Greytown Hūpēnui(Māori) | |
|---|---|
 Main street in Greytown | |
 Interactive map of Greytown | |
| Coordinates:41°04′48″S175°27′40″E / 41.080°S 175.461°E /-41.080; 175.461 | |
| Region | Wellington Region |
| Territorial authority | South Wairarapa District |
| Ward | Greytown Ward |
| Community | Greytown Community[1] |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Named after | Sir George Grey |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | South Wairarapa District Council |
| • Regional council | Greater Wellington Regional Council |
| • Mayor of South Wairarapa | Fran Wilde[2] |
| • Wairarapa MP | Mike Butterick[3] |
| • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP | Cushla Tangaere-Manuel[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.07 km2 (1.96 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2025)[5] | |
• Total | 2,840 |
| • Density | 560/km2 (1,450/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode | 5712 |
| Area code | 06 |
Greytown (Māori:Hūpēnui),[7][8] is a rural town in theSouth Wairarapa District in the lowerNorth Island of New Zealand. It is 77 km (48 mi) by road north-east ofWellington and 24 km (15 mi) southwest ofMasterton, travelling viaState Highway 2.
Greytown was first settled on 27 March 1854 under the Small Farms Association Settlement Scheme and was named afterGovernorSir George Grey, who arranged for the land to be bought from localMāori. It became a Borough in 1878 and a ward of theSouth Wairarapa District Council in 1989.
The firstArbor Day celebration in New Zealand was held in Greytown on 3 July 1890. Greytown Beautification Society has done a lot to keep the spirit alive for many years, especially Stella Bull Park and the park bench in the park dedicated to her, which states, "Only God can make a Tree". The town has many beautiful trees and a register is kept to help protect them. The Tree Advisory Group to the Greytown Community Board actively works to preserve trees and the historic tree register is in the process of being updated in collaboration with the Greytown Community Board and South Wairarapa District Council.
In 1856, Wellington worker Samuel Oates made the trip over theRemutaka Range for employment. Oates brought with him a wooden wheelbarrow, which carried tools along with 12 gum tree saplings intended for delivery toCarterton — thought to be the first mail delivery over the range by vehicle.[9] Upon reaching Greytown, Oates visited theRising Sun Hotel, leaving the wheelbarrow and its contents outside. While Oates was in the hotel, three of the gum trees were taken from the wheelbarrow. It was not until many years later that one of the missing trees was found growing outside St Luke's Anglican Church on the main road.[10][11] At over 160 years old, the tree now stands at 40 metres tall, and was a finalist in the 2025New Zealand Tree of the Year competition.[12]
A historic settlement andmarae is located atPāpāwai, east of Greytown.[13] It is affiliated with theNgāti Kahungunuhapū ofNgāti Kahukuranui o Kahungunu Kauiti,Ngāti Meroiti andNgāti Moe, and theRangitāne hapū ofNgāti Meroiti,Ngāti Moe,Ngāti Tauiao andNgāti Tūkoko.[14]
The marae's meeting house, named Hikurangi, dates from 1888 and is unique in that the magnificent carved ancestors that surround the pā face inward. In the late 19th century the wharenui was an important site ofTe Kotahitanga, the Māori parliament movement. In the 1890s sessions were held at Pāpāwai, and were reported inHuia Tangata Kotahi, a Māori-language newspaper published by Īhāia Hūtana from 1893 to 1895.[15] A large building was constructed at Pāpāwai to house the parliament, used for sessions in 1897 and 1898. The parliament passed a resolution to end the sale of Māori land and was visited by Governor General Lord Ranfurly, and by PremierRichard Seddon. From the 1910s Pāpāwai fell into disrepair, and little was done until the 1960s when conservation work was carried out on the carved figures. In the late 1980s the marae was fully restored, and is again in full use by the community.[16]
The Māori name for Greytown is Hūpēnui, the literal translation of which is "the big snot", better translated as "the fluid that comes out of your nose at a tangi or funeral".[17]
Greytown covers 5.07 km2 (1.96 sq mi)[6] and had an estimated population of 2,840 as of June 2025,[5] with a population density of 560 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2,103 | — |
| 2013 | 2,238 | +0.89% |
| 2018 | 2,466 | +1.96% |
| Source:[18] | ||
Greytown had a population of 2,466 at the2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 228 people (10.2%) since the2013 census, and an increase of 363 people (17.3%) since the2006 census. There were 1,044 households, comprising 1,176 males and 1,287 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. The median age was 51.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 429 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 243 (9.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,077 (43.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 726 (29.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 93.6% European/Pākehā, 9.1%Māori, 1.9%Pasifika, 2.3%Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 18.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.5% had no religion, 38.1% wereChristian, 0.6% hadMāori religious beliefs, 0.2% wereHindu, 0.4% wereBuddhist and 1.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 543 (26.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 327 (16.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 417 people (20.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 921 (45.2%) people were employed full-time, 330 (16.2%) were part-time, and 42 (2.1%) were unemployed.[18]
Greytown is a popular weekend and holiday destination.[19] It was awarded the title of New Zealand's Most Beautiful Small Town 2017 (pop less than 5,000).[20]
Themain street has a number of boutique, antique stores andcafés.[21] The officialcamping ground next to the soldiers' memorial park is very popular during long weekends and holidays. Swimming is free at the Greytown Memorial Park which remains a monument to the men of Greytown who gave their lives in both World Wars. Within the park are 117 lime trees, planted in 1922 to commemorate the 117 soldiers from the community who died in WW1. With cycling becoming increasingly popular the Woodside Rail Trail is a regular spot for visitors. The 5 km (3.1 mi) rail trail passes through quiet farmland, native plantings and heritage trees to Woodside Station, with great views of the Tararua Ranges.
