Paekakariki
| Paekakariki | ||
| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 40 ° 59 ′ S , 174 ° 57 ′ E | |
| Region ISO | NZ-WGN | |
| Country |
 New Zealand
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| region | Wellington | |
| District | Kapiti Coast District | |
| Ward | Paekakariki-Raumati Ward | |
| Residents | 1 665 (2013) | |
| height | 19 m | |
| Post Code | 5034 | |
| Telephone code | +64 (0) 4 | |
| UN / LOCODE | NZ PKI | |
| Photography of the place | ||
 Paekakariki Beach and Paekakariki from Paekakariki Hill seen from |
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Paekakariki is a place in the Kapiti Coast District of the Wellington regionon the North Island of New Zealand .
Origin of name
The name of the place means in the Māori language something like "seat of the kakariki ", a native green-colored parrot species . The place name is made up of “ Pae ” for seat and “ kakariki ” for the parrot.
geography
The place is located around 10 km southwest of the city center of Paraparaumu and around 18 km north-northeast of Porirua directly on the coast of the Kapiti Coast on a narrow strip of coastal land that extends eastward from the Akatarawa Forest with the up to 722 m high southwestern foothills of the Tararua Range is limited. The New Zealand State Highway 1 , which connects Paekakariki directly with Paraparaumu and Porirua and the railway line of the North Island Main Trunk Railway , which has a station with shunting facilities in the village, runs between the steep slopes of the mountains and the town . Since the opening of the suburban train service, Paekakariki station has served as a stop for the Kapiti line .
history
Before the European colonization of the area, the region was unsafe due to military campaigns by various Māori tribes. One participant in the conflict, the Māori warriors and chief Te Rauparaha , settled on the nearby island of Kapiti Island . His Pā (village) there served as a safe haven. He died in 1849.
In 1849 the first road from Porirua to Paekakariki was completed, but the history of the place is closely linked to rail traffic. In 1886 the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company completed its Wellington to Longburn line and Paekakariki became an important stopover. In 1908 this private route was integrated into the national network of the New Zealand Railways Department and became part of the North Island Main Trunk Railway , the main route on the North Island. Because of the economic problems caused by the First World War , the New Zealand Railways Department abolished the dining cars on the trains in 1917. Paekakariki therefore became an important stopover for the supply of passengers traveling north and retained this role until the 1960s, when dining cars were again used on the route.
The railway depot lost its importance due to the electrification of the line, today only EM-class multiple units are stationed here. The old steam locomotive depot is now " The Engine Shed " location of Steam Incorporated , an organization for the preservation of the railway heritage. The Paekakariki Station Precinct Trust manages the station grounds including a museum and the railway depot.
During World War II , Paekakariki was an important base for the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific War . There were three main camps within and near what is now Queen Elizabeth Park . Up to 20,000 soldiers were stationed here, significantly more than the place had inhabitants. The camps were used as training camps and recovery camps for soldiers deployed in the Pacific. The hill country around Paekakariki was used for marching training and grenade launcher exercises and the coast for training amphibious landing operations. In June 1943, a landing craft got caught in a wave during a night exercise. According to official information, nine soldiers drowned in the heavy surf, and the locals assume more victims. The incident was not published at the time because of the war censorship. In October 1943 the camps were abandoned.
Several place names are reminiscent of the war, including Tarawa Street , which commemorates one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War.
The historic Paekakariki Hotel , the only pub in town, was demolished in 2005 to make way for a residential building.
population
In the 2013 census, the town had 1,665 inhabitants, 4.1% more than in the 2006 census.
Personalities
- Leon Uris (1924-2003), American writer, was stationed here as a marine and incorporated his experiences into his first novel, Battle Cry .
- Wayne Mason , New Zealand pop singer.
See also
literature
- Helga Neubauer: Paekakariki . In: The New Zealand Book . 1st edition. NZ Visitor Publications , Nelson 2003, ISBN 1-877339-00-8 , pp. 589 f .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Paekakariki . Statistics New Zealand , accessed September 16, 2017 .
- ^ Neubauer: Paekakariki . In: The New Zealand Book . 2003, p. 590 .
- ↑ Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed September 16, 2017 .
- ↑ Homepage . Paekakariki Station Museum , archived from the original on November 29, 2013 ; accessed on January 24, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).
- ^ US Forces in New Zealand - The camps . In: New Zealand History . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , September 22, 2014, accessed September 16, 2017 .
- ↑ United States Marine Corps . Paekakariki Station Museum , archived from the original on January 7, 2014 ; accessed on January 24, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).
- ^ MINUTES of an Ordinary (six weekly) meeting . Paekakariki Community Board , August 25, 2005, archived from the original on October 15, 2008 ; accessed on January 24, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).