Āwhitu Peninsula#Demographics

The Āwhitu Peninsula was formed geologically recently, from black volcanic sand from eruptions of Mount Taranaki mixed with white quartz and pumice sand, carried from the Waikato River. Prior to this, the Manukau Harbour was an extensive bay.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/how-auckland-council-works/local-boards/all-local-boards/puketapapa-local-board/docsheritagestudies/waikowhai-coast-heritage-study.pdf |title=Waikōwhai Coast Heritage Study |first1=Elizabeth |last1=Pishief |first2=Brendan |last2=Shirley|date=August 2015|publisher=Auckland Council|access-date=21 October 2021}} The peninsula is a sand dune which developed over the last two million years.

Historically much of the peninsula was native forest dominated by taraire, with significant numbers of kauri, pūriri, tawa, karaka, kohekohe, tītoki, tōtara and kahikatea. Hamiltons Gap is a small gap in the western coast of the Āwhitu Peninsula, where the path of a stream has cut through the terrain.{{citeq|Q118136068|page=183}}

The peninsula is named after the traditional settlement of Āwhitu, located to the west of Orua Bay. The name refers to the regret Hoturoa, captain of the Tainui migratory canoe, felt as he left the area.{{cite book |last1=Cameron |first1=Ewen |last2=Hayward |first2= Bruce |author-link2=Bruce Hayward |last3=Murdoch |first3= Graeme |title=A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage |isbn=978-1-86962-1513 |publisher=Random House New Zealand |year=2008 |page=278 |edition=Revised}} The area has strong significance for Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, and is the location of Tāhuna Marae.

The west coast of the Āwhitu Peninsula is the former site of Paorae, a flat sand dune land which was a major kūmara (sweet potato) cultivation area for Tāmaki Māori iwi.{{cite book |last1=Diamond |first1=John T. |author-link1=J. T. Diamond |last2=Hayward |first2=Bruce W. |author-link2=Bruce Hayward |title=The Māori history and legends of the Waitākere Ranges |publisher=The Lodestar Press |date=1979 |isbn=9781877431210 |page=27-30}} The land eroded during the 18th century.{{cite book |last1=Hayward |first1=Bruce |author-link1=Bruce Hayward |chapter=Land, Sea and Sky |pages=21 |editor-last1=Macdonald |editor-first1=Finlay |editor-link1=Finlay Macdonald (editor) |editor-last2=Kerr |editor-first2=Ruth |title=West: The History of Waitakere |publisher=Random House |date=2009 |isbn=9781869790080}} The northern shore of the Āwhitu Peninsula around the Manukau Heads is one of the earliest archaeological sites in the Auckland region.{{Cite Q|Q58677276}}

In 1834, a Wesleyan mission was established at Orua Bay on the peninsula by William Woon. On 20 March 1840, Orua Bay became one of the locations where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, by Manukau and Waikato chiefs. During the event, Apihai Te Kawau of Ngāti Whātua signed, but several Waikato Tainui chiefs refused.{{cite web |title=20 March 1840 |at=MJ_0075 |work=Manukau's Journey - Ngā Tapuwae o Manukau | publisher=Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections |url=https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/manukau/id/2086/ |access-date=21 October 2021}}

From 1835, the kauri forest on the peninsula was logged. During the early colonial period, the native bush of the peninsula was converted to farmland. Between 1870 and 1900, the peninsula, alongside neighbouring Waiuku and Karaka were major centres for the kauri gum industry.{{cite book |last1=Hayward |first1=Bruce W. |author-link1=Bruce Hayward |title=Kauri Gum and the Gumdiggers |publisher=The Bush Press |date=1989 |isbn=0-908608-39-X |page=5}}

Āwhitu covers {{Convert|221.40|km2||abbr=on}}{{Cite web|title=Stats NZ Geographic Data Service|url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/data/|at=Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised)|access-date=26 January 2025}} and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Awhitu|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Awhitu|y}}|R}}/221.40|0}} people per km².

{{Historical populations|2006|2,538|2013|2,424|2018|2,814|2023|3,081|percentages=pagr|align=left|source={{NZ census 2018|Awhitu (149900)|awhitu|Āwhitu}}|footnote=The 2006 population is for a larger area of 221.56 km².}}

File:Manukau Harbour (satellite image).jpg

File:Āwhitu Lighthouse.jpg

Āwhitu had a population of 3,081 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 267 people (9.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 657 people (27.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,578 males, 1,497 females and 6 people of other genders in 1,152 dwellings.{{cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.149901.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses}} 2.1% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 49.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 498 people (16.2%) aged under 15 years, 384 (12.5%) aged 15 to 29, 1,527 (49.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 672 (21.8%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 87.0% European (Pākehā); 16.2% Māori; 3.9% Pasifika; 5.3% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.4%, Māori language by 2.7%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 6.7%. No language could be spoken by 1.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 17.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 24.3% Christian, 1.2% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 0.6% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 61.9%, and 9.0% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 387 (15.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,476 (57.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 714 (27.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 315 people (12.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,242 (48.1%) people were employed full-time, 339 (13.1%) were part-time, and 78 (3.0%) were unemployed.{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.149901.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Āwhitu (149901)}}

file:Awhitu Central School EST.1889-1949 (15703489416).jpg

Awhitu District School and Waipipi School are coeducational full primary schools (years 1-8) with rolls of {{NZ school roll data|1214|y}} and {{NZ school roll data|1554|y}} students respectively as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|y||.}}{{TKI|1214|Awhitu District School}}{{TKI|1554|Waipipi School}}

