{{Short description|Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox New Zealand suburb | name = Wakari | image = | caption1 = | city1 = Dunedin | council = [[Dunedin City Council]] | ward = | coordinates = {{coord|45|51|32|S|170|29|00|E|region:NZ_type:city_scale:100000|display=inline,title}} | established = | area = 221 | areasource = <ref name="Area"/> | population = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Wakari|y}} | popdate = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y}} | popsource = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2||||y}} | population_density_km2 = auto | trainstations = | ferryterminals = | airports = | hospitals = | mapframe = y | mapframe-zoom = 11 | caption2 = }} {{Adjacent place | centre = Wakari | north = [[Helensburgh, New Zealand|Helensburgh]] | northeast = [[Glenleith]] | east = [[Maori Hill]] | southeast = [[Roslyn, Dunedin|Roslyn]] | south = [[Kaikorai Valley#Kaikorai|Kaikorai]] | southwest = [[Brockville, New Zealand|Brockville]] | west = [[Halfway Bush]] | northwest = }} [[File:View_of_the_sanatorium_at_Wakari,_Dunedin,_1926._ATLIB_295739.png | thumb | right | View of the sanatorium at Wakari, Dunedin. Photograph taken by Albert Percy Godber, in 1926.]] '''Wakari''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|w|ɑː|ˈ|k|ɑː|r|iː}} {{respell|wah-kah-ree}}) is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of [[Dunedin]]. It is located {{convert|2.5|km|mi}} to the northwest of the city centre, immediately to the west of the ridge which runs to the west of the city's centre. Wakari lies to the north of the upper reaches of the [[Kaikorai Valley]], and is also north of [[Kaikorai Valley#Kaikorai|the suburb of Kaikorai]]. The suburbs of [[Roslyn, Otago|Roslyn]] and [[Maori Hill]] are situated on the ridge immediately to the southeast and east of Wakari. The suburb of [[Halfway Bush]] lies to the northwest, and the smaller suburb of [[Helensburgh, New Zealand|Helensburgh]] lies to the north.
Wakari is an [[anglicisation]] of the [[Māori language|Māori]] Whakaari, "exposed to view". This is the [[Māori language|Māori]] name for the hill, [[Flagstaff, Otago|Flagstaff]], which lies {{convert|2.5|km|mi}} to the northwest. A [[shibboleth]] is that many (though not all) local residents pronounce the name as "wy-kar-ree" ({{IPAc-en|w|aɪ|ˌ|k|ær|iː}}).{{fact|date=June 2025}}
The suburb is bounded in the south by Taieri Road, a main suburban arterial route which links central Dunedin with the [[Taieri Plains]]. West of Halfway Bush, the road becomes Three Mile Hill Road, crossing the eponymous hill to reach the Taieri Plain northeast of [[Mosgiel]]. To the southeast of Wakari, Taieri Road runs under the [[Roslyn Overbridge]] and becomes [[Stuart Street, Dunedin|Stuart Street]], one of central Dunedin's main streets. Other main roads in and around Wakari include Balmacewen Road in the northern part of the suburb, Helensburgh Road in the northeast, Nairn Street, and Shetland Street.
Wakari's most prominent structure is the [[Wakari Hospital]], one of Dunedin's main health care centres, which specialises in psychiatric services. This hospital is located in the west of the suburb, close to its boundary with Halfway Bush.
[[Āraiteuru Marae]] is also located in Wakari. It is a ''[[marae]]'' (meeting ground) of [[Ngāi Tahu]] and includes Āraiteuru ''[[wharenui]]'' (meeting house).<ref name="araiteuru">{{cite web |title=Arai te Uru |url=http://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/venue/arai-te-uru-marae/ |website=ngatitahu.iwi.nz |publisher=[[Ngāi Tahu]] |access-date=19 June 2018 |archive-date=14 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614071905/http://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/venue/arai-te-uru-marae/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is next to [[Balmacewen Intermediate School]].
