Levin, New Zealand
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Levin (; ) is the largest town and
seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...
of the
Horowhenua District Horowhenua District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kāpiti Coast District, Kāpiti, ...
, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
's
North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
. It is located east of
Lake Horowhenua Lake Horowhenua is in the Horowhenua District, an area of the southern Manawatū-Whanganui region in New Zealand's North Island. It covers an area of . The lake, also known as ''Punahau'', is an aeolian lake that lies on a sandy plain west of ...
, around north of
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
and southwest of
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...
. The town has a population of making it the 30th largest urban area in New Zealand, and third largest in Manawatū-Whanganui behind Palmerston North and
Whanganui Whanganui, also spelt Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is ...
. Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre for light manufacturing. To the west of the main town lies
Lake Horowhenua Lake Horowhenua is in the Horowhenua District, an area of the southern Manawatū-Whanganui region in New Zealand's North Island. It covers an area of . The lake, also known as ''Punahau'', is an aeolian lake that lies on a sandy plain west of ...
, which covers some . It is currently undergoing regeneration.


History


19th century

The area now occupied by Levin was connected to both Wellington and Palmerston North by railway in 1886. The area was surveyed in 1888, and European settlement began following the sale of suburban and rural sections, which commenced on 19 March 1889. The town was named after
William Hort Levin William Hort Levin (7 August 1845 – 15 September 1893) was a 19th-century merchant, philanthropist and politician who lived in Wellington, New Zealand. Levin & Co Levin was born in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of English-born parents, J ...
, a director of the
Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR or W&MR) was a private rail transport, railway Railway company, company that built, owned and operated the Wellington–Manawatu Line, Wellington-Manawatu railway line between Thorndon, New Zeal ...
.''Levin'' in the 1966 ''Encyclopaedia of New Zealand''
/ref> The name is a variation of the
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
clan name
Levi Levi ( ; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelites, Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron ...
. Unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the ''second'' syllable of the word. William Hort Levin's great-grandson, Peter Levin, claims his forebear would have pronounced his surname as ''Levene'', and that this pronunciation was in common use for many years and is always used by the family.


20th century—present

Levin was made a borough in 1906. The Levin clock tower was built in 1999 as a donation by the Levin Rotary Club after some fundraising. It was described as "iconic" to the town by the ''
Manawatū Standard The ''Manawatū Standard'' (formerly the ''Evening Standard'') is the daily paper for the Manawatū District, Manawatū region based in Palmerston North. The ''Manawatū Standard'' has been recognised as one of the best in New Zealand being a fi ...
''. It has four clocks, one for every side, each with an independent motor, and has a temperature gauge.


2024 car rally

On Saturday, 1 June 2024 a car rally locally known as "the Levin car invasion" took place. With 200 cars and 500 people in attendance, they started at the intersection of Queen Street and State Highway 57 before the police removed them. The convoy then moved to Miro Street in Ōtaki before returning to Levin, now at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Queen Street. Once they arrived back in Levin, the
Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
tried to stop the group however the police were attacked. In an interview the "organizer" said "What we're doing is illegal, but until we get a proper skid pad or somewhere safe to do it we're going to keep doing it on the streets."


Marae

Kawiu Marae and Te Huia o Raukura meeting house, located just north of the town, are a meeting place for
Muaūpoko Muaūpoko is a Māori iwi on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand. Muaūpoko are descended from the ancestor Tara, whose name has been given to many New Zealand landmarks, most notably Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). His people were known as ...
. In October 2020, the Government committed $945,445 from the
Provincial Growth Fund Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the New Zealand First party. Jones' political career began 2005 New Zealand general election, in 2005 as a l ...
to upgrade Kawiu Marae and nearby Kohuturoa Marae, creating 50 jobs.


Demographics

Levin is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area and covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Before the 2023 census, Levin had a smaller boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Levin had a population of 17,679 at the
2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...
, an increase of 1,422 people (8.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,707 people (10.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 7,062 households, comprising 8,346 males and 9,324 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.9 males per female, with 3,336 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 2,988 (16.9%) aged 15 to 29, 6,651 (37.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 4,698 (26.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 77.0% European/
Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 25.4%
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 8.4% Pasifika, 5.2% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.6% had no religion, 39.4% were
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 1.2% had
Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.6% were
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.2% were
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 0.3% were
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 1.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,293 (9.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 4,332 (30.2%) people had no formal qualifications. 897 people (6.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,277 (36.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,719 (12.0%) were part-time, and 768 (5.4%) were unemployed.


Economy


Retail

The Levin Mall covers 791 m2, with 14 retailers including a
Farmers A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mi ...
department store.


