Whataupoko


Whataupoko is the central suburb of the New Zealand city of Gisborne. It is located to the northeast of the city business district.
It is bordered by the city centre, and the suburbs of Kaiti and Mangapapa.
The name derives from the Maori terms 'Whata', meaning to elevate, support, bring into prominence or hang; and 'Upoko', meaning 'head'. This has often been considered to refer to the tribal display of the heads of defeated opponents but this is a mistaken attribution, based on ideas of the primacy and noble savagery of Māori that came from the assumptions of newcomers. Another theory put forward by residents is that 'Whata' and 'Upoko' mean the high head, or high point, or high chief, et cetera. Indeed, the point is the centre of the city, of the region, and at the centre of the suburb is still the seat of local government and oldest homes.
The 2006 Census of Population and Dwellings listed Whataupoko's population as 3,693, this is 8.3% of the Gisborne region's population. For the years between 2013 and 2023, the age structure forecasts for Whataupoko indicate decreases in population for all age groups.

Education

Gisborne Central School is a Year 1–6 co-educational state school. In 2019, it was a decile 7 school with a roll of 426.