Whitireia was established as an independent tertiary education institute in 1986 on the shores of Porirua Harbour.

As of 2022[update], Whitireia and WelTec share 7,700 students, with campuses in Wellington, Petone and Porirua.

After running into financial difficulties, Whitireia was bailed out by the government with a NZ$15 million grant in 2018.

[5][6] Dr Tūroa Royal was the foundation principal and CEO of Whitireia Community Polytechnic from 1986 to 1996.

[9] When Chris Gosling, the current CEO, took over from Campbell in 2015, this was a combined role as chief executive for both Whitireia and WelTec.