world.wikisort.org - New_Zealand

Auroa is a locality in southern Taranaki, New Zealand. Ōpunake is to the west, Kaponga to the northeast, and Manaia to the southeast. Mount Taranaki is directly north of Auroa.[1][2]

Auroa
Coordinates: 39°29′1″S 174°2′38″E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Taranaki
District	South Taranaki District
Ward	Taranaki Coastal

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "long cloud" for Auroa.[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,431	—
2013	1,380	−0.52%
2018	1,326	−0.80%
Source: [4]

The Taungatara statistical area covers 313.10 km² (120.89 sq mi), including Te Kiri, Pihama and Auroa.[5] It had a population of 1,326 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 54 people (-3.9%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 105 people (-7.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 456 households. There were 702 males and 624 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.12 males per female. The median age was 32 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 357 people (26.9%) aged under 15 years, 270 (20.4%) aged 15 to 29, 603 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 96 (7.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.4% European/Pākehā, 18.3% Māori, 0.9% Pacific peoples, 2.7% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 8.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 49.5% had no religion, 38.7% were Christian, 0.7% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 2.3% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 123 (12.7%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 228 (23.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 588 (60.7%) people were employed full-time, 156 (16.1%) were part-time, and 27 (2.8%) were unemployed.[4]

Otakeho

Otakeho is a part of the Taungatara statistical area, to the south of Auroa and west of the Otakeho Stream (rising on Mount Taranaki and reaching the Tasman Sea at Otakeho),[6] on SH45.[7] It has a hall (built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee),[8] a boarded up store[9] (probably built about 1920)[10] and a few houses. To the west of Otakeho is Ngāruahine's Tawhitinui Marae.[11]

Otakeho has a small sandy beach, beyond Dingle Road,[12] at the foot of 40 m (130 ft) high cliffs.[13] It is used for fishing[12] and has a poorly protected,[14] nationally threatened, variety of Craspedia, Craspedia Otakeho.[15]

It once also had a school (1884[16]-2003[17] - the buildings remain),[18] a Category 2 listed church (sold in 2018[19] and moved to Pihama in 2021),[20] an hotel[21] (rebuilt[22] after a 1907 fire[23] and since burnt down again),[24] a post office, a smithy and a dairy factory,[25] which occupied several buildings.[26]

The Ōpunake to New Plymouth bus runs through Otakeho daily in each direction, except at weekends.[27]

Education

Auroa School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a roll of 190 students as of March 2022.[28][29] Schools at Pihama, Riverlea and Te Kiri were closed and merged into Auroa School in 2004.[30]

Association Football

The Auroa Association Football club was formed in May 1907.[31] After the First World War the club re-emerged with two sides. A story of an Auroa player who covered nearly 20 miles on a ladies bicycle in just over an hour to deliver a misplaced bag to the Hawera train station appeared in the local newspaper in 1923.[32] In 1924 Mr. W. Brown from Auroa captained Taranaki against Chinese Universities at Hawera's Showgrounds. In 1926 Auroa won the Taranaki Championship and Julian Cup.[33] In 1927 Mr. Freakley from Auroa captained Taranaki against Canada at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park.[34]

References

Further reading

General historical works

• Brown, Beryl, ed. (1991), Auroa: school & districts centennial, 1891-1991, Stratford, [N.Z.]: Stratford Press & Printing, ISBN 0-908904-09-6

Clubs and organisations

• Auroa Highland Pipe Band Inc.: 1928-1978: Golden Jubilee souvenir booklet: 3rd & 4th June,1978., Auroa, [N.Z.]: Auroa Highland Pipe Band Inc., 1978

Schools

• School register index: Oeo 1910 - 1984 : Otakeho to 1984 : Te Roti to 1984 : Tokaora to 1984 : Matapu to 1984 : Auroa : Okaiawa to 1984 : Kapuni, n.p.: n.p., n.d.

• Brown, Beryl, ed. (1991), Auroa: school & districts centennial, 1891-1991, Stratford, [N.Z.]: Stratford Press & Printing, ISBN 0-908904-09-6

• Robins, Patricia, ed. (1966), Auroa (Ratanui) School 75th jubilee, 1891-1966, Auroa, [N.Z.]: 75th Jubilee Executive Committee

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