Murupara

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Town in the Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand

title: "Murupara" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["whakatāne-district", "populated-places-in-the-bay-of-plenty-region"] description: "Town in the Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand" topic_path: "general/whakatane-district" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murupara" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in the Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Murupara
native_name_lang
settlement_type	Minor urban area
image_skyline	File:Murupara-Galatea.jpg
image_caption	View eastward from Murupara over the Whirinaki River and Galatea Plains toward the Ikawhenua Range
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	8
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	New Zealand
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Bay of Plenty
subdivision_type2	Territorial authority
subdivision_name2	Whakatāne District
subdivision_type3	Ward
subdivision_name3	Te Urewera General Ward
subdivision_type4	Community
subdivision_name4	Murupara Community
leader_title	Territorial authority
leader_name	Whakatāne District Council
leader_title1	Regional council
leader_name1	Bay of Plenty Regional Council
leader_title2	Mayor of Whakatāne
leader_name2
leader_title3	East Coast MP
leader_name3
leader_title4	Waiariki MP
leader_name4
seat_type	Electorates
seat
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	6.26
population_as_of
population_footnotes
population_total
population_density_km2	auto
postal_code_type	Postcode(s)
postal_code	3025
website
::

Murupara is a town in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The town is in an isolated part of the region between the Kaingaroa Forest and Te Urewera protected area, on the banks of the Rangitaiki River, 65 kilometres southeast of Rotorua. Indigenous Māori make up over 90% of the population.

It is on SH38 and is the terminus of the Murupara Railway Branch. The town's principal industries are all related to forestry.

Murupara is in the rohe (tribal area) of the Ngāti Manawa iwi.

The Māori language name Murupara means "to wipe off mud".

History and culture

History

Murupara was previously a staging post on the road between Rotorua and Napier. In the early 1900s, the planting of exotic trees began on the surrounding scrubland. This area is now known as the Kaingaroa Forest, with 1,400 square kilometres of planted pines. As the main service centre for the many forestry workers and their families, Murupara grew to a population of over 3,000. Recent changes to the forestry contracting system have brought about a decrease in the number of permanent residents.

The settlements of Galatea, Horomanga, Kopuriki, Aniwhenua, Waiohau and Murupara lie between the boundary of the Kaingaroa Forest, the popular Te Urewera and Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Earlier history is also evident around Murupara. In a rock shelter approximately eight kilometres west of the town centre are a number of early Māori rock carvings.

Murupara was regarded as being a "gang town" but local iwi have placed a rāhui (ban) on gang patches from being worn at the local marae and school.

Marae

Murupara has four marae, which are meeting places for Ngāti Manawa hapū:

Moewhare or Karangaranga marae and Moewhare meeting house are affiliated with Moewhare.
Painoaiho marae and Ruatapu meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Koro.
Rangitahi marae and Apa Hapai Taketake meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Hui.
Tīpapa marae and Tangiharuru meeting house are affiliated with Ngāi Tokowaru.

In October 2020, the Government committed $1,327,283 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the four marae, creating 12 jobs.

Demographics

Stats NZ describes Murupara as a small urban area, which covers 6.26 km2. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Murupara had a population of 1,884 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 69 people (3.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 213 people (12.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 936 males, 939 females, and 9 people of other genders in 579 dwellings. 1.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 32.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 450 people (23.9%) aged under 15 years, 432 (22.9%) aged 15 to 29, 783 (41.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 216 (11.5%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 25.0% European (Pākehā); 89.8% Māori; 4.1% Pasifika; 0.8% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.5%, Māori by 31.7%, Samoan by 0.5%, and other languages by 1.8%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 1.1%. The percentage of people born overseas was 2.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 36.1% Christian, 0.2% Islam, 11.5% Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% Buddhist, 0.3% New Age, and 0.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 44.7%, and 7.3% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 84 (5.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 840 (58.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 510 (35.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $27,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 27 people (1.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 480 (33.5%) full-time, 189 (13.2%) part-time, and 174 (12.1%) unemployed.

Education

Murupara Area School is a co-educational state area school for Year 1 to 13 students, with a roll of as of It opened in 2013, when the local primary and secondary schools merged.

Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tāwhiuau is a co-educational state Māori language immersion school, with a roll of . The school opened in 2000, and was the first Designated Character School (Kura ā-Iwi) in the country.

