Paremata

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Suburb of Porirua, New Zealand

title: "Paremata" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["paremata", "suburbs-of-porirua"] description: "Suburb of Porirua, New Zealand" topic_path: "general/paremata" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paremata" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Suburb of Porirua, New Zealand ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox New Zealand suburb"]

Field	Value
name	Paremata
image	Paremata_Barracks_11.JPG
caption1	The historic Paremata Barracks
city1	Porirua City
council	Porirua City Council
ward
area	161
population
popdate
popsource
population_density_km2	auto
railwaystations	Paremata and Mana
mapframe	y
mapframe-zoom	11
::

Paremata is a suburb of Porirua, on the Tasman Sea coast to the north of Wellington, New Zealand.

History

Early history

The modern suburb, just south of Plimmerton, derives its name from the "Paremata Barracks", erected on the north shore of Porirua Harbour in about 1846 when the British Empire was nervous about the local Ngāti Toa tribe under its leader Te Rauparaha. The stone barracks were largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1848.

The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company built a station at Paremata in 1885 that connected the town to Wellington. In 1936 a road bridge finally spanned the entrance to the Pāuatahanui Inlet, greatly easing access to Wellington for the growing suburb. After a coast road was built between Pukerua Bay and Paekākāriki further north, the route through Paremata became part of State Highway 1. Later developments to ease congestion included the Paremata Roundabout, just south of the road bridge, in 2019.

During World War II, United States soldiers were stationed near the barracks, on land that later became the Ngatitoa Domain.

Golden Gate is a historical name used as early as the mid-1950s that generally referred to the eastern area of Paremata. Nowadays, it typically refers to the peninsula containing the entirety of Seaview Road that juts out just west of Bradeys Bay.

Recent history

With the building of the new Paremata railway station across the inlet, the locality south of the road and rail bridges took on the name Paremata as well. The street along the original shoreline had been known as "The Crescent" for decades, but by the end of the 20th century it was commonly called "Paremata Crescent".

The area to the north, which included a subdivision called "Dolly Varden" (named after a Charles Dickens character), is now called Mana because the new Mana railway station a little further north was given that name; probably because it is the first point on the rail journey north at which travellers get a view of Mana Island. Current maps identify the areas to the north of the road and rail bridges as 'Mana' and the areas to the south as 'Paremata', matching the naming of the railway stations and streets. Dolly Varden railway station was renamed Ngatitoa and published in NZ Gazette prior to it being renamed Mana. Dolly Varden was so named after James Walkers skiff.

By the start of the 21st century, several members of the Ngāti Toa iwi had served on the Porirua City Council, and the whole locality around the Ngatitoa Domain had become a busy suburb and fishing base with housing and commerce. A new suburb, Papakōwhai, has grown on the hills to the south, while the large suburb of Whitby has developed to the east, with its main access via from the Paremata Roundabout.

In August 2004, a new road bridge was opened for northbound traffic, allowing southbound traffic to use both lanes of the old bridge. This is part of an ongoing project by Transit New Zealand to solve congestion issues and improve safety of motorists, pedestrians and local residents accessing SH 1 from side-roads and driveways. By July 2006 a series of traffic lights had been installed along Mana Esplanade, along with two transit lanes. A second feeder roundabout had been constructed on SH 58 allowing easier access to Whitby.

The SH 1 route through Paremata was renumbered on 7 December 2021, due to SH 1 being shifted to the Transmission Gully Motorway.

Demographics

Paremata statistical area covers 1.61 km2 and includes Mana. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Mana_Marina,Paremata-_panoramio.jpg" caption="Mana Marina in Paremata"] ::

Paremata had a population of 2,460 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 3 people (−0.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 96 people (4.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,188 males, 1,260 females, and 12 people of other genders in 975 dwellings. 3.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 45.9 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 375 people (15.2%) aged under 15 years, 402 (16.3%) aged 15 to 29, 1,167 (47.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 513 (20.9%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 87.6% European (Pākehā); 15.9% Māori; 8.0% Pasifika; 4.9% Asian; 1.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.8%, Māori by 3.2%, Samoan by 2.2%, and other languages by 10.7%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 23.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 29.3% Christian, 0.1% Hindu, 0.6% Islam, 0.5% Māori religious beliefs, 1.0% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.4%, and 6.7% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 771 (37.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,023 (49.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 285 (13.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $59,400, compared with $41,500 nationally. 534 people (25.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,185 (56.8%) full-time, 273 (13.1%) part-time, and 42 (2.0%) unemployed.

Education

Paremata School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of . It opened in 1921.

References

"Paremata Barracks Ruins".
Mew, G.. (October 2014). "Raupo to Deco".
(2019). "SH1 Paremata roundabout improvements". [[NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi]].
"Ngati Toa Domain". Porirua City Council.
(18 November 2021). "State Highway 59 switch confirmed for December". New Zealand Transport Agency.
"Stats NZ Geographic Data Service".
{{NZ census 2018. Paremata (239800). paremata. Paremata
"Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
"Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
"Paremata School Official School Website".
"Paremata School Education Review Office Report". [[Education Review Office]].
"Paremata School Ministry of Education School Profile". [[Ministry of Education (New Zealand).
"About Us". Peremata School.

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