Napier Hill Explained

Napier Hill
Caption1:Port of Napier as seen from Bluff Hill.
City1:Napier
Ward:Ahuriri Ward
Council:Napier City Council
Area:339
Map:

Napier Hill (Maori: Mataruahou) is a limestone outcrop and suburb rising above the lowland districts of the city of Napier on New Zealand's North Island.

The north-east end, Bluff Hill, has a steep cliff face overlooking the Port of Napier. It features Napier Girls' High School, the historic former Napier Prison and a scenic walk.[1]

The western end, Hospital Hill, was the site of the former Napier Hospital, whose services were transferred to Hawke's Bay Hospital in Hastings in 1999.[2] The building was demolished in 2015 after years of sitting derelict and the land has recently been purchased (December 2020) by the Napier City Council to be developed for use as a new reservoir to replace the current ageing water source on Enfield Road.[3] European settlement on the hill began in 1855.[4] Most homes on the hill were built in the 1920s.[5]

Napier Botanical Gardens were established in the 1860s, and were for a long time the only public park in the city.[6]

Prior to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, the hill was almost surrounded with water, with just two shingle spits running north and south, and was known as Scinde Island. The earthquake raised the Napier area and the sea receded from around the island and the spits.[7] Scinde Island was named after the province of Sindh, then in India and now in Pakistan.[8] The Napier soccer club Scindians derived their name from Scinde Island.

Demographics

Napier Hill covers 3.39km2[9] and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Napier Hill had a population of 5,502 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 249 people (4.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 102 people (1.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,271 households, comprising 2,679 males and 2,820 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 885 people (16.1%) aged under 15 years, 828 (15.0%) aged 15 to 29, 2,763 (50.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,026 (18.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.8% European/Pākehā, 11.8% Māori, 1.4% Pacific peoples, 5.0% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 23.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.7% had no religion, 33.0% were Christian, 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 3.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,482 (32.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 480 (10.4%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,002 people (21.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,370 (51.3%) people were employed full-time, 765 (16.6%) were part-time, and 162 (3.5%) were unemployed.

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)
Population Density
(per km2)
Households !Median age Median
income
Bluff Hill 1.89 2,610 1,381 1,092 46.7 years $37,700
Hospital Hill 1.49 2,892 1,941 1,179 45.8 years $38,400
New Zealand 37.4 years $31,800

Education

Bluff Hill and Hospital Hill have three schools:

Residents also use two nearby schools:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bluff Hill . napier.govt.nz . Napier City Council.
  2. Web site: Hawkes Bay Hospital. www.cityofnapier.co.nz. 2 January 2017.
  3. News: New site on Mataruahou (Napier Hill) for drinking water reservoir . napier.govt.nz . 18 December 2020.
  4. Web site: Fowler . Michael . The day part of Bluff Hill broke off . . New Zealand Media and Entertainment.
  5. Web site: Napier Hill, Napier City . OneRoof.co.nz . New Zealand Media and Entertainment.
  6. Web site: Botanical Gardens and other Napier gardens – Botanical Gardens Early History. Napier City Council. 18 February 2023.
  7. Web site: Round the Hill Walk . Napier City Council . 31 December 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20130703154904/http://www.napier.govt.nz/index.php?pid=203 . 3 July 2013 . dmy-all .
  8. Web site: Early history of Napier . Napier City Council . 30 December 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130208212903/http://napier.govt.nz/index.php?pid=841 . 8 February 2013 . dead .
  9. Web site: ArcGIS Web Application. 16 November 2023. statsnz.maps.arcgis.com.
  10. Web site: Napier Central School Official School Website . napiercentral.school.nz.
  11. Web site: Napier Central School Ministry of Education School Profile . educationcounts.govt.nz . Ministry of Education.
  12. Web site: Napier Central School Education Review Office Report . ero.govt.nz . Education Review Office.
  13. Web site: Napier Girls' High School Official School Website . nghs.school.nz.
  14. Web site: Napier Girls' High School Ministry of Education School Profile . educationcounts.govt.nz . Ministry of Education.
  15. Web site: Napier Girls' High School Education Review Office Report . ero.govt.nz . Education Review Office.
  16. Web site: Sacred Heart College Official School Website . sacredheartnapier.school.nz.
  17. Web site: Sacred Heart College Ministry of Education School Profile . educationcounts.govt.nz . Ministry of Education.
  18. Web site: Sacred Heart College Education Review Office Report . ero.govt.nz . Education Review Office.
  19. Web site: Napier Intermediate Ministry of Education School Profile . educationcounts.govt.nz . Ministry of Education.
  20. Web site: Napier Intermediate Education Review Office Report . ero.govt.nz . Education Review Office.
  21. Web site: Napier Boys' High School Official School Website . nbhs.school.nz.
  22. Web site: Ministry of Education School Profile . educationcounts.govt.nz . Ministry of Education.
  23. Web site: Napier Boys' High School Education Review Office Report . ero.govt.nz . Education Review Office.