Flaxmere

The original European owner of the land was Sir William Russell, for many years of local member of parliament and Leader of the Opposition from 1894 to 1901. Russell called his estate Flaxmere. When Hastings City Council needed to expand, subdivision of the land started in 1963 and in the following year, the area was incorporated into the area held by the (then) city council. The subdivision was named after the original estate name.[3] Russell's son, Harold Russell, inherited a homestead Little Flaxmere and land that was part of original estate. This is today located in nearby Twyford.[4]

Flaxmere West, comprising the statistical areas of Flaxmere West, Omahu Strip, Lochain Park, Flaxmere Park and Flaxmere South, had a population of 11,142 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,623 people (17.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,203 people (12.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,949 households. There were 5,439 males and 5,697 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 3,408 people (30.6%) aged under 15 years, 2,685 (24.1%) aged 15 to 29, 4,002 (35.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,035 (9.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 36.5% European/Pākehā, 59.1% Māori, 24.4% Pacific peoples, 2.0% Asian, and 0.6% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 12.6%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 41.6% had no religion, 41.9% were Christian, 0.3% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 8.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 420 (5.4%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 2,289 (29.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,011 (51.9%) people were employed full-time, 861 (11.1%) were part-time, and 474 (6.1%) were unemployed.[1]

Flaxmere was built to cater to the housing demand of Hastings. Flaxmere was intended to be an upper-middle class subdivision but because land was subdivided into smaller lots it turned into a low income neighbourhood.

It has a small shopping centre with a supermarket, petrol station, post office, bakery, video store, butchery, indoor rock climbing centre, and various other businesses offering necessities and/or leisure. Other amenities include a library, police station, several churches and an indoor swimming complex, Flaxmere Waterworld.

Flaxmere has four primary schools:

• Flaxmere Primary School is a state primary school,[10][11] with a roll of 429.[12]
• Peterhead School is a state primary school,[13] with a roll of 516.[14]
• Irongate School is a state primary school,[15] with a roll of 291.[16]
• Kimi Ora Community School is a state primary school,[17] with a roll of 132.[18]

The township also has two other schools:

• Flaxmere College is a state secondary school,[19][20] with a roll of 331.[21]
• Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngati Kahungunu Ki Heretaunga is a Year 1-13 Māori immersion school,[22] with a roll of 178.[23]

All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of March 2020.[24]