Plimmerton
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| Suburb: | Plimmerton |
| City: | Porirua |
| Island: | North Island |
| Surrounded by: | |
| to the north | Pukerua Bay |
| to the east | Camborne |
| to the south | Mana and a little of the Porirua Harbour |
| to the west | Porirua Harbour, then Cook Strait |
The township of Plimmerton surrounds one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area in New Zealand. Its census population (including Hongoeka Bay) of usual residents was 2058 in 2006, little changed from 2052 in both the 1996 and 2001 counts. The static population may indicate that little scope exists for growth, at least without damaging the environment.
[edit] History
The area was first settled by Māori early in their occupation of New Zealand, and a major pa, Taupo Pa, was sited nearby.
In the 1840s it was the home of Te Rauparaha, who was captured here by the British in 1846. Near the southern end of Motuhara Road, a tiny historic reserve contains a cabbage tree that may be descended from the one he was said to have been captured near, and a plaque.
The original laying-out of streets and naming was done for the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company that had built the railway link from the capital, Wellington, to Palmerston North. Several towns were established along the way to encourage settlements that would contribute to the line's business. John Plimmer, after whom Plimmerton was named, was a director.
By the late 1890s Plimmerton had become a popular holiday destination.
For a long time a separate county town in the Hutt County, on 1 April 1973 the still-growing area became one of the northern suburbs of Porirua. Though small, it was one of the most lively. For a time it had the only active Residents' Association in the city.
[edit] Localities
The largely Māori (Ngati Toa) settlement at Hongoeka Bay to the northwest is part of Plimmerton for most practical social purposes.
North of the industrial area is the Taupo Swamp, a flax swamp, one of the largest of its type in the southern half of the North Island.
State Highway 1, also known as St Andrews Road, separates Plimmerton and the late-20th-century suburb of Camborne.
A shopping area about two blocks long adjoins a railway station and includes two churches, a medical centre, Plunket rooms, a craft shop, a beauty salon, a realtor, a grocery store and several eateries. School, kindergarten, and tennis courts are close. Plimmerton Library (a branch of Porirua City's library system) has recently moved (Dec 2007) from the one-room-sized building near the school to the Plimmerton Pavilion which is placed opposite the Plimmerton Volunteer Fire brigade building.
Southwest of the shopping area is a fairly sheltered, gently graded beach, which has been a popular recreation area for over a century. The water is popular with windsurfers; some world champions have trained there. Another popular beach is Karehana Bay, at the foot of the Airlie Road/Cluny Road valley about 1.5 kilometres northwest of the shops. Poet Denis Glover mentioned the settlement in his poem Threnody: "In Plimmerton, in Plimmerton, the little penguins play, and one dead albatross was found at Karehana Bay".
[edit] External links
- Plimmerton on the New Zealand Wikia
- Plimmerton Volunteer Fire Brigade (including pictures of the area)
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (December 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
