Eureka, New Zealand

Eureka is a rural settlement in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on State Highway 26, and is surrounded by dairy farmland on a flat plain.[2]

Eureka
Suburb
CountryNew Zealand
Local authorityWaikato District
Electoral wardEureka Ward[1]
Population
 (2018 Census)
 • Total495
Puketaha Whitikahu Morrinsville
Fairview Downs
Eureka
 Kiwitahi
Newstead Matangi Te Miro

There are various explanations for the name. One story suggests William Steele rode out with a syndicate looking for a headquarters, and exclaimed "Eureka I have found it" when he reached the hilltop. Another story suggests "Eureka" is an abbreviation of the first names of the women in the syndicate.[2]

The settlement has a war memorial, listing local men who died in World War I and World War II.[3]

History

Eureka is on the former Piako Swamp, described in 1876 as deep.[4] Following the invasion of the Waikato, it was part of the area confiscated from Ngāti Hauā in 1864.[5][6] Captain William Steele, who brought militia-settlers from Sydney to Hamilton in 1864,[7] persuaded Thomas Russell and Frederick Whitaker to form a company to buy land and drain it. In 1874 the government sold the 86,502 acres (350.06 km2) Eureka Estate, extending from Te Hoe to Tauwhare, Tamahere, Gordonton and the 35 km (22 mi) confiscation line, to New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company Limited.[6] The sale required 25 mi (40 km) of road to be built over the swamp. Drains were dug up to 3.5 m (11 ft) wide and 3 m (9.8 ft) deep. The expense of drainage contributed to bankruptcy and the sale of small parcels in 1902. The population then increased, so that a school was built in May 1904, a dairy factory in 1905, a hall in 1914 (replaced in January 1969), a post office opened in 1915, a store in 1925 and a garage in 1928. However, by 1981 all the early buildings had gone.[6]

Demographics

The 2001-13 censuses counted a Eureka area of 122.19 km2 (47.18 sq mi). In 2018 Eureka lost the area on the Hamilton border to a new area, Hamilton Park, and was grouped in the Eureka Tauwhare area, which covers 135.55 km2 (52.34 sq mi) and also includes Tauwhare.[8]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20061,539—    
20131,917+3.19%
20182,142+2.24%
Source: [9]

Eureka-Tauwhare had a population of 2,142 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 225 people (11.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 603 people (39.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 696 households. There were 1,092 males and 1,050 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 37.5 years, with 534 people (24.9%) aged under 15 years, 351 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,041 (48.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 213 (9.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.4% European/Pākehā, 9.5% Māori, 1.5% Pacific peoples, 5.3% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 16.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 56.7% had no religion, 32.1% were Christian, 0.3% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 2.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 408 (25.4%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 225 (14.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $44,500. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 960 (59.7%) people were employed full-time, 273 (17.0%) were part-time, and 39 (2.4%) were unemployed.[9]

In 2018 Eureka village was covered by meshblocks 0955400, 0955700 and 40011455, with a population totalling 495.[10]

Kiwi Rail DC 4444 near Eureka

Railway station

Eureka railway station was a flag station on the East Coast Main Trunk,[6] about 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the village.[5] It opened on 1 October 1884 and closed to passengers on 11 September 1967 and to goods on 27 April 1980.[11]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Ruakura
Line open, station closed		   East Coast Main Trunk
New Zealand Railways Department		   Motumaoho
Line open, station closed

References
  1. Eureka ward map
  2. "Eureka". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  3. "Eureka war memorial". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  4. "The Daily Southern Cross". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 23 June 1876. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  5. "Confiscation map, 1869". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  6. "WDC District Plan Review – Built Heritage Assessment - Historic Overview – Eastern Sector" (PDF). Waikato District Council.
  7. "William Steele 1831-1898". Stuff. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  8. "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  9. "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Eureka-Tauwhare (173100). 2018 Census place summary: Eureka-Tauwhare
  10. "Meshblock Electoral Populations 2020 for proposed boundaries data". Statistics New Zealand. April 2020. Meshblocks0955400, 0955700 and 40011455.
  11. Scoble, Juliet (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations" (PDF). Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
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