Notable people

Jacinda Ardern (born 1980), Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party 2017–2023
Pem Bird, president of the Te Pāti Māori 2010–2013
Bradley Iles, professional golfer
Percy Marunui Murphy, former borough mayor, first Māori mayor in the country.
Willie Ripia, Rugby union player

Climate

|metric first=y |single line=y |location = Murupara (1973–1987) | Jan record high C = 34.0 | Feb record high C = 33.0 | Mar record high C = 30.0 | Apr record high C = 26.0 | May record high C = 20.9 | Jun record high C = 19.0 | Jul record high C = 17.5 | Aug record high C = 18.1 | Sep record high C = 25.7 | Oct record high C = 26.0 | Nov record high C = 28.7 | Dec record high C = 29.7 | year record high C = | Jan avg record high C = 30.8 | Feb avg record high C = 30.1 | Mar avg record high C = 26.8 | Apr avg record high C = 23.1 | May avg record high C = 18.9 | Jun avg record high C = 16.7 | Jul avg record high C = 15.8 | Aug avg record high C = 17.0 | Sep avg record high C = 20.0 | Oct avg record high C = 23.2 | Nov avg record high C = 26.5 | Dec avg record high C = 28.0 | year avg record high C = 31.3 | Jan high C = 24.9 | Feb high C = 24.7 | Mar high C = 22.4 | Apr high C = 19.2 | May high C = 15.4 | Jun high C = 12.9 | Jul high C = 12.4 | Aug high C = 13.7 | Sep high C = 15.7 | Oct high C = 18.2 | Nov high C = 20.8 | Dec high C = 22.9 | year high C = | Jan mean C = 18.4 | Feb mean C = 18.5 | Mar mean C = 16.5 | Apr mean C = 13.1 | May mean C = 9.3 | Jun mean C = 7.5 | Jul mean C = 6.8 | Aug mean C = 8.1 | Sep mean C = 10.0 | Oct mean C = 12.5 | Nov mean C = 14.8 | Dec mean C = 16.9 | year mean C = | Jan low C = 11.9 | Feb low C = 12.2 | Mar low C = 10.5 | Apr low C = 7.0 | May low C = 3.2 | Jun low C = 2.1 | Jul low C = 1.1 | Aug low C = 2.4 | Sep low C = 4.3 | Oct low C = 6.8 | Nov low C = 8.7 | Dec low C = 10.9 | year low C = | Jan avg record low C = 5.5 | Feb avg record low C = 6.0 | Mar avg record low C = 2.2 | Apr avg record low C = -0.2 | May avg record low C = -2.8 | Jun avg record low C = -4.5 | Jul avg record low C = -4.6 | Aug avg record low C = -3.6 | Sep avg record low C = -1.6 | Oct avg record low C = -0.2 | Nov avg record low C = 1.0 | Dec avg record low C = 4.5 | year avg record low C = -5.3 |Jan record low C = 1.7 |Feb record low C = 1.2 |Mar record low C = -4.3 |Apr record low C = -3.0 |May record low C = -4.8 |Jun record low C = -6.3 |Jul record low C = -5.7 |Aug record low C = -4.8 |Sep record low C = -2.7 |Oct record low C = -2.5 |Nov record low C = -1.6 |Dec record low C = 2.0 |year record low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 91.1 |Feb rain mm = 81.3 |Mar rain mm = 111.1 |Apr rain mm = 106.8 |May rain mm = 102.7 |Jun rain mm = 112.9 |Jul rain mm = 101.3 |Aug rain mm = 109.9 |Sep rain mm = 101.7 |Oct rain mm = 99.3 |Nov rain mm = 82.2 |Dec rain mm = 125.1 |year rain mm = |source 1 = Earth Sciences NZ (rainfall 1971–2000){{cite web |url = https://data.niwa.co.nz/ |title = Datahub (Agent number: 1820) |publisher = Earth Sciences New Zealand |access-date = 9 Oct 2025}}

References

"Murupara Travel Guide". [[Jasons Travel Media]].
(1994). "Discover New Zealand:A Wises Guide".
Mills, John. (19 February 2019). "The Kaingaroa Rock Carvings". Medium.
(20 November 2009). "Big push for ban on gang patches". The Daily Post.
(15 November 2012). "School backs ban on gang regalia". [[APN New Zealand]].
"Te Kāhui Māngai directory". [[Te Puni Kōkiri]].
"Māori Maps". Te Potiki National Trust.
(9 October 2020). "Marae Announcements". [[Provincial Growth Fund]].
"Stats NZ Geographic Data Service".
{{NZ census 2018. Murupara (203600). murupara. Murupara
"Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
"Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
"Murupara Area School Official School Website".
"Murupara Area School Ministry of Education School Profile". [[Ministry of Education (New Zealand).
"Murupara Area School Education Review Office Report". [[Education Review Office]].
"Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau Ministry of Education School Profile". [[Ministry of Education (New Zealand).
"Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau Education Review Office Report". [[Education Review Office]].
(14 April 2020). "Mōku te Awatea". Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tāwhiuau.
(8 March 2018). "Members of the Independent Panel - Pembroke (Pem) Bird". Te Puni Kōkiri.

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