Ngaio, New Zealand

Ngaio
Ngaio, as seen from the hills above Ngaio.
Basic information
Local authority	Wellington City
Electoral ward	Onslow-Western
Date established	1908
Population	5,259 [1] (2006)
Postcode(s)	6035
Facilities
Railway station(s)	Ngaio, Awarua Street
Surrounds
North	Mount Kaukau
East	Khandallah
South	Kaiwharawhara, Wadestown
West	Crofton Downs

Ngaio /ˈnaɪ.oʊ/ is an inner suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is situated on the slopes of Mount Kaukau, 3500 metres north of the city's CBD. It was settled at the same time as the neighbouring suburb of Khandallah, and like its neighbour many of its streets are named after places on the Indian subcontinent. Ngaio was originally a logging community. Originally known as Crofton until 1908, the area was administratively part of a separate local authority called the Onslow Borough Council which amalgamated into Wellington City in 1919.

Ngaio takes its name from a New Zealand native tree, the Ngaio.

Facilities

Ngaio contains a library, multi-purpose hall, pharmacy, petrol station, café, Plunket rooms, dentist, medical center, tennis courts and a variety of small shops.

Most of Ngaio's dwellings are large 1960s weatherboard houses, but there is a small section of railway cottages called the Tarikaka Settlement, built in 1928.

Ngaio has had a number of notable inhabitants including James K Baxter and his family from the late 1950s until the 1980s.

Library

Wellington City Libraries operates Cummings Park Library which is situated at the south entrance of Cummings Park on Ottawa Road. Opened in 1989, the library’s entrance is paved with 850 tiles made by local potters Paul Winspear and Paul Wotherspoon and decorated by children from Ngaio School and Chartwell Schools. The library’s Maori name is Kormako, named after the Korimako stream that runs through Ngaio. 

Town hall

The Ngaio town hall offers a venue for community services, sports, performances, cultural and private events. The hall contains a stage, kitchen, drop in center and the Ngaio toy library. The hall has a capacity of 300 people and has an accessible entry ramp at the front. The hall was opened in 1924 and was renovated in 1989.

Groups that regularly use the hall include:

• Onslow table tennis club
• Onslow junior football club
• Ngaio badminton club
• Zumba

Transport

The suburb is served by the Johnsonville Branch commuter railway which connects it to the central city, and many bus routes going to Johnsonville stop on the main road. See Ngaio Railway Station.

Education

Ngaio School is a coeducational contributing (years 1-6) state primary school, established in 1908. It has a roll of 467 and a Decile rating of 10. ^[2] The school does not have a uniform. Its school song is Tūrangawaewae, Māori for "A Place to Stand".

Churches

Ngaio has two churches. The Ngaio Union Church has modern buildings and serves the Methodist and Presbyterian community, whilst the Anglican All Saints Church is on a nearby hill, its distinctive brick tower visible from most places in the suburb. .

External links

• Crofton (as it was then called) in the Cyclopaedia of New Zealand, 1897
• Ngaio School website
• Ngaio Progressive Association
• Ngaio Medical Centre

References

Coordinates: 41°14′0″S 174°46′0″E / 41.23333°S 174.76667°E / -41.23333; 174.76667