Greerton
Suburb
Coordinates: 37°43′41″S 176°07′52″E / 37.728°S 176.131°E / -37.728; 176.131
Country	New Zealand
City	Tauranga
Local authority	Tauranga City Council
Electoral ward	Te Papa General Ward Tauriko General Ward
Area [1]
• Land	421 ha (1,040 acres)
Population  (June 2023)[2]
• Total	4,600

Bethlehem	Gate Pa	Merivale
Tauriko	Greerton	Poike
	Pyes Pa

Greerton is a major suburb of Tauranga, the largest city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Greerton is named after Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Harpur Greer, commander of the British forces during the Battle of Gate Pā.^[3]

Demographics

Greerton covers 4.21 km² (1.63 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 4,600 as of June 2023,^[2] with a population density of 1,093 people per km².

Greerton had a population of 4,128 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 393 people (10.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 432 people (11.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,671 households, comprising 1,926 males and 2,205 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.87 males per female, with 762 people (18.5%) aged under 15 years, 828 (20.1%) aged 15 to 29, 1,593 (38.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 945 (22.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 77.5% European/Pākehā, 20.2% Māori, 3.3% Pacific peoples, 11.0% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 19.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 49.6% had no religion, 31.4% were Christian, 1.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.8% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.8% were Buddhist and 4.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 402 (11.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 843 (25.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 237 people (7.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,488 (44.2%) people were employed full-time, 450 (13.4%) were part-time, and 135 (4.0%) were unemployed.^[4]

History

It was originally a small village located several kilometres south of Tauranga but was swallowed up by urban development. A military village of 125 one acre lots, the Township of Greerton, was surveyed near Gate Pā. Military settlers were allowed a choice of one acre there or a quarter acre in Te Papa. Originally, very few settlers took up town sections in Greerton.^[7]

In 1864 the Tauranga Campaign was fought in the neighbouring suburb of Gate Pā with Māori troops withdrawing through Greerton to Pyes Pa.^[8][9]

Culture

The Greerton community celebrates the cherry blossom festival in the third week of September every year.^[10]

Education

Greerton has two co-educational state primary schools: Greerton Village School,^[11][12] with a roll of 353,^[13] and Greenpark School,^[14] with a roll of 677.^[15]

Greerton is also zoned for Tauranga Intermediate, Tauranga Boys' College and Tauranga Girls' College.^[16][17]

Recreation

Tauranga Racecourse | Mārawaewae is situated on Cameron Road next to Tauranga Golf Course, at the southern end of Greerton Village.

Greerton also has several parks: Greerton Park, Liston Park, Moreland Fox Park, Pemberton Park and Yatton Park.

References