Hastings, New Zealand
Hastings
Heretaunga (Maori) | |
|---|---|
| Country |  New Zealand |
| Region | Hawke's Bay |
| Territorial authority | Hastings District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lawrence Yule |
| • Deputy Mayor | Cynthia Bowers |
| Area | |
• Territorial | 5,229 km2 (2,019 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2018)[1] | |
• Territorial | 84,000 |
| • Density | 16/km2 (42/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 70,600 |
| Postcode(s) | 4120, 4122 |
| Website | HastingsDC.govt.nz |
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District. Hastings is located some 20 km inland from the neighbouring port city of Napier.
Less than twenty kilometres separate the centres of Hastings and Napier, and as such the two are often grouped together as "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities", and are increasingly treated together in official statistics. Their combined population is 134,500, making the combined urban area the fifth-largest by population in New Zealand, between Hamilton (241,200) and Tauranga (141,600).
The principal settlements in the Hastings District are the city of Hastings itself and the nearby towns of Flaxmere and Havelock North. These main centres are surrounded by thirty-eight rural settlements, including Clive, Haumoana and Bridge Pā. Hastings District covers an area of 5,229 square kilometres (2,019 sq mi) and has 1.7 % of the population of New Zealand, ranking it fourteenth in size out of the seventy-four territorial authorities. Since the merger of the surrounding and satellite settlements, Hastings has grown to become the largest urban area in Hawke's Bay.
The Hastings district has a long history of a food producing region, and is commonly referred to as the 'Fruit Bowl of New Zealand'. The fertile plains surrounding the city have grow an abundance of stone fruit, vegetables, and more recently has become the base of New Zealand's Red Wine industry. Associated business included food processing, agricultural services, rural finance, and freight. Hastings also is the major service centre for the surrounding inland pastoral communities while the service industry and tourism is growing rapidly.
History
Māori history
Near the fourteenth century AD, Māori arrived in Heretaunga or Hawke's Bay, settling in the river valleys and along the coast where food was plentiful. It is believed that Maori came to Heretaunga by canoe, travelling down the coast from the north, landing at Wairoa, Portland Island, the Ahuriri Lagoon at Westshore, and at Waimarama. Their culture flourished, along with gradual deforestation of the land, making this one of the few regions of New Zealand where sheep could be brought in without felling the bush first. In the sixteenth century, Taraia, great-grandson of the great and prolific chief Kahungunu, established the large tribe of Ngāti Kahungunu, which eventually colonised the eastern side of the North Island from Poverty Bay to Wairarapa. They were one of the first Māori tribes to come in contact with European settlers.
European settlers' history
The Māori owners leased approximately seventy square kilometres on the Heretaunga Plains to Thomas Tanner in 1867; Tanner had been trying to purchase the land since 1864. In 1870, twelve people, known as the "12 apostles", formed a syndicate to purchase the land for around £1 10s an acre (£371 per km²). Many local people firmly believe that Hastings was originally named Hicksville, after Francis Hicks, who bought a 100-acre (0.40 km2) block of land, which now contains the centre of Hastings, from Thomas Tanner. However, this story is apocryphal. The original name of the location which was to become the town centre was Karamu.
In 1871, the New Zealand Government decided to route the new railway south of Napier through a notional Karamu junction in the centre of the Heretaunga Plains. This location was on Francis Hicks's land. The decision on the railway route was based largely on two reports by Charles Weber, the provincial engineer and surveyor in charge of the railway. Karamu junction was renamed Hastings in 1873. (On 7 June 1873, the Hawke's Bay Herald reported: "The name of the new town is to be Hastings. We hear it now for the first time.") Exactly who chose the name has been disputed, although Thomas Tanner claimed that it was him (see Hawke's Bay Herald report 1 February 1884) and that the choice was inspired by his reading the trial of Warren Hastings. In any event, the name fitted well with other place names in the district (Napier, Havelock and Clive), which were also named after prominent figures in the history of British India. {Boyd, M.B. (1984) City of the Plains – A History of Hastings, Victoria University Press for the Hastings City Council, pp. 16–21} In 1874, the first train took the twelve-mile (19 km) trip from Napier to Hastings, opening up Hastings as an export centre, through Port Ahuriri. A big jump in the local economy occurred when Edward Newbigin opened a brewery in 1881. By the next year, there were 195 freeholders of land in the town and with around six hundred people, the town was incorporated as a borough on 20 October 1886. In 1918, nearly 300 people died of a flu epidemic that swept Hawke's Bay while the following year, in 1919, Hastings welcomed electricity.
