Kaiapoi

Coordinates: 43°22′54″S 172°39′26″E / 43.38167°S 172.65722°E / -43.38167; 172.65722
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For the electorate, see Kaiapoi (New Zealand electorate).

Kaiapoi
Blackwells in Kaiapoi; demolished after the earthquakes.
Blackwells in Kaiapoi; demolished after the earthquakes.
Map
Coordinates: 43°22′54″S 172°39′26″E / 43.38167°S 172.65722°E / -43.38167; 172.65722
CountryNew Zealand
RegionCanterbury
Territorial authorityWaimakariri District
WardKaiapoi-Woodend Ward
CommunityKaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityWaimakariri District Council
 • Regional councilEnvironment Canterbury
 • Mayor of WaimakaririDan Gordon
 • Waimakariri MPMatthew Doocey
 • Te Tai Tonga MPTākuta Ferris
Area
[1]
 • Total14.65 km2 (5.66 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2023)[2]
 • Total13,600
 • Density930/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Local iwiNgāi Tahu

Kaiapoi is a town in the Waimakariri District of the Canterbury region, in the South Island of New Zealand. The town is located approximately 17 kilometres north of central Christchurch, close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. It is considered a satellite town of Christchurch and is part of the Christchurch functional urban area.[3] The town is named after the nearby Kaiapoi Pā.

Kaiapoi suffered extensive damage in the 2010 Canterbury and also the February 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, which rendered many homes uninhabitable and businesses inoperable.[4] Large areas were condemned as part of a residential red zone covering uninhabitable areas.

Demographics[edit]

Kaiapoi is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area and covers 14.65 km2 (5.66 sq mi).[1] It had an estimated population of 13,600 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 928 people per km2. The population experienced a large dip after the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, but has been growing rapidly, and is expected to continue to grow.[5]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
200610,602—    
20139,474−1.59%
201811,841+4.56%
Source: [6]

Before the 2023 census, the town had a smaller boundary, covering 14.33 km2 (5.53 sq mi).[1] Using that boundary, Kaiapoi had a population of 11,841 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 2,367 people (25.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,239 people (11.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 4,602 households, comprising 5,796 males and 6,051 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female, with 2,022 people (17.1%) aged under 15 years, 2,217 (18.7%) aged 15 to 29, 5,178 (43.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,430 (20.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.1% European/Pākehā, 11.5% Māori, 2.3% Pasifika, 3.4% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 15.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.7% had no religion, 33.5% were Christian, 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,017 (10.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,544 (25.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,404 people (14.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,893 (49.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,440 (14.7%) were part-time, and 291 (3.0%) were unemployed.[6]

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Households Median age Median
income
Kaiapoi Central 1.51 2,169 1,436 915 43.0 years $28,200[7]
Kaiapoi East 5.03 279 55 147 62.3 years $24,100[8]
Kaiapoi North West 3.51 2,085 594 792 41.1 years $28,900[9]
Kaiapoi South 0.88 1,827 2,076 714 47.1 years $31,200[10]
Kaiapoi West 0.51 1,257 2,465 462 39.2 years $30,000[11]
Silverstream (Waimakariri District) 0.97 819 844 351 45.7 years $37,100[12]
Sovereign Palms 1.92 3,405 1773 1,221 41.6 years $38,600[13]
New Zealand 37.4 years $31,800

Commerce[edit]

Blackwell's department store, shown in 2006, is an institution and landmark in Kaiapoi

Kaiapoi is also known as the 'River Town' after the Kaiapoi River, a tributary of the Waimakariri River that flows through the centre of the town. This was originally the main arm of the Waimakariri River, but extensive flooding led to a diversion so the majority of the water travelled down the South arm of the Waimakariri.

Kaiapoi was well known for the woollen mill run by the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company,[14] and many woollen items produced at the mill can still be found throughout the world.

