Durie Hill Explained

Durie Hill
City1:Whanganui
Council:Whanganui District Council
Caption1:Durie Hill Memorial Tower
Area:257
Coordinates:-39.938°N 175.0687°W
Map:

Durie Hill is a suburb of Whanganui, in the Whanganui District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.

The suburb was designed in 1920 by Samuel Hurst Seager as a garden suburb based on garden-city planning principles. It was designed with curvilinear streets, reserves, croquet lawns and tennis courts.[1]

The Durie Hill Elevator connects the suburb with Anzac Parade.[2] The elevator and tunnel were proposed by Wanganui Chronicle editor John Ball and Technical School engineering instructor Edward Crow, but most residents of the new suburb refused to fund it.[3] [4]

A revitalisation programme was launched in 2019, including the introduction of planter boxes and the founding of a village market.[5]

Demographics

Bastia-Durie Hill statistical area covers 2.57km2[6] and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Bastia-Durie Hill had a population of 2,130 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 18 people (0.9%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 9 people (−0.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 900 households, comprising 1,041 males and 1,089 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. The median age was 46.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 375 people (17.6%) aged under 15 years, 297 (13.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,011 (47.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 447 (21.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.0% European/Pākehā, 17.2% Māori, 1.7% Pacific peoples, 3.4% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 16.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.5% had no religion, 35.9% were Christian, 1.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.7% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 1.8% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 420 (23.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 264 (15.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $33,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 267 people (15.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 879 (50.1%) people were employed full-time, 267 (15.2%) were part-time, and 48 (2.7%) were unemployed.

Education

Durie Hill School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[7] with a roll of as of .[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Schrader . Ben . City planning - Planning between the world wars . . . 11 March 2020.
  2. Web site: Durie Hill Elevator and Tower. Visit Whanganui. Whanganui District Council. 12 April 2016.
  3. Book: Smart, Maxwell J.G.. The Wanganui Story. Bates. Arthur P.. Wanganui Newspapers Ltd.. 1972. Wanganui. 187.
  4. Web site: Wanganui, NZ: Durie Hill Tunnel & Elevator. Wrigglesworth. Karen. 2 January 2011. Geeky Getaways. 12 April 2016.
  5. News: Brooks . Paul . Durie Hill team steps up . Wanganui Midweek . . 27 June 2019.
  6. Web site: ArcGIS Web Application. 7 April 2023. statsnz.maps.arcgis.com.
  7. Web site: Ministry of Education School Profile . educationcounts.govt.nz . Ministry of Education.
  8. Web site: Education Review Office Report . ero.govt.nz . Education Review Office.