1931 earthquake
On February 3, 1931, at 10:47am, most of Hastings (and nearby Napier) was levelled by an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. The collapses of buildings and the ensuing fires killed 258 people (93 in Hastings). The centre of the town was destroyed by the earthquake, and was subsequently rebuilt in the Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles, both popular at that time. Although Hastings did not suffer the crippling fires that Napier did, most deaths were attributed to collapsing buildings, namely Roaches' Department Store in Heretaunga Street where 17 people perished.[2]
Modern history
During World War II, Allied troops were billeted at the Army, Navy and Air Force (ANA) Club, and in private homes. One hundred and fifty members belonging to sixteen different local clubs packed supplies to be sent to allied soldiers. In 1954, Hastings was the first city in New Zealand to introduce fluoridation of its water supply.[1] The intention was to compare the effect on tooth decay with that in the unfluoridated city of Napier over a ten-year period. The study was criticised for its methodology and results, and remains controversial. [2]
On September 10, 1960, the Hastings Blossom Parade (at the time a significant national event) was cancelled at 11 am for the first time in its history due to rain. Parade attendees drank in bars for several hours and when, subsequently, an 'impromptu' parade began at 2 pm, a riot started as police tried to arrest those intoxicated in public. This was a great social event in New Zealand with modern youth rebellion culture being labelled antisocial, and was subsequently much publicised with the national election later that year.
Hastings grew rapidly throughout the 1960s and 1970s (Hastings at this time was the fastest growing city in New Zealand), and there was a major issue dealing with encroachment of suburban expansion on highly productive land. Flaxmere was established as a satellite town to absorb rapid growth and was built upon the stony arid soils of the abandoned course of the Ngaruroro River. Although the land seemed worthless back then, it has subsequently proved highly valued for grape growing, and now is a prized region of red wine varietals in the world-famous Gimblett Gravels wine growing region. Starting with economic decline nationally in the late 1970s, coupled with agricultural subsidy reforms in the early 1980s, Hastings went into deep recession with high unemployment and low economic growth. It wasn't until the late 1990s that the economy of Hastings began to turn around.
During the 1989 local government reforms Hastings City was amalgamated with Havelock North Borough and the Hawkes Bay County to form the modern Hastings District. The County Council offices in Napier were closed down and the new Hastings District Council offices were located in Hastings on two sites. Fortunately for the previously land-locked Napier, Napier City boundary was expanded to include Bay View and Meeanee. The Hastings District now entirely surrounds Napier City, and encompasses a much larger area than Napier. However, unlike the predominantly built-up Napier, much of the Hastings District is rural and sparsely populated, and the two local authorities serve a similar population; the Hastings District has approximately 84,000 (June 2018).[1] residents. Because of their proximity to each other and their relatively small populations, Napier and Hastings are often seen as an obvious candidate for further amalgamation. This has already been attempted with the 1999 Amalgamation Referendum where 75% of Napier residents opposed, and 64% of Hastings residents approved. There has been a trend towards greater approval since however.
At 11.25 pm on August 25, 2008, the city was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused minor damage to shops, where stock was shaken off shelves. Minor power outages were also reported. This was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region since the 5.6 Napier/Taradale earthquake in 1980.
In 2010, the city, together with New Plymouth became one of the two walking and cycling "model communities", qualifying for further co-funding by the national government to improve its walking paths and cycleways, and encourage people to use active forms of transport.[3]
Commerce and Industry
Hastings District, as one of the largest apple, pear and stone fruit producing areas in New Zealand, has an important relationship with the Napier Port. It has also become an important grape growing and wine production area with the fruit passing from the growers around Metropolitan Hastings and then to Napier for exporting. Napier is an important service centre for the agriculture and pastoral output of the predominantly rural Hastings District. Shopping is heavily weighted by large format retail in Hastings City, whereas in contrast, Havelock North, Taradale and central Napier retail areas have a more boutique flavour.
Redevelopment
By the end of the twentieth century, Hastings was declining, suffering economic downturn with industries and freezing works closing due to the agricultural subsidy reforms in the early 1980s. However, after multi-million dollar regeneration projects and the employment of artists, Hastings has seen a change in its aesthetics. A CBD strategy was enforced to revitalise the central retail core, while promoting Havelock North as a 'luxury boutique' destination. The strategy was successful and Hastings vacancy rates ended up lower than Napier by 2005. The current goal of the council is to continue developing Hastings CBD to attract more recognised national chains, which have in the past completely neglected the city in favour of Napier. Attracting more cafes and entertainment venues is currently active in the Eastern blocks of Heretaunga St.