A freezing works (meat processing plant) was also a major employer in the town, and once this and the woollen mill had closed there was some economic turmoil in the town, and concern over its future. It, however, has survived and prospered, and although there is some local industry, a large percentage of the population works in the neighbouring city of Christchurch. One optimistic politician of the 1800s had even predicted that Kaiapoi would outsize its neighbour Christchurch. In some counts of the latter city's population, Kaiapoi is included as a suburb of Christchurch but most people from the area would maintain that it is a town in its own right.[citation needed]

Education[edit]

Kaiapoi has five schools: three primary schools, one high school, and a teen parent unit attached to the high school.

  • Kaiapoi Borough School is a state co-educational full primary school,[15] with 361 students (as of February 2024).[16] The school opened in 1873,[17] making it Kaiapoi's oldest school.[citation needed]
  • Kaiapoi North School is a state co-educational full primary school,[18] with 469 students (as of February 2024).[16] The school opened in 1962.
  • St Patrick's School is a state-integrated co-educational full primary Catholic school,[19] with 156 students (as of February 2024).[16]
  • Kaiapoi High School is a state co-educational secondary school,[20] with 1,080 students (as of February 2024).[16] The school opened in 1972.
  • Karanga Mai Young Parents College is the teen parent unit attached to Kaiapoi High School. It opened in 1992.

Recreation[edit]

Outdoor recreation options include the Kaiapoi River which is deep enough for boating, with multiple accessible boat-ramps.[21] There is a paddle-boat[22] that offers pleasure cruises for tourists.[23] The nearby Waimakariri River Regional Park is popular for kayaking, fishing, cycling and off-roading. Kaiapoi is also close to The Pines Beach.

The Waimakariri District Council operates several public recreation facilities in Kaiapoi including a library,[24] museum,[25] and a swimming pool.[26] The Darnley Club provides community recreational opportunities for the elderly[27] and the Chris Ruth Centre provides community recreational opportunities for adults with severe disabilities.[28]

Kaiapoi is represented by both rugby codes. The Kaiapoi Rugby Football Club was established in 1883[29] and has its home ground at Kaiapoi Park. It competes in the Canterbury Rugby Football Union. The Kaiapoi Rugby League Club (now playing as the Northern Bulldogs) began in 1957[30] and play in the local Canterbury Rugby League. The club has been based at Murphy Park since 1960.[30] In 2007 — the club's jubilee 50th season — the Bulldogs won the Thacker Shield.[30]

St Bartholomew's Church, Kaiapoi

Kaiapoi is the location of St Bartholomew's Church, which is the oldest wooden church in the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch,[31] built in 1855.[32]

The dirt-surface Woodford Glen Speedway is only a short-distance south, between Kaiapoi and Kainga.[33]

Transport[edit]

Kaiapoi railway station after the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake

State Highway 1 bypasses the town to the west via the Christchurch Northern Motorway. Prior to the completion of the motorway in December 1970,[34] State Highway 1 ran down the main street of Kaiapoi. A half-hourly bus service connects Kaiapoi to Rangiora and central Christchurch.[35]

The Main North Line railway runs through Kaiapoi, and the town once served as the junction for the Eyreton Branch, which provided rail access to communities west of Kaiapoi such as West Eyreton (though it ran to the north of Eyreton itself). This branch line opened in 1875 and closed fully by April 1965. The old station has a NZHPT Category II listing.[36]

The river used to have a port before the construction of the Waimakariri River bridge, and was an important point for the transport of goods to and from Christchurch. Bucking the trend of river ports dying off in the middle of the 20th century, the port actually reopened for a decade between 1958 and 1967, to allow smaller ships to bypass the congested Lyttelton wharves.[37]

At one stage, a walnut tree on one resident's property, this being the former Presbyterian Manse in Sewell Street, was so large, it was used to act as a landmark for pilots approaching Christchurch International Airport to get their bearings, before being cut down by the owner and his sons.[citation needed]

Notable people[edit]