The Peninsula has a high sympatric diversity of native New Zealand land snails. Communities of >70 native species in a 4 ha patch of bush can be found here, whereas in other parts of the world, 15 sympatric land snail species would be considered high.{{Cite journal|last=Solem|first=Alan|last2=Climo|first2=Frank M.|last3=Roscoe|first3=David J.|date=1981|title=Sympatric species diversity of New Zealand land snails|journal=New Zealand Journal of Zoology|language=en|volume=8|issue=4|pages=453–485|doi=10.1080/03014223.1981.10427971|issn=0301-4223|doi-access=free}}{{Cite book|title=Waitakere Ranges: Ranges of inspiration|last=Barker|first=G.M.|publisher=Waitakere Ranges Protection Society|year=2006|isbn=0476005205|editor-last=Harvey|editor-first=Bruce James|pages=130–139|chapter=The astonishing diversity of land snails|editor-last2=Harvey|editor-first2=Trixie}} Grazing and other habitat disturbances can negatively impact this diversity.{{Cite journal|last=Bogich|first=Tiffany L.|last2=Barker|first2=Gary M.|last3=Mahlfeld|first3=Karin|last4=Climo|first4=Frank|last5=Green|first5=Rhys|last6=Balmford|first6=Andrew|date=2012|title=Fragmentation, grazing and the species–area relationship|journal=Ecography|language=en|volume=35|issue=3|pages=224–231|doi=10.1111/j.1600-0587.2011.07136.x|issn=1600-0587}}

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Manukau Heads Lighthouse (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1984–2005, 2022–present)

| Jan record high C = 29.1

| Feb record high C = 29.2

| Mar record high C = 28.2

| Apr record high C = 24.5

| May record high C = 22.7

| Jun record high C = 19.6

| Jul record high C = 19.2

| Aug record high C = 20.7

| Sep record high C = 20.7

| Oct record high C = 23.6

| Nov record high C = 24.0

| Dec record high C = 25.9

| year record high C =

|Jan record low C = 8.2

|Feb record low C = 7.1

|Mar record low C = 8.1

|Apr record low C = 6.4

|May record low C = 4.2

|Jun record low C = 3.1

|Jul record low C = 1.7

|Aug record low C = -0.8

|Sep record low C = 3.1

|Oct record low C = 4.4

|Nov record low C = 5.5

|Dec record low C = 6.4

|year record low C =

|Jan high C = 22.5

|Feb high C = 22.8

|Mar high C = 21.5

|Apr high C = 19.0

|May high C = 16.4

|Jun high C = 14.2

|Jul high C = 13.4

|Aug high C = 14.0

|Sep high C = 15.3

|Oct high C = 16.6

|Nov high C = 18.3

|Dec high C = 20.6

| year high C =

|Jan mean C = 18.9

|Feb mean C = 19.2

|Mar mean C = 18.1

|Apr mean C = 16.0

|May mean C = 13.7

|Jun mean C = 11.7

|Jul mean C = 10.8

|Aug mean C = 11.2

|Sep mean C = 12.3

|Oct mean C = 13.5

|Nov mean C = 15.0

|Dec mean C = 17.2

| year mean C =

|Jan low C = 15.2

|Feb low C = 15.6

|Mar low C = 14.6

|Apr low C = 13.1

|May low C = 11.0

|Jun low C = 9.2

|Jul low C = 8.1

|Aug low C = 8.4

|Sep low C = 9.3

|Oct low C = 10.4

|Nov low C = 11.7

|Dec low C = 13.8

| year low C =

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 57.9

|Feb rain mm = 80.7

|Mar rain mm = 77.6

|Apr rain mm = 84.6

|May rain mm = 94.6

|Jun rain mm = 125.8

|Jul rain mm = 144.4

|Aug rain mm = 106.3

|Sep rain mm = 115.2

|Oct rain mm = 73.1

|Nov rain mm = 90.8

|Dec rain mm = 86.3

|year rain mm =

|source 1 = NIWA{{cite web

|url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/

|title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent number: 1500, 45217)

|publisher = NIWA

|access-date = 13 Sep 2024}}

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{{Franklin Local Board Area Waiuku Subdivision}}

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Category:Franklin Local Board Area

Category:Peninsulas of the Auckland Region

Category:Kauri gum