Waiwhetū History

The suburb of Waiwhetū (star-reflecting water) has an interesting history, as illustrated here with some historical photographs and other material arranged in roughly chronological order. For guidance from local kaumatua Kara Puketapu on how to pronounce "Waiwhetū", check out this resource which includes a recording.

1.  The photographer William Williams seems to have first visited the Waiwhetū area in the 1880s and took a number of his famous stereoscopic photographs. This image was taken at the Waiwhetū pa. Interesting to see the small patches of original bush left on the hillside beyond, which correspond to the most well-forested areas today. The pa seems to be located further away from the hill than the presentday marae, perhaps near the intersection of White's Line East and Wainui Road (an even earlier location was downstream near the Hutt River). It's worth zooming in on this photo through the Turnbull Library link, which brings out some interesting details, such as the men mysteriously lined up in the middle distance.

2. and 3. These images from 1890 show the yacht Rewa on the lower reaches of the Waiwhetū Stream. I suspect the bridge in the background could be an early incarnation of the Seaview Road bridge, or perhaps the now-closed bridge off Parkside Road.

4. A 1880s Williams stereoscope of the dilapidated Willcox Flour Mill. Past Days in Lower Hutt and Petone (1983) states: "In the early 1840's an American shipwright named Willcox built a four-storey flour mill at the junction of Waiwhetu Stream and White's Line. Willcox operated the mill by steam but it is not known if a waterwheel was used earlier. The shipbuilding side of his business was ruined when the earthquake of 1855 altered the depth of the Waiwhetu. The mill appears to have closed down by the mid 1880's" (p.56). The mill is so far from the stream, I can't imagine a waterwheel having ever been used. Zoom in to see the dog in the foreground.

5. A resident of the area in 1899, one Alice Mason (b.1881), daughter of Samuel and Frances Mason.

6. William Williams visited Waiwhetū again around 1901 to take more stereoscopic photographs, here horticultural development in the Te Whiti Park/Hayward Terrace area. The short trees across the middle probably mark White's Line East, with the man and plough-horse standing near the present-day intersection of Hayward Terrace and Mawson Street.

7. Another Williams stereoscope from 1901, giving the view in the opposite direction to 6, from a spot quite near where the Te Whiti firebreak doubles back.

8. A family outside their humble home, somewhere near the base of the hills. 

9. This photograph shows members of Williams Williams' family enjoying a bucolic moment by the Waiwhetū Stream. It's a little tricky to identify exactly where this was taken, but my guess is that it's further upstream from White's Line East.

10. Quite a lot of interest in this 1901 image, which shows a farmhouse next to possibly what is now Wainui Road. Check out the haystack which looks like a thatched hut. If you zoom in on the back courtyard of the farmhouse, there are people watching Williams as he takes their picture.

11. A similar view to 6, taken in 1902.

12. What a great mill, complete with waterwheel. This mill was established in 1894 and produced "flock": shredded fabric for stuffing cushions, mattresses, etc. The children in this 1910s photograph are apparently from the Mason family, possibly related to Alice Mason from 5. The mill is identified as being in Waiwhetū, but Past Days in Lower Hutt and Petone gives the location as Norton Park, now 7-9 Woodvale Grove, Fairfield. Back in the 1800s, the placename Waiwhetū seems to have denoted a much larger area than the present suburb.

13. Another Waiwhetū mill? This rundown structure has obvious resemblances to the flock mill in 12, but the profile of the buildings and wall construction (corrugated iron vs. wood) are different. Also, this photograph was taken in 1909, whereas the image of the tidy flock mill in 12 was apparently taken in the 1910s. This puzzled me until I found new information in the book Bygone Days in Lower Hutt (1987) by George Kaye. Apparently, the 1894-built flock mill burned down in 1901 and was later rebuilt. According to Past Days, the mill "was still operating up to the Second World War". I suspect that photo 13 was taken much later than 1909, perhaps in the 1930s. For an image of the water wheel after the 1901 fire, see this image.

14. Advertisement for Eastward Ho Estate (great name), a housing development opposite what is now the local supermarket on White's Line East. Papers Past indicates they were selling sites around 1909. Was Leighton Ave ("proposed road will be constructed immediately") named after the property developer, H Ernest Leighton? Seems likely. Nice that you could call them up to provide a car to inspect the sections.

