Warkworth, New Zealand

Warkworth was named in 1854 by early settler John Anderson Brown, who took the name from Warkworth, Northumberland, The major streets of Warkworth were named after villages adjacent to Warkworth in England, or after major Northumbrian families. ==Geography==

is a major waterway that flows through Warkworth -dominated forest until the mid-19th century. Some remnant kauri trees can be found at Parry Kauri Park The Warkworth area is at the upper navigable point of the Mahurangi River, which flows south-east towards the Mahurangi Harbour. Most of the town is located near the river, with the town centre being adjacent to the river bend. Most of Warkworth is undulating land. but it is rainier in winter. {{Weather box|width=auto ==History==

The area that became Warkworth had limited Māori occupation. The Mahurangi River was the route between the Mahurangi and Kaipara Harbours for the local tribes. This route was later used by Europeans. The purchase was not finalised until 1853 and land was not subdivided nor resold until then, instead the Crown offered timber licences to settlers. The town developed slowly, primarily around the Mahurangi River wharf, where settlers could supply goods and services for the Auckland market. Bridge House Lodge, established on the site of John Anderson Brown's home next door to the Warkworth Bridge, is the oldest surviving building in Warkworth. The Mahurangi Post Office and Library were established in 1859. Some of the 3rd Marine Division servicemen were stationed in Warkworth. The Warkworth Town Hall was used to stage entertainment for the servicemen. By 1944 when the United States Army had left, the New Zealand Army requisitioned many of the camps. By 2010, the facility had been redeveloped as an AUT radio observatory. opened in 1980. Warkworth saw significant suburban housing growth between 2008 and 2018, with the population increasing by 61% between 2006 and 2018. Warkworth is expected to grow from around 5,000 residents to 25,000–30,000. The town is currently zoned for 7,500 dwellings. Warkworth is the largest town between Auckland and Whangarei. ==Local government==

The first local government for the township was the Upper Mahurangi Highway District, which was formed on 24 December 1864. It was one of the first highway districts to form north of the city of Auckland, and was formed to administer the road upkeep costs in the area. With the abolition of the provinces of New Zealand in 1876, Warkworth became part of Rodney County. From 1989 to 2010, Warkworth was part of Rodney District. In November 2010, all city and district councils in the Auckland Region were merged into a single unitary authority, Auckland Council, with Warkworth in the Rodney Local Board area. ==Demographics==

Warkworth is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Warkworth had a population of 6,675 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,089 people (19.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,406 people (56.4%) since the 2013 census. There were 3,231 males, 3,429 females and 15 people of other genders in 2,571 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,233 people (18.5%) aged under 15 years, 948 (14.2%) aged 15 to 29, 2,742 (41.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,749 (26.2%) aged 65 or older. ==Education==

The first school in Warkworth was the Mahurangi School, established in 1863. It was first built on the current site in 1957, and was then called Warkworth District High School. It was renamed Mahurangi College in 1962, and had a roll of 210 students at the time. Warkworth School Warkworth School is a co-educational primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of students as of ==Economy==

Warkworth is both a service town for the wider area and a satellite town of Auckland. The nearby surrounds are a mix of industrial, horticulture, and agricuture. ==Sports==

Mahurangi RFC is the local rugby club, formed in 1989 as an amalgamation of three local rugby clubs: Warkworth, Kaipara Flats and Omaha. ==Morrison's Orchard==

Edward Morrison established the Red Bluffs Orchard near Hepburn Creek in the 1870s on a 4 acre site. Morrison created new varieties and was a very successful orchadist; by 1914 Morrison had 250,000 trees covering — the largest orchard in New Zealand. Red Bluffs closed in 1919; however, the Morrison family established another orchard in 1935, Kenilworth. Kenilworth is a 40 acre orchard that is still operating. Both the Morrison family and the Warkworth public support retaining the orchard through the urbanisation and expansion of the town. ==Notable buildings==

The Warkworth town centre has a high proportion of historic buildings including: the Warkworth Town Hall, Warkworth Post Office, Broomfield House, Warkworth Masonic Hall, St Columba's Church, and the Warkworth Hotel. Other historic places in Warkworth include the ruins of the Wilsons' cement works, Riverina, and the Wilsons' Manager's House. ==Kōwhai festival==

Warkworth has a festival celebrated when kōwhai trees start to drop their flowers (September–October). Thousands of visitors come to see the festival which features old horse carriages, markets, and bands. ==Notable residents==

• Lucy Moore was a botanist and descendant of a pioneer family. The Lucy Moore Memorial Park was named in her honour. • Harry Parry (?–1977) was a supporter of obtaining land for a park with kauri trees. The Parry Kauri Park is named in his honour. • Conrad Robertson olympic gold medalist. ==Transportation==

State Highway 1 passed through Warkworth until an extension of the Auckland Northern Motorway opened in July 2023. The new extension ends just north of Warkworth. Auckland Transport operatives bus services to Snells Beach, Omaha, Wellsford, and to the Hibiscus Coast busway station. There are no local services for transport around the town itself. and Mahu City Express twice a day to Auckland. ==Sister towns==

Warkworth has several sister towns including: • Warkworth, Northumberland (Town founder John Anderson Brown named Warkworth after his former home in England) • Furudono, Fukushima (Furudono is a sister school of Mahurangi College and Warkworth Primary School located in Honshū, Japan) • Warkworth, Ontario (This town in Canada was sistered in 2003) ==References==