Editing Hutt Valley

{{Short description|Valley in Greater Wellington, New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2007}}
[[Image:Wellington landsat labelled.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Lower and Upper Hutt cities are marked as 2 and 3 in this satellite image of the Wellington area (composite landsat-7 image)]]

{{Location map
| New Zealand Wellington
| label = Hutt Valley
| position = bottom
| lat = -41.1657
| long = 174.973
| width = 280
| float = right
| caption = Location of Hutt Valley
}}

The '''Hutt Valley''' (or 'The Hutt') is the large area of fairly flat land in the [[Hutt River, New Zealand|Hutt River]] valley in the [[Wellington Region]] of [[New Zealand]]. Like the river that flows through it, it takes its name from Sir [[William Hutt (British MP)|William Hutt]], a director of the [[New Zealand Company]] in early colonial New Zealand.

The river flows roughly along the course of an active [[geologic fault]], which continues to the south to become the main instrument responsible for the uplift of the [[South Island]]'s [[Southern Alps]]. For this reason, the land rises abruptly to the west of the river; to the east two floodplains have developed. The higher of these is between {{convert|15-22|km|abbr=on}} from the mouth of the river. Beyond this, the river is briefly confined by a steep-sided gorge near [[Taitā, New Zealand|Taitā]], before the land opens up into a long triangular plain close to the outflow into [[Wellington Harbour]].

The [[Waiwhetu Aquifer]] is formed from water seeping underground from the Hutt River near Taitā. It flows underground down the Hutt Valley and out under Wellington Harbour.

==Human settlement==
Some early Māori nations ([[iwi]]) of the region were Ngāi Tara, [[Muaūpoko]], [[Rangitāne]], [[Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō]] and [[Ngāti Porou|Ngāti Ira]]. These iwi descended from the sons of Whātonga, Taraika and Tautoki-ihu-nui-a-Whātonga, who migrated through the lower North Island with some descendants settling in the Hutt Valley.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Our Māori heritage |url=https://www.upperhuttcity.com/Your-Council/Our-city/Our-M%C4%81ori-heritage#section-2 |website=Upper Hutt City Council}}</ref> The name Heretaunga is often applied to the Hutt Valley from the name of the 'house of Whātonga at Nukutaurua vollage ([[pā]])'.<ref name=":0" />

In 1846 there was fighting between [[Māori people|Māori]] tribes and the Government, known as the [[Hutt Valley Campaign]].

The Hutt River also has the name Te Awa Kairangi, and was a [[Arterial road|major arterial route]] for [[Māori people|Māori]]. There was a trail linking Wellington Harbour and the [[Wairarapa]] over the [[Remutaka Range]] and through [[Pākuratahi River|Pākuratahi river]]. Before the [[1855 Wairarapa earthquake]] large Māori boats (waka) could travel as far Pākuratahi river, and European ships could also go up the valley 'almost' to Silverstream.<ref name=":0" />

The lower valley contains the city of [[Lower Hutt]], administered by [[Hutt City Council]], while the adjacent, larger but less populous city of [[Upper Hutt]] has its centre on the smaller plain above the Taita Gorge.  The valley forms a major dormitory suburban area for [[Wellington]], and is a location for manufacturing and [[heavy industry]], educational and recreational facilities, and the region's motor camps.

[[Petone]], on the [[Wellington Harbour]] shoreline, was proposed as the initial site for the settlement of Wellington by the [[New Zealand Company]].  However, as the chosen site was soon seen to be prone to river flooding, early settlement was relocated to Wellington.  A small settlement remained at the Petone site as the whole valley was believed to be well suited as farm land.

Almost the whole valley was [[clearfelling|clearfelled]] and converted to pasture or [[Market gardening|market garden]]s before the urbanisation of the 20th century.  A small remnant of the early [[podocarp]] forest is preserved in [[Barton's Bush]] in Upper Hutt.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Hutt Valley}}
* [http://www.huttcity.govt.nz/ Hutt City Council (Lower Hutt area)]
* [http://uhcc.govt.nz/ Upper Hutt City Council (Upper Hutt area)]
* [https://www.huttvalleynz.com HuttValleyNZ.com (tourism information)]
* {{cite web|url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-ATLTime-t1-body-d42.html |title= Panorama of the Hutt Valley by T B Hutton, 1861 |publisher= NZETC |date= 1861 }}

{{coord|-41.1657|174.973|region:NZ-WGN_type:landmark_scale:100000|display=title}}

[[Category:Valleys of the Wellington Region]]
[[Category:Hutt Valley|*]]