% European/Pākehā, 14.4% Māori, 3.1% Pacific peoples, 8.7% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 17.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 45.0% had no religion, 44.8% were Christian, 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were Hindu, 1.6% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 312 (24.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 183 (14.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $40,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 285 people (21.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 714 (55.0%) people were employed full-time, 225 (17.3%) were part-time, and 39 (3.0%) were unemployed.[8]
Education
editGordonton School is a co-educational state primary school covering years 1 to 8,[9] with a roll of 230 as of August 2024.[10]
Gordonton School opened in 1893 as Hukanui School. In 1913 it was renamed Gordonton School and in 1961 the school moved to a new site. The former teacher's residence and former school building each have a category 2 registration with Heritage New Zealand. The former school building was designed by Mitchell and Watt and the teacher's residence was designed by John Farrell.[11]
Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies is a Category 1 Private Training Establishment established on the western side of Gordonton in 1996 by WEC Aotearoa New Zealand.[12] It is a Christian tertiary institute that offers both NZQA Level 5 and Level 6 diplomas in intercultural studies. WEC Aotearoa New Zealand headquarters is located next door.[13]
Woodlands Estate
editWoodlands is a homestead and Garden of National Significance, established in the 1870s. The gardens occupy eight hectares and are open to the public.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ Hariss, Gavin. "Gordonton, Waikato". topomap.co.nz. NZ Topo Map.
- ^ "Kia Ora: Gordonton". The New Zealand Herald. 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Gordonton". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
- ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
- ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Kainui-Gordonton (172300). 2018 Census place summary: Kainui-Gordonton
- ^ Education Counts: Gordonton School
- ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ McEwan, Ann (3 February 2017). "Memory box". Waikato Times.
- ^ "Programmes". Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Contact". WECNZ. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "About Woodlands Estate". Retrieved 23 August 2019.