Taradale, Hawke's Bay

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Taradale is a suburb of the City of Napier, in the Hawke's Bay Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It was a town district from 1886 to 1953, and a borough from 1953 to 1968, when it merged with Napier City. Taradale is located 10 kilometres southwest of the centre of Napier, and is also known as the Taradale and Greenmeadows area. It is the home to some of Hawke's Bay's most prominent vineyards.The population of the Taradale and Greenmeadows area was 16,599 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 972 from 2001.About TaradaleTaradale is a 10-minute drive from the centre of the tourist destination of Napier City and, with over a third of Napier's population, is one of the most important areas in the region, with one of the highest socioeconomic demographic profiles in the Hawke's Bay. Many of Taradale's residents commute to the Napier or Hastings CBDs and prefer rural or suburban life as opposed to the city life of central Napier.Taradale is a prosperous, established community nestled against the Taradale hills in an area rich in wine heritage dating back as far as the 1850s. Two of the most famous vineyards in Hawkes Bay, Mission Estate and Church Road Winery, are located in the area and together attract over 300,000 tourists annually. Mission Estate Winery, founded in 1851 and occupying its present site since 1897, is the oldest New Zealand winery still in operation.Early historyMāori historySeveral hundreds years ago there was a large Māori pa on the hills at the southern edge of the area now known as Taradale. Originally a double pa, the top part was called Hikurangi and the bottom Otatara. Occupied by a tribe known as Tini-o-Awa or Ngati Awa, the pa terraces enclosed about 100 hectares and was home to around 3000 Māori. The pa was on an excellent defensive site beside the Tutaekuri River which was navigable by canoe from the sea. Food was plentiful, the hillsides were suitable for kumara growing and much of the area was a large tidal location with fish, eels and shellfish.