There were at least six test match All Blacks who were born in Kaiapoi, including William Balch, New Zealand teacher, George Maber, who had played for Wellington, Duncan McGregor, who also played league, as well as John Ashworth (rugby union) (born 1949), who played for them, although he had been born in Waikari.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (regional councils); "Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (territorial authorities); "Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (urban areas)
  3. ^ "Functional urban areas – methodology and classification | Stats NZ". www.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Kaiapoi residents feel 'singled out' by quake – Video". 3 News. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  5. ^ Hill, David (26 January 2024), "'Affordable housing is a human right': Deputy mayor suggests leasehold properties in Kaiapoi", Northern Outlook, Stuff, retrieved 25 January 2024 – via Neighbourly
  6. ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Kaiapoi Central (316100), Kaiapoi East (316300), Kaiapoi North West (315700), Kaiapoi South (316200), Kaiapoi West (316000), Silverstream (Waimakariri District) (315800) and Sovereign Palms (315900).
  7. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Kaiapoi Central
  8. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Kaiapoi East
  9. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Kaiapoi North West
  10. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Kaiapoi South
  11. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Kaiapoi West
  12. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Silverstream (Waimakariri District)
  13. ^ 2018 Census place summary: Sovereign Palms
  14. ^ A History of the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company and Mill
  15. ^ "Kaiapoi Borough School Website". Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  16. ^ a b c d "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Kaiapoi Borough Schools". The Press. 16 July 1874.
  18. ^ "Kaiapoi North School Website". Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  19. ^ "St Patrick's School Kaiapoi Website". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  20. ^ "Kaiapoi High School Website". Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  21. ^ "River Access". Waimakariri District Council. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  22. ^ "River Queen", www.kaiapoiriverqueen.co.nz, archived from the original on 25 January 2023, retrieved 26 January 2024
  23. ^ "Kaiapoi River Queen", Visit Waimakariri, 1 October 2023, retrieved 26 January 2024
  24. ^ "Locations and Hours", Waimakariri Libraries, Waimakairiri District Council, archived from the original on 24 September 2023, retrieved 26 January 2024
  25. ^ "Kaiapoi Museum", Visit Waimakariri, 13 May 2021, archived from the original on 16 May 2022, retrieved 26 January 2024
  26. ^ "Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre", Waimakariri District Council, 3 August 2023, archived from the original on 11 October 2023, retrieved 26 January 2024
  27. ^ "Kaiapoi Day Centre ( Darnley Club)", Age Concern Canterbury, 14 February 2017, archived from the original on 10 June 2023, retrieved 26 January 2024
  28. ^ "Programmes", The Chris Ruth Centre, 20 November 2022, archived from the original on 2 September 2018, retrieved 26 January 2024
  29. ^ "Kaiapoi Rugby Club", The Published Histories of New Zealand Rugby Football, retrieved 26 January 2024
  30. ^ a b c Leask, Jonathan (20 June 2017), "Northern Bulldogs celebrate 60 years in style", Stuff, retrieved 26 January 2024
  31. ^ "About Us", Anglican Parish of Kaiapoi, archived from the original on 24 September 2023, retrieved 25 January 2024
  32. ^ "History of the Churches in Kaiapoi", Waimakariri Libraries, Waimakariri District Council, retrieved 25 January 2024
  33. ^ "Our Location", www.woodfordglen.co.nz, retrieved 26 January 2024
  34. ^ "Motorway open". The Press. 17 December 1970. p. 1.
  35. ^ "Blue Line – Metro" (PDF). Canterbury Regional Council. Retrieved 2 July 2013.[permanent dead link]
  36. ^ Rail Heritage Trust – Kaiapoi
  37. ^ "Ports and harbours – The Victorian era to 1960". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  38. ^ McCarthy, John. "Bavin, Sir Thomas Rainsford". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  39. ^ Wood, Pauline (1993). Kaiapoi: A Search for Identity. Rangiora: Waimakariri District Council. p. 318,331. ISBN 9780473023317.
  40. ^ Smith, Tony (17 June 2011). "Crusader Matt Todd worthy of All Blacks nod". Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2023.

External links[edit]

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