Gracefield is an industrial suburb of Lower Hutt City, located at the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand.
Up until the 1980s, Gracefield and neighbouring Petone were home to woollen mills, railway workshops, car assembly and meat processing plants. But when protective tariffs were lifted in the mid-1980s, many of these industries ceased.[4]
The headquarters and principal laboratories of Callaghan Innovation are in Gracefield, in premises developed largely from the Physics and Engineering Laboratory of DSIR.
Demographics
Gracefield statistical area covers 3.75 km2 (1.45 sq mi)[2] and includes Seaview. It had an estimated population of 310 as of June 2023,[3] with a population density of 83 people per km2.
Gracefield had a population of 141 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 42 people (42.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 66 people (88.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 66 households, comprising 93 males and 45 females, giving a sex ratio of 2.07 males per female. The median age was 44.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 18 people (12.8%) aged under 15 years, 27 (19.1%) aged 15 to 29, 84 (59.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 9 (6.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 85.1% European/Pākehā, 19.1% Māori, 4.3% Pasifika, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 14.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 78.7% had no religion, 12.8% were Christian, 2.1% were Buddhist and 2.1% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 21 (17.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 15 (12.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $37,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 21 people (17.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 75 (61.0%) people were employed full-time, 15 (12.2%) were part-time, and 3 (2.4%) were unemployed.[5]
Education
Gracefield School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[6][7] with a roll of 212 as of April 2023.[8]
The Waiwhetū Stream is a small watercourse that flows through Gracefield and drains the eastern side of the Hutt Valley. It enters Wellington Harbour at the Hutt River estuary. Development and urbanisation of the Hutt Valley since the arrival of settlers led to increasing pollution and degradation of the stream environment. The stream was diverted into concrete culverts in many sections in an attempt to reduce flooding. Industrial development in the area around the lower reaches of the stream led to that section becoming an industrial sewer. In 2010, the stream was described as one of the most polluted waterways in New Zealand.[9]
Pressure from the community beginning around 2003 helped to trigger a major project to clean up the lower reaches. This project was declared complete in June 2010, after the removal of 56,000 tonnes of toxic waste. In 2010-11, a community group was formed to lead restoration of the upper reaches of the stream. Over a period of 10 years, volunteers cleared invasive aquatic weeds and rubbish from 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) of the stream bed and established around 34,000 locally-sourced native plants on the banks of the stream.[10]
Gracefield