15. Downstream, 1910, the Army lets off some explosives.

16. This fine house called "Rato" belonged to Harry Miles Hayward (d.1953), whom Hayward's Reserve is named after. The house later served as the Rosena Girls' Hostel. It still stands today at the end of Tyndall Street, the driveway roundabout having become part of the road. The panoramic photograph was taken between 1923 and 1926 by Robert Percy Moore.

17. View of the area taken from up on Hayward's Reserve. Some of the bungalows on Waitui Street stand today, but it's interesting how undeveloped the area was in 1940, still without streets such as Riverside Drive and Hayward Terrace.

18. The probable reason for continued agricultural use of the area into the 1940s, especially north of White's Line East, was that it was still owned by the local Māori iwi. Following various dubious land dealings, which had deprived Māori of their whenua in the Valley, Governor George Grey apparently purchased an area known as Section 19 for members of Taranaki whanui in 1846. Section 19 comprised 106 acres bounded by White's Line East in the south, Waiwhetu Road to the west, a line running parallel to White's Line East (starting near the Guthrie Street-Waiwhetu Road intersection) to the north, and Hayward Reserve to the east. But in 1943, much of Section 19 was compulsorily acquired by the government under the Public Works Act (1928) for housing. Read about part of this sorry history in the Wai 145 Waitangi Tribunal Report (which does not actually consider the taking of this particular land); a map showing Section 19 is on p.470 of the PDF. Further details can be found in this document (pp.32-33).

19.  And eleven years later, state housing development is in full swing on the eastern side of the Waiwhetū Stream (incidentally this particular area is south of Section 19). Note the small pine trees on the ridge to the south, which today are towering specimens - they're completely missing in photo 7.

20. State housing going up somewhere in Waiwhetū, the line of houses in the distances perhaps near the rail line.

21. What a bucolic suburban scene. Dating from the early 1950s, this photograph was possibly taken in Gracefield going by the breadth of the stream.

22. The launching of a boat in the lower reaches of the stream in 1955.

23. An aerial view of the suburb in a state of ongoing development, taken in 1956 by White's Aviation. However, some presentday streets still do not yet feature in the photograph, such as Whakataki Grove (off Riverside Drive) which is a large grassy patch.

24. Some retro-futuristic technical equipment being used in the lower near the end of Waiwhetū Stream, shortly before it enters the Hutt River.

25. During the 1950s, the Waiwhetū marae was established on Riverside Drive. This image shows the construction of the main wharenui, Arohanui ki te Tangata, well underway in 1958.

26. The marae was officially opened in September 1960, with visiting dignitaries including then-Prime Minister Sir Walter Nash, as captured in this Pictorial Parade newsreel.

27. Among those also documenting the opening were famed photographer Ans Westra. The background here shows the bare expanse of Te Whiti Park across the stream, without any of the surrounding trees, houses and buildings there presently.

28. Another Ans Westra image, with locals relaxing near the stream at the White's Line East bridge. The house on the opposite corner is still there.

29. The fine modernist Anglican church on Waiwhetu Road, taken by an Evening Post newspaper photographer in June 1960.

30. Another local landmark, the Griffins biscuit factory on Wainui Road, here seen in a White's Aviation photograph from 1947. At this stage the factory did not feature the iconic tall building which for many years bore the Griffins logo (now Flight Plastics). Zoom in to see the farmhouse upper right, which bears some resemblance to the house in 10, perhaps having had a few extensions over the years.

31. Waiwhetū Stream became highly polluted during the 1970s, as suggested by this photograph taken near the factory-lined lower reaches of the stream (the hills of Wellington are in the background). According to this Stuff article, residents once ate eels and freshwater mussels from its waters and considering the bucolic photographs earlier in this DigitalNZ story, this is not hard to believe. Eating anything from the stream now would be ill-advised.

32. Another White's Aviation picture taken in 1956, still with a few housing sections to be built on.

33. A final image, again by White's Aviation, from 1969. There was still more to come for Waiwhetū, but the major outlines of the suburb seem largely in place.