A controversial idea by the Hastings District Council is to relocate the Nelson Park sports ground to a new facility on the edge of the Hastings urban area to make way for a large megacentre, also known as 'Large Format Stores'. A comprehensive study was conducted before the sale concluding that retaining big box development within the CBD will help boutique stores prosper as opposed to locating the development on a greenfield site. Charter Hall, the developers behind 'Home HQ Hawkes Bay', have confirmed as of August 2010, the major anchors of the development will be Hawkes Bay's largest 'The Warehouse' and the relocation of the cities' Mitre 10 Mega. The new sports park is proposed as a regional facility and includes a velodrome, all-weather athletics track and sports grounds for most other sporting codes represented in NZ sport.
Tourism
Hastings District is quite historic and is very welcoming of tourists, and features a tourism industry based on 'lifestyle' activities rather than attractions. The majority of tourists are domestic, usually 'weekenders' from Auckland or Wellington. Scheduled airline services to Hawke's Bay operate through Hawke's Bay Airport, though Hastings Aerodrome is available for private planes is nearby.
Hastings' largest draw card is the wine and food trail established around the productive hinterland. There are over 75 wineries in the surrounding area, including New Zealand's oldest winery restaurant (Vidal Estate). Boutique food industries are becoming popular with cheese, fine meats, and locally produced delicacies seen on display at the Hawkes Bay Farmer's Market (New Zealand's oldest and largest weekly farmer's market). Outdoor leisure activities dominate, with beaches, river, mountain biking, tramping, and golf, being popular. In summer, many large scale events attract domestic tourists including the Spring Racing Carnival, The Blossom Parade, Harvest Hawkes Bay Weekend, and various concerts and events usually held at wineries. The Blossom Festival was once a large national event in the mid 20th century, with charter trains from Wellington and Auckland coming for the event. This however has slowly declined in popularity.
Hastings' specialist attractions include: Hawke's Bay's largest amusement park, a water park called 'Splash Planet', which replaced 'Fantasyland' near the turn of the millennium, Cape Kidnappers (The world's largest mainland Gannet colony), Te Mata Peak, and access to an abundance of nature reserves and mountain treks. Architecturally speaking, Hastings suffered similar to Napier in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. However, because of the lesser damage by fire, Hastings maintained more pre earthquake buildings. Both towns gained a legacy from the disaster by rebuilding in the then-fashionable and highly distinctive Art Deco style, similar to that of Miami, FL, USA. Hastings also pocesses a large percentage of Spanish Mission architecture (popular as with Art Deco in the early 1930s). Sadly, Hastings succumbed to rapid redevelopment in the 1960s-70s which saw many 1930s buildings replaced.
Horse of the Year show
Hawkes Bay A&P Showgrounds in Hastings is the home to the annual NZ Horse of the year show, held in March. It is one of the biggest sporting events in the southern hemisphere, and attracts 2500 horse and rider combinations competing in 19 disciplines including Dressage, Showhunter, Eventing, Showjumping and polocrosse and many breed classes to name a few. It has a budget of around $NZD3million, and attracts over 70,000 visitors from over NZ and internationally over the 5-day show.
Geography
Located on New Zealand's east coast, to the east of the Central Plateau and the rain shadow of the Kaweka Ranges, Hastings is situated on the fertile alluvial Heretaunga Plains. The plains have were originally covered in swamp and mangroves, but have since been drained for agriculture. The local area is very productive, with orchards, farms and vineyards, and lies upon New Zealand's 2nd largest aquifer [3].
Climate
Hastings has a Warm-Maritime climate (according to Köppen climate classification). It is a common misconception that it is a Mediterranean climate, mainly due to hot summers and low annual rainfall. Sunshine hours rank over 2200 annually while rainfall averages less than 800 mm (31.5 in). It is one of the country's warmest annually and the hottest urban area in summer with New Zealand's highest January maximum average of 26 °C (79 °F): Alexandra has 23.5°C (74°F) and Christchurch 22.5°C (73°F). Because of its location 15 km (9.3 mi) inland, the sea breeze does not tend to have the same effect on Hastings' climate as it does on Napier. It is not uncommon for the temperature to be over 30°C (86°F) on summer days, while in winter, maximum highs of 17°C (59°F) are frequent, and occasionally will exceed 20°C (68°F) with northwest winds.
| Climate data for Hastings, New Zealand | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.5 (77.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
20.7 (69.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
14.4 (57.9) |
13.9 (57.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
22.3 (72.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
20.0 (68.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.7 (56.7) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.7 (44.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
4.8 (40.6) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
8.8 (47.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 66 (2.6) |
53 (2.1) |
61 (2.4) |
48 (1.9) |
81 (3.2) |
79 (3.1) |
64 (2.5) |
86 (3.4) |
46 (1.8) |
46 (1.8) |
41 (1.6) |
53 (2.1) |
724 (28.5) |
| Source: NIWA Climate Data[4] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Hastings District encompasses a larger area of population compared with Napier. The Urban Area of Hastings in 64,700 which includes the surrounding Heretaunga Plains from Clive to Bridge Pa. The central urban area however which is specifically the population centre of Hastings, Flaxmere, and Havelock North is around 58,758 (at the 2006 census). Due to restrictions on encroachment of land, satellite suburbs have absorbed the residential expansion of the city. Hastings has grown rapidly with the help of the gridiron city planning system, crisscrossed by the railway line running northeast-southwest and the main southeast-northwest artery, Heretaunga Street, which also links the city with its suburban centres of Havelock North and Flaxmere.
