Petone

Petone (Māori: Pito-one) is a large suburb of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. It stands at the southern end of the Hutt Valley, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour. Europeans first settled in Petone in January 1840, making it the oldest European settlement in the Wellington Region. It became a borough in 1888, and merged with Lower Hutt (branded as "Hutt City") in 1989.

Petone (Māori: Pito-one) is a large suburb of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. It stands at the southern end of the Hutt Valley, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour. Europeans first settled in Petone in January 1840, making it the oldest European settlement in the Wellington Region. It became a borough in 1888, and merged with Lower Hutt (branded as "Hutt City") in 1989.

Etymology

The Māori name has long been taken to mean the end (pito) of the sand (one), referring to the long sandy beach at Petone with pā at each end of the beach. However in 2024 The New Zealand Geographic Board suggested that Pito-one means "an umbilical cord (pito) buried in the sand (one)", as a symbolic tethering of a newborn to the whenua (land) in Māori culture. On 6 September 2024, the Hutt City Council voted to officially name the suburb "Pito One". This proposed name change was supported by the New Zealand Geographic Board, The Wellington Tenths Trust and the Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust. On 19 December 2024, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk chose to decline the change, stating that "people feel strongly about the name of their home and each proposal received a range of submissions both for and against".

Defunct industries

Petone Railway Workshops 1876–1929 Gear Meat Company 1882–1981 Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Company 1883¹–1968 (company founded 1883, manufacture began at Petone in 1886) Lever Brothers soap factory (later became Unilever) 1919–2015 W.D. & H.O. Wills tobacco factory 1919–2020 New Zealand Motor Bodies vehicle assembly plant 1926–1978 (the company later became Coachwork International) General Motors vehicle assembly plant 1926–1984 Todd Motors vehicle assembly plant 1935–1974. The company closed the Petone factory after building a new plant at Porirua in the early 1970s. Colgate-Palmolive toothpaste and toiletries factory 1939–2007 Austin Motor Industries vehicle assembly plant (later New Zealand Motor Corporation, then Emco Group) 1946–1983 Petone gained borough status in 1888. The borough's first coat of arms had images representing the Gear Meat Company, the woollen mills and the railway workshops, showing how important these businesses were to the local economy. Petone Borough amalgamated with Lower Hutt as a result of the local government reform in 1989. The suburb has since enjoyed renewed economic growth, using its early European heritage as a draw for tourists and gaining many cafes and shops. Petone is home to the Petone Rugby Club founded in 1885¹. Railway employee, fireman, and photographer Albert Percy Godber (1875–1949) photographed railway infrastructure and trains, industries, Māori artworks, sights, and workers in Petone capturing a perspective from an earlier era. The Alexander Turnbull Library has a collection of his photographs.

Points of interest

St David's Church

St David's is a Presbyterian church at 4 Britannia Street with a Heritage New Zealand Category 2 listing. It was built in 1889 in a simple Colonial Gothic style designed by Christian Toxward. Originally it had a large steeple but this was later removed after being damaged by weather and rot. In 1993 the steeple was restored and a porte cochere was added. The church has a decorated pipe organ and there is a large stained glass memorial window. The church is now used for services by the Samoan community.

St Augustine's Church

St Augustine's is an Anglican church at 12 Britannia Street which has a Heritage New Zealand Category 2 listing. The church is built of wood, and was designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere in a gothic style. When it was built in 1902-1903 it had the tallest spire in New Zealand, but the spire was removed in 1954 after being damaged in a storm.

Hikoikoi Reserve

The reserve is a park and walkway at the mouth of the Hutt River. It features a disc-golf course. The reserve was the site of Ngati Awa's Hikoikoi Pa.

Education

Petone has three schools: Petone Central School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in central Petone, with students. It opened in 1882. Sacred Heart School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary (Year 1–8) school in central Petone, and has students. It opened in 1904¹ and was rebuilt on the same site in 1988. Wilford School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in north-eastern Petone, and has students. It opened . All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of Petone College was established in 1904 as Petone Technical School, and became Petone Technical College in 1930. In 1937, it became Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College. It became a boys' school in 1958, and was called Central Technical College. In 1963, it returned to being co-educational. In 1981, it became Central College, and in 1994, Petone College. It closed in 1998. Since then, Hutt Valley High School in central Lower Hutt has been the nearest state secondary school to Petone. The main campus of the Wellington Institute of Technology (Weltec) is located in Petone.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1376432155 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.