- Whau Valley
Infobox New Zealand suburbs
name = Whau Valley
city1 = Whangarei
population = 2,745
popdate = 2006
north = Kamo
northeast =Tikipunga
east =Otangarei
southeast =Mairtown
south = Kensington
southwest =
west =
northwest =Three Mile Bush Whau Valley is a suburb of
Whangarei , inNorthland Region ,New Zealand . State Highway 1 runs through it. [cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|id=ISBN 1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 24] The valley was named for the whau trees which grew there in the 1850s. [cite book|title=Whangarei: The Founding Years|last=Pickmere|first=Nancy Preece|year=1986|pages=p 70]The population was 2,745 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 78 from 2001.cite web|url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/2006-census-data/final-counts/northland-region.htm|title=Final counts – census night and census usually resident populations, and occupied dwellings - Whangarei District|publisher=
Statistics New Zealand ]At the end of the 4 km long Whau Valley Road is the principal water reservoir for Whangarei City, created by the Whau Valley Earth Dam. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow and
brown trout . [cite book|title=Guide to Whangarei City and District|last=Parkes|first=W. F.|year=1992|isbn=0-473-01639-7|pages=p 54] [cite web|url=http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/Site/Regions/Northland/fisheries.aspx|title=Northland Fishing|publisher=Fish & Game New Zealand|accessdate=2008-05-08]History
Some of the early settlers in what was then called Whauwhau Valley were William Hawken and his family, who arrived in 1859, and John MacDonald and his family, in 1860. The MacDonald family was part of the group of people from
Nova Scotia who settled in the Whangarei area. [Pickmere, 69-70]Coal was discovered in the Whauwhau Valley in the 1860s. Henry Walton and William Grahame took a 99 lease on the land and developed a mine. A wooden tramway was built from the mine to the Hatea River so coal wagons could be pulled by horses to be loaded onto ships. The railway line between Kamo and Whangarei, opened in 1882, replaced the tramway. Output of the mine was convert|45359|long ton|lk=in by 1885. [Pickmere, pp 56, 144]
Education
Whau Valley School is a contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 2 and a roll of 212. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1131|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Whau Valley School|publisher=Ministry of Education]St Francis Xavier School is a Catholic contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 438. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1588|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - St Francis Xavier School, Whangarei|St Francis Xavier School|publisher=Ministry of Education]
Whangarei Adventist Christian School is a full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 4 and a roll of 26. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=4154|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Whangarei Adventist Christian School|publisher=Ministry of Education]All these schools are coeducational. St Francis Xavier and Whangarei Adventist schools are state integrated.
Notes
External links
* [http://www.kiwischools.co.nz/welcome.php?schoolID=1916 St Francis Xavier School website]
* [http://www.whauvalley.school.nz/ Whau Valley School website]
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