Himatangi is a small settlement in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located at the junction of State Highways 1 and 56, 25 kilometres west of Palmerston North, and seven kilometres east of the coastal settlement of Himatangi Beach.

Himatangi
Carnarvon Hall
Coordinates: 40°24′S 175°19′E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Manawatū-Whanganui
District	Manawatu District
Ward	Southern Manawatu Rural Ward

The area has two marae:

• Motuiti Marae and its Rakau or Paewai meeting house is affiliated with the Rangitāne hapū of Ngāti Mairehau and the Ngāti Raukawa hapū of Ngāti Rākau.
• Paranui Marae and its Turanga meeting house is affiliated with the Ngāti Raukawa hapū of Ngāti Te Au and Ngāti Tūranga.[1][2]

About 50 Māori land blocks are located between Himatangi and Foxton to the south.[3]

History

The area was largely undeveloped with rough terrain in 1942, according to a photograph held in the National Library of New Zealand.[4]

Himatangi was once the location of the junction between the New Zealand Railways Department's Foxton Branch railway and the Manawatu County Council's Sanson Tramway. Both lines are now closed; use of the Tramway ceased in 1945, followed by the Branch in 1959.

In 2005, a study found agricultural pesticides were being rapidly leached into the sandy soil at Himatangi.[5]

In 2009, planning approval was granted for the building of a piggery after the landowner agreed to reduce from what he originally proposed.[6]

In 2014, the community was used as a trial community for the Horizons Regional Council's emergency readiness plan. The landowner and New Zealand Pork Board had been considering legal action through the Environment Court.[7]

In 2019 a regional bus service between Levin and Palmerston North was introduced, providing a weekly return service between Himatangi and Foxton.[8]

Demographics

The statistical area of Oroua Downs, which covers 125.25 km² (48.36 sq mi),[10] also includes Himatangi Beach and Tangimoana. It had a population of 1,254 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 210 people (20.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 87 people (7.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 540 households. There were 642 males and 612 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.05 males per female. The median age was 48 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 207 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 192 (15.3%) aged 15 to 29, 606 (48.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 249 (19.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 88.8% European/Pākehā, 16.0% Māori, 1.9% Pacific peoples, 2.9% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 10.0%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 57.7% had no religion, 26.8% were Christian, 0.2% were Hindu and 3.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 120 (11.5%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 327 (31.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 477 (45.6%) people were employed full-time, 147 (14.0%) were part-time, and 42 (4.0%) were unemployed.[9]

Education

Oroua Downs School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[11][12] with a roll of 102 as of March 2022.[13]

References