“Pari-ā-Rua” it was once called. Porirua’s story is a captivating blend of Māori heritage European settlement and modern growth. Its name a corruption of Pari-rua hints at the two arms of the Porirua Harbour that define its geography.
Tradition says that Kupe the legendary Polynesian explorer first visited this area. He named significant sites such as Te Mana o Kupe ki Aotearoa which is now Mana Island. Kupe’s anchor stone Te Punga o Matahouroa once rested at Whitireia. It is now held at Te Papa Tongarewa.
Human habitation in Porirua dates back to at least 1450 during the “moa hunter” period. The forests sea estuaries and swamps provided plentiful resources. Ngāti Tara and Ngāti Ira were among the early tribes to occupy this area.
In the 1820s Ngāti Toa migrated south from Kawhia. They gained control of the Porirua coast establishing twelve pā by the 1840s. Takapūwahia and Hongoeka remain as occupied marae today.
From the late 1830s European settlers started arriving. A controversial sale of most of the region occurred in 1847. In 1839 the New Zealand Company claimed to have acquired the entire southern part of the North Island. This was done through an agreement with Ngāti Toa. Land Claims Commissioner William Spain later deemed the purchase invalid. Rising tensions led to the capture of Te Rauparaha a Ngāti Toa chief in 1846. In 1847 eight remaining chiefs signed a deed for the sale of 69000 acres. This comprised almost the entire area from Mākara to Paekākāriki. Ngāti Toa maintain that this deed was coerced.
A small European settlement grew in the 19th century. This was partly due to the need for a ferry across the harbour. The Porirua Lunatic Asylum opened in the 1880s. It later became Porirua Mental Hospital.
State planning in the late 1940s transformed Porirua. It was to become a satellite city of Wellington. Improved rail and road links facilitated this growth. These improvements reduced travel times. This made it possible to live in Porirua and work in Wellington. Day trips to the beaches at Paremata and Plimmerton became easier.
Porirua’s population approached 57000. This was with state housing no longer in the majority. Major territorial additions occurred in 1973 and 1988.
New Zealand’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Porirua on June 7 1976. The original restaurant closed in 2009 and relocated.
Substantial industrial areas developed west of the city centre. Kodak UEB Industries and many small businesses opened at Elsdon during the 1960s. Todd Motors a vehicle assembly company moved from Petone to Porirua in 1975.
The Kapiti Line contributed to Porirua’s development as a satellite city. The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company opened a line through Johnsonville to Porirua in 1885.
The Centennial Highway developments saw the opening of a four-lane high-speed highway in 1940. During the 1950s the Johnsonville–Porirua Motorway was built.
A road bridge opened across the entrance to the Pauatahanui Inlet in 1936. A second bridge was built in 2004.
Today Porirua is a vibrant multicultural city. It has a population of over 62000 people. Porirua is known as P-Town. The city is an ethnic cultural and economic melting pot. It is a microcosm of New Zealand.
Porirua City Council administers the city. The Greater Wellington Regional Council administers the wider Wellington Region.
The city adopted its current flag in 1998. It features blue stripes and a green shape symbolizing the harbour and land.
Porirua is formed around the arms of the Porirua Harbour. Most populated areas have coastal access. These suburbs include Camborne Karehana Bay and Plimmerton.
North City Shopping Centre is Porirua’s largest indoor shopping complex. It first opened in 1990.
State Highway 59 is the main route through Porirua. State Highway 1 forms an eastern bypass as the Transmission Gully Motorway.
The Royal New Zealand Police College is located at Papakōwhai. Aotea College Mana College and Bishop Viard College provide secondary education. Whitireia Polytechnic offers tertiary education.
Pātaka Museum of Arts & Cultures represents local culture history and artists.
Te Rauparaha Arena is a multi-purpose venue for sports and events. Aotea Lagoon is a popular recreational area.
Porirua continues to evolve. It balances its rich heritage with modern development. Its story is one of resilience diversity and transformation.