Whangarei Heads

Infobox Settlement
name = Whangarei Heads

---

image_caption = Whangarei Heads School
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = New Zealand
subdivision_type1= Region
subdivision_name1= Northland Region
subdivision_type2= District
subdivision_name2= Whangarei District
pushpin_

latd = 35
latm = 49
lats = 2
latNS = S
longd = 174
longm = 30
longs = 14
longEW = E

Whangarei Heads is a locality and promontory on the northern side of the Whangarei Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. Whangarei is 29 km to the north west, and Ocean Beach is 8 km to the south east, with Taurikura between the two. Mount Manaia rises to 420 m to the east. [cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7900-0952-8|author=Peter Dowling (editor)|publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 8] [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 28]

Immediately to the west is McLeod Bay, which is about 2 km long. The McDonald sandbank lies a few metres offshore at low tide. The promontory to the south of the settlement consists of a hill, Mount Aubrey, and a small gravel beach about 200 metres wide, Reotahi Bay. [cite book|title=Guide to Whangarei City and District|last=Parkes|first=W. F.|year=1992|isbn=0-473-01639-7|pages=p 29-31]

History

Captain Gilbert Mair purchased the entire peninsula - everything south of a line running from McLeod Bay to the Pacific Coast, about convert|10000|acre - from the Māori Chief Te Tao, in 1839. He intended to resell it to Captain Bernard, but the latter was lost with his ship. The Chief Te Tirarau claimed compensation of three horses because his ancestor had had blood spilt on the land, but settled for two horses in 1844. The government review of the land purchase in 1844 awarded Mair only convert|414|acre, but Mair had sold his interest in the land to John Logan Campbell. [cite book|title=Whangarei: The Founding Years|last=Pickmere|first=Nancy Preece|year=1986|pages=pp 26-27] Campbell pursued his claim to the remainder of the land.

A group of settlers from Nova Scotia, led by the Rev. Norman McLeod, settled at McLeod Bay in about 1855 although the ownership of the land had not been settled. In 1861, Campbell received the right to buy convert|1800|acre at 10/- an acre, and was granted convert|910|acre which he sold to the Nova Scotians. [Pickmere, pp 76-77]

Education

Whangarei Heads School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 9 and a roll of 107. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1128|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Whangarei Heads School|publisher=Ministry of Education] The school was established in 1858, and is the second oldest school still in operation on its original site in the country. [cite web|url=http://www.wdc.govt.nz/agendas_online/CFL_13122006/Whangarei%20Heads%20150th%20Jubilee.html|title=Whangarei Heads 150th Jubilee - Funding Application|publisher=Whangarei District Council|date=20 November 2006] The current principal is Lil Ogle. [cite journal|url=http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/articles.php?action=view&id=7607|title=Moving towards competence|journal=Education Gazette New Zealand|volume=87|issue=11|date=30 June 2008]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.whangareiheads.school.nz Whangarei Heads School website]