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Eketāhuna

Coordinates: 40°38′49″S 175°42′14″E / 40.647°S 175.704°E / -40.647; 175.704
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Eketāhuna
Photograph of the Eketāhuna Giant Kiwi
Eketāhuna Kiwi
Map
Coordinates: 40°38′49″S 175°42′14″E / 40.647°S 175.704°E / -40.647; 175.704
CountryNew Zealand
RegionManawatū-Whanganui
Territorial authorityTararua District
Ward
  • South Tararua General Ward
  • Tamaki nui-a Rua Maori Ward
CommunityEketāhuna Community
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityTararua District Council
 • Regional councilHorizons Regional Council
 • Tararua MayorTracey Collis
 • Wairarapa MPMike Butterick
 • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MPCushla Tangaere-Manuel
Area
 • Total4.18 km2 (1.61 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2024)[2]
 • Total540
 • Density130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode
4900
Area code(s)06

Eketāhuna is a small rural settlement, in the south of the Tararua District and the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.

The town is located at eastern foot of the Tararua Ranges, 35 kilometres north of Masterton and a similar distance south of Palmerston North. It is situated on State Highway 2, on the eastern bank of the Mākākahi River.[3]

Eketāhuna has become synonymous with stereotypes of remote rural New Zealand towns, with New Zealanders colloquially referring to the town in the same way other English speakers refer to Timbuktu.[4]

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "land on the sandbank" for Eketāhuna.[5] When pronounced in the typical Pākehā way, the name sounds like the Afrikaans sentence "I have a chicken" (Afrikaans: Ek het 'n hoender), making it amusing to immigrant Afrikaans-speaking South Africans in New Zealand.[6]

Geography

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The corresponding Statistics New Zealand statistical area covers an area of 892.66 km².[7]

The Pukaha / Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre is located to the south of the town.[6]

History

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Anglican church in Eketāhuna

Early settlement

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Eketāhuna was settled in 1872, under the name Mellemskov.[6] It was renamed soon after its founding.[8]

Modern history

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The population of Eketāhuna and the wider area has plummeted in the 21st century, dropping from 1,920 in 1996 to just 630 in 2013.[9]

On 20 January 2014, the town was the epicentre of the 2014 Eketāhuna earthquake. Measuring 6.2 on the Richter magnitude scale, the quake caused moderate damage all over the southern North Island.[10]

In July 2020, the name of the town was officially gazetted as Eketāhuna by the New Zealand Geographic Board.[11]

Mayors

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The Eketahuna Borough Council existed from 1907 until 1974 where it superseded by Eketahuna County Council which was later merged into Tararua District.

Name Term
1 Alfred Henry Herbert 1907-1909
2 Edward Page 1909-1912
3 F.C. Turnor 1912-1919
4 T. Parsons 1919-1921
5 P. Pike 1921-1923
6 W. Simpson 1923-1927
7 T.M. Page 1927-1929
(6) W. Simpson 1929-1940
8 W. Olsen 1940-1944
9 O. Walton 1944-1950
10 D.D. Ryan 1950-1953
11 S. Young 1953-1959
12 Victor Anderson 1959-1968
13 Graham Adam 1968-1974

Demography

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Eketāhuna is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, which covers 4.18 km2 (1.61 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 540 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 129 people per km2. It is part of the wider Nireaha-Eketahuna statistical area.

Historical population for Ekatāhuna settlement
YearPop.±% p.a.
2006456—    
2013444−0.38%
2018504+2.57%
Source: [12]

Eketāhuna had a population of 504 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 60 people (13.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 48 people (10.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 222 households, comprising 255 males and 249 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female, with 81 people (16.1%) aged under 15 years, 87 (17.3%) aged 15 to 29, 234 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 102 (20.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 85.1% European/Pākehā, 31.5% Māori, 2.4% Pasifika, 1.8% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.4% had no religion, 30.4% were Christian, 1.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.2% were Hindu and 3.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 33 (7.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 126 (29.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 21 people (5.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 156 (36.9%) people were employed full-time, 69 (16.3%) were part-time, and 36 (8.5%) were unemployed.[12]

Nireaha-Eketāhuna

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Nireaha-Eketāhuna statistical area covers 892.62 km2 (344.64 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 1,700 as of June 2024,[13] with a population density of 1.9 people per km2.

Historical population for the statistical area
YearPop.±% p.a.
20061,497—    
20131,452−0.44%
20181,566+1.52%
Source: [14]

Nireaha-Eketāhuna had a population of 1,566 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 114 people (7.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 69 people (4.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 597 households, comprising 816 males and 750 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.09 males per female. The median age was 37.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 366 people (23.4%) aged under 15 years, 261 (16.7%) aged 15 to 29, 726 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 207 (13.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.8% European/Pākehā, 22.6% Māori, 1.1% Pasifika, 1.7% Asian, and 1.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 8.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.7% had no religion, 28.0% were Christian, 1.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 138 (11.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 291 (24.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $27,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 108 people (9.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 594 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 246 (20.5%) were part-time, and 60 (5.0%) were unemployed.[14]

Economy

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Public toilets

In 2018, 5.0% of the workforce worked in manufacturing, 6.1% worked in construction, 5.0% worked in hospitality, 1.4% worked in transport, 3.9% worked in education, and 6.4% worked in healthcare.[9]

Transport

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As of 2018, among those who commute to work, 46.4% drove a car, 3.2% rode in a car and 2.9% walked or jogged. No one commuted by public transport or cycled.[9]

Education

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Eketāhuna School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[15][16] with a roll of 104 as of August 2024.[17]

Notable people

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  • Ellen Anderson (1882–1978), district nurse in Eketāhuna
  • Tania Lineham, born 1966 in Eketāhuna. Royal Society of New Zealand, Science and Technology Teacher Fellowship in 1999 and the Prime Minister's Science Teacher Prize in 2015.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Eketahuna Travel Guide". Jasons Travel Media.
  4. ^ Davison, Isaac (29 August 2017). "Heartbeat: Eketahuna makes a community-led recovery". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald.
  5. ^ "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Easther, Elisabeth (20 March 2015). "Kia ora: Eketahuna". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald.
  7. ^ "Statistical Area 2 2018 (generalised) GIS" (Data table). stats.govt.nz. Statistics New Zealand.
  8. ^ "Horizons Regional Council – Regional Policy Statement". horizons.govt.nz. Horizons Regional Council.
  9. ^ a b c "Place Summary – Nireaha-Eketahuna". Stats NZ. Statistics New Zealand.
  10. ^ "6.2-magnitude earthquake hits lower North Island". The New Zealand Herald. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Notice of approved official geographic names" (PDF). New Zealand Gazette. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7018904 and 7018905.
  13. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Nireaha-Eketāhuna (233700). 2018 Census place summary: Nireaha-Eketāhuna
  15. ^ "Official School Website". eketahuna.school.nz.
  16. ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  17. ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
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