Following the firstCOVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, the town began hosting theWairarapa Festival of Christmas in July to boost tourism in the area, providing an experience evocative of a wintertime Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere.[11] The month-long festival includes lighting displays, markets, workshops, and family activities.[22] The annual event attracts tens of thousands of visitors and brings in more than $4.5 million into the region’s economy. In 2025, the festival was named as the winner of theVibrant Gold category in the Wellington Gold Awards, after previously being crowned Supreme Winner at the 2023 Wairarapa Awards.[23]
Greytown was marketed as "The fruit bowl of the Wairarapa" when fruit was grown on the west of the town with orchards like Westhaven and Pinehaven.
The Kidds came to Greytown in 1906 from Wanganui where they had been engaged in fruit growing. In 1910 they bought a twenty-acre farmlet in Udy Street which he planted with a mixture of soft fruits (blackcurrants & gooseberries) and apple trees. They made the improvement to the orchard, their main purpose in life, continually experimenting with propagating new varieties of apples. Their experiments with cross pollination resulted in the fixing of several commercial varieties, the most notable of which are theKidd’s Orange Red, Freyburg andGala which is grown worldwide.[citation needed]
Thetown is proud of its history, claiming to have the most complete main street ofVictorian architecture in the country, and of being the firstplanned inland town. It has played on these assets, creating a revival largely based on its architecture. Retailers like the butcher have changed their 1970s street frontage to a more Victorian one. The town recognises that buildings need to be maintained in order to maintain the town's charm and in 2016–2017 six significant building were restored/painted. This formed part of Greytown's submission for the most beautiful small town in New Zealand.
Cobblestones Museum, a regional history museum, on 167 Main Street, contains sixHistoric Places Trustcategory 2 buildings. In 2014 it opened a new exhibition building which showcases Greytown and Wairarapa history. It has embarked on an ambitious plan to restore all the listed buildings under conservation plans and now ranks as the top thing to see in Greytown onTrip Advisor.[24]
Heritage buildings are recorded by the Greytown Heritage Trust. The Greytown Heritage Trust was formed with the primary object of encouraging and facilitating the preservation of historic buildings in and around Greytown, with particular attention being given to the Greytown Historic Heritage Precinct as defined in the Wairarapa Combined District Plan. The Greytown Hotel claims to be one of New Zealand's oldest surviving hotels.[25]
One of the Victorian-style buildings on Main Street isThe White Swan Hotel. This building was originally constructed in 1905 as a railways administration block inWoburn,Lower Hutt. In 2002, it was cut into six sections, transported over theRemutaka Hill road, re-assembled and renovated to become a hotel, restaurant and bar.[26]
The town is linked to Wellington and Masterton byNew Zealand State Highway 2, a scenic mountain route peaking at theRemutaka summit.
The town was previously linked to Wellington and Masterton by a branch rail line.
In the 1870s, when thePublic Works Department announced that theWairarapa Linerailway betweenFeatherston andMasterton was not going to pass through Greytown, local protests were successful in attaining approval for abranch line from the Wairarapa Line at Woodside, which opened on 14 May 1880. For a few monthsGreytown was the terminus of the Wairarapa Line, but once the extension from Woodside to Masterton opened on 1 November 1880, the branch was one of the quietest railway lines in the country.
The branch line closed on 24 December 1953, and at the time of closure its revenue was only a tenth of its operating costs. Greytown passengers are now serviced byWoodside Railway Station on theWairarapa Line.[27]
Greytown has two schools:
Greytown Rugby club, established in 1877, is one of the oldest in the country. New Zealand rugby representatives from the Greytown club were:
Cricket has a long history in Greytown. On New Year's Day 1867, festivities at Greytown included men's and women's cricket matches – the first known instance of women's cricket in New Zealand.[29][30] Greytown Cricket Club, established later in 1867, is the second-oldest cricket club in New Zealand, and 10 years older thanTest cricket. It has been the powerhouse of the Wairarapa competition, with all three Senior teams winning their competitions in the 2005–06 season, and almost repeating the feat (two out of three) in 2006–07.
There are over 30 sports clubs in Greytown which come under the umbrella of Greytown Community Sport and Leisure Society,[31] a volunteer organisation.
The Wellington Gliding Club[32] operates from the Greytown Soaring Centre in Papawai, approximately 4 km east of Greytown on Tilsons Road.