Transport

Levin lies on
State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...
, which forms the town's main street, Oxford Street. State Highway 57 forms the eastern boundary of the town, and meets State Highway 1 between Levin and the Ohau River, Wellington. Levin is on the
North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...
with a
station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...
used by the
Capital Connection The Capital Connection is a long-distance commuter train operated by KiwiRail between Palmerston North and the capital city of Wellington on the North Island Main Trunk. In 2018, the service faced funding issues, but the Government ensured th ...
long distance commuter train between Wellington and Palmerston North. It is also served by 8 InterCity buses a day each way. Buses run for shoppers to
Waikanae Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kāpiti Coast, north of the Wellington, New Zealand. The name is a Māori language, Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the flathead grey mullet, grey mullet". The area surrounding the town is notable fo ...
on Tuesdays and Thursdays and on Fridays to Shannon,
Foxton Beach Foxton Beach is a small settlement in the Horowhenua District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the South Taranaki Bight at the mouth of the Manawatū River, 35 kilometres southwest of Palmers ...
, Foxton and Waitarere Beach. A commuter bus runs via Foxton to Palmerston North.


Schools

There are nine schools in the Levin urban area: * Fairfield School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately . * Horowhenua College is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school. It opened in 1940 and has a roll of approximately . * 'Levin East School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school with a roll of approximately . * Levin Intermediate is a state intermediate (Year 7–8) school with a roll of approximately . * Levin North School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school with a roll of approximately . * Levin School is a state contributing primary (Year 1–6) school with a roll of approximately . * St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately . * Taitoko School is a state full primary (Year 1–8) school with a roll of approximately . *
Waiopehu College Waiopehu College is a state coeducational secondary school located in Levin, New Zealand, Levin, New Zealand. The school opened in February 1973 as Levin's second secondary school, after Horowhenua College struggled to cope with 1200 students. S ...
is a state secondary (Year 9–13) school. It opened in 1973 and has a roll of approximately .


Notable people

* Jack Afamasaga – rugby league player *Sir
Paul Beresford Sir Alexander Paul Beresford (born 6 April 1946) is a British–New Zealander politician who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Mole Valley in Surrey from 1997 to 2024. He previously served as MP for Croydon Central from ...
– British politician * Suzy Clarkson – newsreader * Kay Cohen – fashion designer *
Joy Cowley Cassia Joy Cowley (; born 7 August 1936) is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Writing career Cowley started out writing novels for adults, and her first book, ...
– novelist *
Jaxon Evans Jaxon Evans (born 19 September 1996) is a racing driver from New Zealand who competes in the Supercars Championship for Brad Jones Racing. He previously competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Career After several years spent in kar ...
– racing driver * Cathryn Finlayson – hockey player *
Rebecca Gibney Rebecca Catherine Gibney is a New Zealand actress known for her roles on Australian television in '' The Flying Doctors'', '' Halifax f.p.'', ''Packed to the Rafters'', ''Winter'' and '' Wanted''. She has also featured in a number of Australia ...
– actress *
Nathan Guy Allen Nathan Guy (born 1970) is a New Zealand farmer and former politician. He was elected to Parliament in 2005 as a list MP for the National Party and held the Ōtaki electorate from 2008 until 2020, when he retired. Guy was Minister of Imm ...
– politician *
Nicky Hager Nicolas Alfred Hager (born 1958) is a New Zealand investigative journalist. He has produced seven books since 1996, covering topics such as intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He is one of two New Zealand members of the I ...
– author *
Darren Hughes Darren Colyn Hughes (born 3 April 1978) is a New Zealand former Member of Parliament between 2002 and 2011, first elected at the age of 24. He represented the Labour Party and was a Minister outside Cabinet in the Fifth Labour Government of Ne ...
– politician * Dean Kent – Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer * Doug Kidd – politician * David Lomax – rugby league player * Johnny Lomax – rugby league player * Matthew Saunoa – ''New Zealand Idol'' winner 2006 *
George Silk George Silk (17 November 1916 – 23 October 2004) was a New Zealand-born Australian photojournalist. He served as a photojournalist for Life magazine, ''Life'' for 30 years. Early life Silk was born in the New Zealand town of Levin, New Zea ...
– photographer, LIFE magazine *
Carlos Spencer Carlos James Spencer (born 14 October 1975) is a former New Zealand rugby union player and previously the head coach of the and the . He is currently an assistant coach for the New Orleans Gold of Major League Rugby (MLR). During his playing ...
– rugby union player *
Richard Sylvan Richard Sylvan (13 December 1935 – 16 June 1996) was a New Zealand–born philosopher, logician, and environmentalist. Biography Sylvan was born Francis Richard Routley in Levin, New Zealand, and his early work is cited with this surname. H ...
– philosopher and logician * James Tamou – rugby league player * Codie Taylor – rugby union player *
Roger Twose Roger Graham Twose (born 17 April 1968) is an English-born New Zealand former cricketer, who played 16 Test matches and 87 One Day Internationals for New Zealand in the mid-1990s. In February 2021, Twose was appointed as the director of New Z ...
– cricketer * Frank Weitzel – printmaker and sculptor * Sonny Whakarau – rugby league player


Climate


References

{{Authority control Populated places in Manawatū-Whanganui