Onekawa

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Onekawa
Suburb
Map
Coordinates: 39°30′30″S 176°53′25″E / 39.5084°S 176.8902°E / -39.5084; 176.8902
CountryNew Zealand
CityNapier
Local authorityNapier City Council
Electoral ward
  • Onekawa-Tamatea Ward
  • Nelson Park Ward
Area
[1]
 • Land565 ha (1,400 acres)
Population
 (June 2025)[2]
 • Total
7,080
Bay View Westshore Ahuriri
Onekawa
Pirimai Meeanee Awatoto

Onekawa is a suburb of the city of Napier, in the Hawke's Bay Region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand. Development of the suburb began in the late 1940s, after the land was acquired from then-Harbour Board.[3]

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "salty soil" for Onekawa.[4]

The area was raised out of Ahuriri Lagoon by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.[5]

Onekawa houses a high proportion of industry trade businesses.

Demographics

[edit]

Onekawa covers 5.65 km2 (2.18 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 7,080 as of June 2025,[2] with a population density of 1,253 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20065,754—    
20135,955+0.49%
20186,597+2.07%
20236,855+0.77%
The 2006 population is for a smaller area of 5.53 km2.
Source: [6][7]

Onekawa had a population of 6,855 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 258 people (3.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 900 people (15.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 3,381 males, 3,447 females, and 27 people of other genders in 2,427 dwellings.[8] 2.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 34.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,536 people (22.4%) aged under 15 years, 1,440 (21.0%) aged 15 to 29, 2,862 (41.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,014 (14.8%) aged 65 or older.[6]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 67.0% European (Pākehā); 37.5% Māori; 7.7% Pasifika; 7.7% Asian; 1.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.8%, Māori by 9.6%, Samoan by 2.5%, and other languages by 7.2%. No language could be spoken by 2.3% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.8%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.[6]

Religious affiliations were 28.4% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 4.7% Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% Buddhist, 0.7% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.7%, and 7.4% of people did not answer the census question.[6]

Of those at least 15 years old, 753 (14.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,964 (55.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,602 (30.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $36,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 252 people (4.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 2,619 (49.2%) full-time, 654 (12.3%) part-time, and 240 (4.5%) unemployed.[6]

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Dwellings Median age Median
income
Onekawa West 3.11 225 72 147 57.6 years $40,500[9]
Onekawa Central 0.68 1,563 2,299 582 38.5 years $41,400[10]
Onekawa East 0.64 1,722 2,691 660 34.4 years $30,900[11]
Onekawa South 1.23 3,345 2,720 1,041 31.3 years $36,900[12]
New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500

Marae

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The local Pukemokimoki marae is a marae (meeting ground) for the iwi (tribe) of Ngāti Kahungunu and its hapū (sub-tribe) of Ngā Hau E Whā, and includes the wharenui (meeting house) of Omio.[13][14]

Education

[edit]

Onekawa School is a state primary school for Years 1 to 6,[15] with a roll of 344.[16] It opened after 1949 and before 1954.[17][18]

Henry Hill School is a state primary school for Years 1 to 6,[19][20] with a roll of 276.[21] It opened in 1963.[22] In 2002, Pirimai School merged with Henry Hill.[23]

St Patrick's School is a state-integrated Catholic primary school for Years 1 to 8,[24][25] with a roll of 264.[26] It opened in 1878 as a Marist Brothers school for boys, and merged with Sisters of our Lady of the Missions in the 1980s to become co-educational.[27]

William Colenso College is a state secondary school for Years 7 to 13,[28][29] with a roll of 380.[30] Hawke's Bay School for Teenage Parents is a teenage parenting facility within the college.[28][31][32] The college was formed by a merger of Colenso High School (opened in 1959)[33] and Wycliffe Intermediate School (opened in 1960)[34] in 2004.[35]

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou is a Kura Kaupapa Māori immersion school for Years 1 to 13,[36] with a roll of 236.[37] It opened in 2002.[38]

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of July 2025.[39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 3 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Napier's development | Napier City Council". www.napier.govt.nz. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  4. ^ "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Place name detail: Onekawa". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Onekawa (54280). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Onekawa West (212800), Onekawa Central (214100), Onekawa East (214800) and Onekawa South (215100).
  8. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Onekawa West. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Onekawa Central. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Onekawa East. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Onekawa South. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
  14. ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
  15. ^ "Onekawa School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  16. ^ "Onekawa School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  17. ^ "Site for Future Onekawa School". Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune. 20 April 1949.
  18. ^ "William Edward LANGFORD (1910 – 1987)". Hawke's Bay Digital Archives Trust. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Henry Hill School Official School Website". henryhill.school.nz.
  20. ^ "Henry Hill School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  21. ^ "Henry Hill School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  22. ^ "Old Hawke's Bay". 31 December 2024.
  23. ^ "Former Pirimai School site bought by Council". Napier City Council. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  24. ^ "St Patrick's School Official School Website". stpatsnapier.school.nz.
  25. ^ "St Patrick's School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  26. ^ "St Patrick's School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  27. ^ "The Catholic Parish of Napier - Schools". Diocese of Palmerston North. 29 March 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Official School Website". colenso.school.nz.
  29. ^ "William Colenso College Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  30. ^ "William Colenso College Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  31. ^ "Hawke's Bay School for Teenage Parents Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  32. ^ "Hawke's Bay School for Teenage Parents Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  33. ^ "Colenso High School 40th Anniversary 1959–1999". Hawke's Bay Today. 23 October 1999.
  34. ^ "Wycliffe Intermediate School, School Number 2743, 1960-2003". Wycliffe Intermediate School Board of Trustees. 2003.
  35. ^ "Our History". William Colenso College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  36. ^ "Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  37. ^ "Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  38. ^ Mallard, Trevor (29 November 2001). "Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Ara Hou". New Zealand Government.
  39. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 July 2025.