Many Hastings residents work in the city, and the area is populated by middle-to-upper income families in some suburbs and areas, and then middle-to-lower income families in other areas, especially towards Camberley and the north end of Flaxmere.
At the 2006 census, Hastings District had a population of 70,842, an increase of 3,414 people, or 5.1 percent, since the 2001 census. There were 25,557 occupied dwellings, 1,920 unoccupied dwellings, and 273 dwellings under construction.[5] Hastings's ethnicity was made up of (national figure in brackets): 67.0 percent European (67.6 percent), 23.8 percent Maori (14.7 percent), 2.85 percent Asian (9.2 percent), 5.1 percent Pacific Islanders (6.9 percent), 0.5 percent Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (0.9 percent), and 12.1 percent 'New Zealanders'.[5] Hastings had an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent of people 15 years and over, compared to 5.1 percent nationally. The average annual income of all people 15 years and over in Hastings was $22,600, compared to $24,400 nationally. Of those, 45.5 percent earned under $20,000 annually, compared to 43.2 percent nationally, while 14.4 percent earned over $50,000 annually, compared to 18.0 percent nationally.[5]
Suburbs
- Akina
- Bridge Pa
- Camberley
- Flaxmere
- Frimley
- Hastings CBD
- Havelock North
- Longlands
- Mahora
- Mayfair
- Parkvale
- Raureka
- Saint Leonards
- Tomoana
- Waipatu
- Woolwich
Sister cities
The Hastings' relationship with the Chinese city Guilin started in 1977, after a research scientist, Dr. Stuart Falconer identified a number of common areas of interest between the two cities, including horticulture and their rural-urban mix.
Notable residents
Former and current notable residents in the Hastings Metro area:
- Martin Campbell - TV and film director.
- Josh Kronfeld – Rugby Player and former All Black. He attended Hastings Boys High.
- John Timu – Rugby Player and former All Black. Also represented New Zealand in Rugby League. He attended Lindisfarne College in Hastings.
- Taine Randell – Rugby player and former All Black captain. He attended Lindisfarne College in Hastings.
- Paul Holmes (broadcaster) – Radio and television broadcaster (reportedly highest paid)
- Georgina Evers-Swindell – Olympic rower and gold medalist (Evers-Swindell Twin Duo)
- Caroline Evers-Swindell – Olympic rower and gold medalist (Evers-Swindell Twin Duo)
- Alan Duff – Author (Once Were Warriors) and co-founder of Duffy Books in Homes
- James Wattie – Industrialist/Entrepreneur and founder of Watties
- Eric Young (broadcaster) – Prime TV news presenter (lead anchor of evening news)
- Donna Awatere Huata – Prominent Maori Politician convicted of fraud
- Greg Murphy – V8 Supercar racer
- Joh Bjelke-Petersen – Prominent Australian Politician and former Queensland Premier
- Alfred Meebold – Botanist, writer, and anthroposopher
- Robert Felkin – Medical missionary, explorer and ceremonial magician
- Peter Lyons – New Zealand Gliding champion
- George Nepia – Former All Black Great(attended Maori Agricultural College)
- Sam Kelt – Local businessman and sponsor of the Kelt Capital Stakes (prizemoney of NZ$2,000,000)
- John Cowie – Developed and marketed the Jandal, after a trip to Japan. Died in Te Awanga.[6]
- Phil Judd – Musician, composer and founding member of Split Enz
- Mark Paston – footballer, New Zealand national football team goalkeeper.
- Joan Wiffen – Amateur paleontologist who discovered the first dinosaur fossils in New Zealand
- Ian Smith (New Zealand cricketer) – Former Central Districts and New Zealand cricketing great
Notes
- ^ a b "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2019". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020. For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006–18 (2017 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ History Napier and Taradale – Napier City – Hawke's Bay – New Zealand
- ^ "Bay cycling's 'without equal'". Hawke's Bay Today. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ "CLINFO". NIWA. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
- ^ a b c Quickstats about Hastings District
- ^ "How jandals got their handle".
References
- Moss, Maryan. 1999. Historic Outline of the Hastings District.
- Boyd, Mary Beatrice. 1984. City of the Plains – A History of Hastings, Victoria University Press for the Hastings City Council