Homai

In the early 1920s, local residents of Manurewa, including John Dreadon, lobbied the Manurewa Town Board for the creation of a second train station in the area,{{Cite web |url=https://gazetteer.linz.govt.nz/place/22935 |title=Homai |website=New Zealand Gazetteer |publisher=Land Information New Zealand|access-date=4 October 2022}} which opened in 1924.{{cite web|url=http://www.railheritage.org.nz/assets/dates_and_names.pdf|title=Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations|last=Scoble|first=Juliet|date=2010|website=Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand|accessdate=10 October 2019|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724032358/http://www.railheritage.org.nz/assets/dates_and_names.pdf|url-status=dead}} The train station was named Homai, suggested by Auckland resident Maurice Harding, referring to the gift of land and financing that Dreadon and his neighbours gave to create the station.{{Cite news|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19220830.2.28&srpos=1&zto=1|title=Local And General News.|date=30 August 1922|work= The New Zealand Herald|pages=6|access-date=26 April 2016}} Over time, the name became associated with the suburban area close to the train station. "Homai" is a Māori language verb, meaning "to give (to me)".

Homai covers {{Convert|2.27|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=8 February 2025}} and had an estimated population of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Burbank|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Homai East|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Homai Central|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Homai West|y}}|R}}|0}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|({{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Burbank|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Homai East|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Homai Central|y}}|R}}+{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Homai West|y}}|R}})/2.27|0}} people per km².

{{Historical populations|2006|9,438|2013|9,885|2018|11,931|2023|12,444|percentages=pagr|align=left|source={{NZ census 2018|Burbank (158800), Homai East (159100) and Homai West (159200)}}}}

Homai had a population of 12,444 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 513 people (4.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,559 people (25.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 6,228 males, 6,180 females and 36 people of other genders in 3,054 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%2Bdo1.158800%2B159101%2B159201%2B159202.2023&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+. There were 3,288 people (26.4%) aged under 15 years, 3,291 (26.4%) aged 15 to 29, 5,088 (40.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 780 (6.3%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 16.9% European (Pākehā); 26.4% Māori; 48.8% Pasifika; 25.2% Asian; 1.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 0.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 89.8%, Māori language by 6.5%, Samoan by 17.1%, and other languages by 23.2%. No language could be spoken by 3.3% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 39.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 48.8% Christian, 8.1% Hindu, 2.9% Islam, 2.5% Māori religious beliefs, 1.6% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 4.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 25.7%, and 6.4% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,017 (11.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 4,377 (47.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 3,750 (41.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 306 people (3.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,569 (49.9%) people were employed full-time, 801 (8.7%) were part-time, and 564 (6.2%) 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%2Bib7%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.158800%2B159101%2B159201%2B159202.2013%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=Burbank (158800), Homai East (159101), Homai West (159201) and Homai Central (159202)}}

Manurewa High School is a secondary school (years 9–13) with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|99|y}}.{{TKI|99|Manurewa High School}} The school opened in 1960.{{cite web|url=https://www.manurewa.school.nz/about/school-history|title=School History|publisher=Manurewa High School|accessdate=14 September 2020}} Homai School is a contributing primary school (years 1–6) with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|1317|y}},{{TKI|1317|Homai School}} which opened in 1955 as Manurewa North School.{{citeq|Q117421984|page=46-47}}

Both schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|y||.}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/photos/search/searchterm/Homai/field/title/ Photographs of Homai] held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.

{{Manurewa Local Board Area}}

Category:Suburbs of Auckland

Category:Manurewa Local Board Area