The settlement at the southern end of the Upper Hutt basin is Trentham, well known for its army camp, racecourse and memorial park. In 1841 John Barton purchased a large area beside the Hutt River. He named it Trentham after his childhood home in England. Much of his land was cleared, but significant tracts of forest survived and in 1950 were purchased as Upper Hutt’s Second World War memorial. These remnants are reminders of the tawa–podocarp forest that once covered the Hutt Valley. One kilometre south, Trentham Army Camp occupies a large area. During the First World War the army built a large training camp there. It was used again during the Second World War and has since become a permanent facility. Nearby is Trentham Racecourse. Its buildings, erected by the Wellington Racing Club in 1906, were used during the Second World War as a military hospital and also to house American troops.
trentham
Meaning of place name
John Barton purchased a large area beside the Hutt River. He named it Trentham after his childhood home in England.
