Maupuia


Maupuia on the Miramar Peninsula is an eastern suburb of Wellington to the north-west of Miramar. Developed in the 1970s, it is in the Eastern Ward.
Maupuia had a usually resident population of 1,584 at the 2018 New Zealand census, similar to census figures from 2013 and 2006. As of the 2013 census, 60% of residents were European/Pākehā, 23% were Asian, 10% were Māori, and 9% were Pacific peoples.
The northern part of the peninsula, sometimes known as Crawford, includes Maupuia Park, the former Wellington Prison and at the tip of the peninsula on Point Halswell the Massey Memorial, the mausoleum of former prime minister William Massey. Shelly Bay on the west side of the peninsula is a former military base and is proposed to be developed for housing.
Other bays on the west side of the peninsula are Karaka Bay, Scorching Bay, Mahanga Bay and Kau Bay.

History

Originally the area was the site of a Māori pa. Maupuia was part of the Miramar Borough from 1904 to 1921, when the borough was incorporated into the City of Wellington.
In 1949 the Wellington City Council exchanged with the government the Townsend Estate of 145½ acres on Watts Peninsula for 13¼ acres of Town Belt land adjacent to the Victoria University of Wellington required for expansion of the university.
The land was developed from 1970 as a prestige residential subdivision for 2,500 people ultimately; with initially 100 single houses, 170 town houses, 150 two-person flats, 246 three-person flats and 24 pensioner flats. Earthworks over two years involved moving 350,000 cubic yards of spoil in 70,000 truckloads. The sections, with views of Evans Bay, the harbour and Wellington Airport were balloted. Eventually shopping and recreational facilities were to be provided.