==Demographics== Wakari covers {{Convert|2.21|km2||abbr=on}}<ref name="Area">{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Web Application|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f49867abe464f86ac7526552fe19787| access-date=2 January 2022|website=statsnz.maps.arcgis.com}}</ref> and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Wakari|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Wakari|y}}|R}}/2.21|0}} people per km<sup>2</sup>.
{{Historical populations|2006|3,693|2013|3,822|2018|4,098|percentages=pagr|align=left|source=<ref name="Census 2018"/>}} Wakari had a population of 4,098 at the [[2018 New Zealand census]], an increase of 276 people (7.2%) since the [[2013 New Zealand census|2013 census]], and an increase of 405 people (11.0%) since the [[2006 New Zealand census|2006 census]]. There were 1,725 households, comprising 1,929 males and 2,169 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female. The median age was 37.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 780 people (19.0%) aged under 15 years, 828 (20.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,896 (46.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 600 (14.6%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 85.3% European/[[Pākehā]], 9.6% [[Māori people|Māori]], 2.9% [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pasifika]], 8.8% [[Asian New Zealanders|Asian]], and 3.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 19.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.3% had no religion, 32.2% were [[Christianity in New Zealand|Christian]], 0.3% had [[Religion of Māori people|Māori religious beliefs]], 1.0% were [[Hinduism in New Zealand|Hindu]], 1.2% were [[Islam in New Zealand|Muslim]], 0.4% were [[Buddhism in New Zealand|Buddhist]] and 2.3% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 996 (30.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 492 (14.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $31,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 453 people (13.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,626 (49.0%) people were employed full-time, 528 (15.9%) were part-time, and 114 (3.4%) were unemployed.<ref name="Census 2018">{{NZ census 2018|Wakari (351000)|wakari|Wakari}}</ref>
==Education== Wakari School is a state contributing primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,<ref>{{TKI|3859|Wakari School}}</ref> with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|3859|y}} students. The school started in 1858.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21451099 |title=Wakari School 1858-2008 : 150th anniversary / Julie and Danny Knudson (record) |publisher=National Library of New Zealand |access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref>
St Mary's School is a state-integrated Catholic school for Year 1 to 6 students.<ref>{{TKI|3830|St Mary's School}}</ref> It has a roll of {{NZ school roll data|3830|y}} students. It started in St Mary's Church in 1913.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://stmaryskaikorai.edublogs.org/about-st-marys/our-history/ |title=Out History |publisher=St Mary's School |access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref>
Balmacewen Intermediate is a state intermediate school for Year 7 to 8 students,<ref>{{TKI|3711|Balmacewen Intermediate}}</ref> with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|3711|y}} students. It first opened in 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.balmacewen.school.nz/about-us/charter-and-strategic-plan/ |title=Charter and Strategic Plan 2018-2021 |publisher=Balmacewen Intermediate |access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref>
All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|y||.}}
From 1878 to 1883, a secondary boarding and day school for boys, [[Kavanagh College#St Aloysius College, Wakari (1878–1883)|St Aloysius College]], was operated by the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits]] at Wakari.<ref>[https://www.jesuitarchives.ie/st-aloysius-college-waikari-dunedin-new-zealand-1878-1883 "St Aloysius College, Waikari, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1878-1883", ''Irish Jesuit Archives''] (Retrieved 25 August 2022)</ref> That school's site is now occupied by a golf course (Balmacewen Course),<ref name="Balmacewen">[https://www.otagogolfclub.co.nz/the-course?ComeFromCat=1412 "The Course", ''The Otago Golf Club''] (Retrieved 26 August, 2022)</ref> the 10th hole<ref name="Balmacewen"/> of which is still called "the monastery".<ref>[https://www.amdgchinese.org/en/2009/11/11/jesuitica-jesuits-in-new-zealand/ Jesuitica: Jesuits in New Zealand, Society of Jesus, Chinese Province] (retrieved 25 August 2022)</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Dunedin suburbs}}
[[Category:Suburbs of Dunedin]]