Kaniere is a small town in the
Westland District
Westland District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district on the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is administered by the Westland District Council. The district's population is
History ...
of the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
region of New Zealand's
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
.
Hokitika
Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of .
...
lies to the north-west, and the
Hokitika River
The Hokitika River is in the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is about long, beginning in the Southern Alps, emerging from the narrow Hokitika Gorge after merging with the Whitcombe River, and flowing into the Tasman Sea just ...
flows past to the south-west.
The locality began about 1865 as one of the main alluvial gold fields of the West Coast
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
. The
Hokitika & Kanieri Tramway laid with wooden rails was established from Hokitika by 1868, with cars drawn by horses. A road followed by 1873.
Kaniere often seen written Kanieri, official spelling of the town is Kaniere
Locality on the
Hokitika
Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of .
...
River, 5 km southeast of Hokitika. Kaniere Survey District.
History/Origin/Meaning:
Reeds Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names gives the following explanation, "Kani is the act of sawing greenstone preparatory to making tools, weapons or ornaments, a long wearisome process. The name was formerly and incorrectly spelt Kanieri. The terminal ere or eri is inexplicable. There is just a possibility that it was originally oro, literally to grind or sharpen on a stone. It may be significant that, according to legend, Kanioro was the fabled guardian of greenstone". Instead of Kanieri. This decision confirms and supersedes the decision of 1930. (Gaz 1948, p939)[./Https://gazetteer.linz.govt.nz/place/2381
Demographics
The population of Kaniere was 300 in the 2018 census, unchanged from 2013. There were 159 males and 144 females. 92.9% of people identified as European/Pākehā, 16.1% as Māori and 1.8% as Asian. 20.0% were under 15 years old, 12.8% were 15–29, 54.0% were 30–64, and 14.0% were 65 or older.
The statistical area of Hokitika Rural, which at 154 square kilometres is much larger than Kaniere, had a population of 1,440 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 81 people (6.0%) since the 2013 New Zealand census, 2013 census, and an increase of 153 people (11.9%) since the 2006 New Zealand census, 2006 census. There were 570 households. There were 732 males and 705 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 46.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 276 people (19.2%) aged under 15 years, 183 (12.7%) aged 15 to 29, 738 (51.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 246 (17.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 93.3% European/Pākehā, 11.2% Māori, 0.4% Pacific peoples, 1.5% Asian, and 2.5% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).
The proportion of people born overseas was 12.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 55.2% had no religion, 33.8% were Christian, 0.2% were Hindu, 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 177 (15.2%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 243 (20.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $34,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 624 (53.6%) people were employed full-time, 207 (17.8%) were part-time, and 24 (2.1%) were unemployed.
Education
Kaniere School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of students as of
Notes
{{Westland District
Westland District
Populated places in the West Coast, New Zealand