Warkworth, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warkworth is a town in the upper North Island of New Zealand. It is located in the Rodney District and lies at the far north of the Auckland Region, just south of Northland. It is located on State Highway 1, 64 km north of Auckland and 98 km south of Whangarei, and lies at the head of Mahurangi Harbour.
According to the 2006 census, the permanent resident population was 3,270, an increase of 15.7% in the preceding 5 years. This figure swells during the summer, as many holiday makers come into the area over the Christmas period.
The general area in and around Warkworth is known as the Kowhai Coast, named after the native kowhai tree, Warkworth being at its heart. Warkworth is well known for its ducks, which live around the river running through the town.
The town's annual Kowhai Festival is one of the largest community festivals in the country running for around a week in spring. The festival winds up with what was once a large one day event of family fun, rides, street stalls, music, food and wine, which the entire main street was closed to accommodate the tens of thousands of visitiors which would attend . The day would end in a large parade with entries from many community groups. Unfortunately the community spirit behind the festival has been lost and there is no longer funding for this day to continue with its old flare.
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[edit] Geography
One of the most prominent features of Warkworth is the Mahurangi River, an estuary which runs right through the township, where it then joins the Mahurangi Harbour and flows into the Hauraki Gulf. On the eastern side of the river is the Mahurangi East peninsula, with the seaside towns of Snells Beach and Algies Bay. It is here that the scenic Kawau Island is found, notable for its historic Mansion House, once the private retreat of Governor Grey. East of Warkworth and north of Mahurangi East lies the Tawharanui Peninsula, home of the Tawharanui Regional Park
which is managed by the Department of Conservation. To the north is the town of Wellsford, with the thickly forested Dome Valley lying in between. On the west coast lies the Kaipara Harbour, while to the south is the small historic township of Puhoi and further south the larger town of Orewa.
[edit] History
Warkworth was founded in 1853 by John Anderson Brown, who named it after his birthplace, the village of Warkworth, Northumberland. Early industry included logging (for kauri and other timbers), flour milling and boat-building.
The first portland cement manufacturing works in the southern hemisphere was established near the town in 1884.
New Zealand's main satellite communications ground station is located 5km south of Warkworth.
[edit] Sister towns
Warkworth has several sister towns with which is pursues international relations. These include:
- Warkworth, Northumberland (Town founder John Anderson Brown named Warkworth after his former home in the England)
- Furudono, Fukushima (Furudono is a sister school of Mahurangi College and Warkworth Primary School located in Honshū, Japan)
- Warkworth, Ontario (This town in Canada was recently sistered in 2003)
[edit] External links
- Warkworth Visitor Information Centre
- Rodney District Council
- Statistics New Zealand's profile of Warkworth (2001 Census)
- Warkworth, New Zealand (Local information site)
- Events Warkworth (Information on the latest events)
- Population information from the 2006 Census
