History Of Lower Hutt

Petone was the site of the first formalised settlement of the New Zealand Company in 1840, which is celebrated every year as Wellington's Anniversary Day on 22 January (the date of the arrival of the first immigrant ship, the Aurora).

A glimpse back in time  - 1840 European the settlers arrived, 1891 Lower Hutt Borough Council was established, 1941 Lower Hutt becomes a city, 1944 Hutt Hospital opens, 1976 Avalon TV Studios, 1989 Amalgamation of Lower Hutt, Petone, Wainuiomata and Eastbourne into Lower Hutt City right up to the most current being 2005 when Westfield shopping centre was redeveloped.

Maori had settled in the Hutt Valley many years before this and helped the settlers to build their homes on Pito-one (Petone) Beach. These settlers established New Zealand's first bank and newspaper.

The lower part of the valley was significant in a national context for its concentrated industrial base in the late 19th and early 20th century which serviced all of New Zealand.

In the post-war period Lower Hutt was at the forefront of Modern Movement architecture in New Zealand. Housing and commercial developments in the Hutt Valley enabled some of New Zealand's leading architects to fully explore town planning and functional design, key elements of the Modern Movement.

Today Lower Hutt encompasses the former boroughs of Petone, Eastbourne, and Wainuiomata, and Lower Hutt City. The amalgamation took place in 1989 and brought the areas together under the geographical name of Lower Hutt.