Patea

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Town in Taranaki Region, New Zealand

title: "Patea" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-taranaki", "south-taranaki-district", "patea"] description: "Town in Taranaki Region, New Zealand" topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-taranaki" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patea" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Taranaki Region, New Zealand ::

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

Field	Value
name	Patea
image_skyline	Patea, Taranaki, New Zealand, 12 April 2008.jpg
image_alt	Aerial photo of Patea
caption	Aerial photo of Patea
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	New Zealand
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Taranaki
subdivision_type2	Territorial authority
subdivision_name2	South Taranaki District
subdivision_type3	Ward
subdivision_name3
subdivision_type4	Community
subdivision_name4	Pātea Community
seat_type	Electorates
seat
leader_title	Territorial Authority
leader_name	South Taranaki District Council
leader_title1	Regional council
leader_name1	Taranaki Regional Council
leader_title2	Mayor of South Taranaki
leader_name2
leader_title3	Whanganui MP
leader_name3
leader_title4	Te Tai Hauāuru MP
leader_name4
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	9
coordinates
population_as_of
population_footnotes
population_total
area_total_km2	6.31
area_footnotes
population_density_km2	auto
postal_code_type	Postcode(s)
postal_code	4520
::

Patea ( ) is the third-largest town in South Taranaki District, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Pātea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Whanganui on . Hāwera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east. The Pātea River flows through the town from the north-east and into the South Taranaki Bight.

History and culture

Pre-European history

Patea is the traditional final place where some Māori led by Turi aboard the Aotea waka settled, after it was beached at the Aotea Harbour.

European settlement

Patea, called Carlyle or Carlyle Beach for a time by European settlers, was originally nearer the Pātea River mouth than the present town. During the New Zealand Wars Patea was an important military settlement. General Cameron's force arrived at the river mouth on 15 January 1865 and constructed redoubts on both sides of the river.

Patea became a market town when hostilities ended. The first of the sections on the present town site were sold in 1870. A local shipping company was established in 1872, and harbour improvements began. The Marton-New Plymouth railway line via Patea was completed in March 1885. The Carlyle Town Board, created about 1877 to administer town affairs, was succeeded by a borough council constituted on 13 October 1881 under the name Patea.

In the 1920s, Patea was the largest cheese exporting port in the world. The Grader Cool Store received cheese for grading from all over South Taranaki and as far south as Oroua Downs near Himatangi. After grading it was loaded into coastal ships at the grader wharf for transport to Wellington where it was transhipped into overseas ships for export. The port closed in July 1959.

Patea Freezing Works

Main article: Patea Freezing Works

In the early 1880s the predecessor to the Patea Freezing Works was established on the eastern bank of the Pātea River. Cool stores for handling dairy produce followed in 1901 with later additions evolving into what became known as the Patea Freezing Co-Op, South Taranaki's primary employer. Strategic reforms, inefficiencies and nationwide over-processing resulted in closure in September 1982. In February 2008 the derelict buildings suffered severe fires. The damage was extensive and with the health hazard presented by asbestos insulation throughout the freezer walls, the town sought demolition.

Patea Māori Club

Main article: Pātea Māori Club

Patea became known in 1984 as the home of singer Dalvanius Prime and the Pātea Māori Club. Their single, "Poi E", indicated renewed impetus in contemporary Māori popular music.

Recent history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Patea_Post_Office,_Taranaki,_New_Zealand,7_March_2010(4419404738).jpg" caption="Patea Post Office"] ::

Patea has retained a strong community focus and enjoys many services including a well-resourced medical centre, public swimming pool and trust-owned rest home. The town is also the location of Aotea Utanganui – Museum of South Taranaki.

Marae

The local Wai o Turi marae and Rangiharuru meeting house are affiliated with the Ngā Rauru hapū of Rangitāwhi.

In October 2020, the Government committed $298,680 from the Provincial Growth Fund to reconstruct the accessway to the marae and expand the carpark, creating 8 jobs.

Demographics

Stats NZ describes Pātea as a small urban area, which covers 6.31 km2. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Pātea had a population of 1,320 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 108 people (8.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 192 people (17.0%) since the 2013 census. There were 657 males, 657 females, and 6 people of other genders in 555 dwellings. 2.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 47.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 261 people (19.8%) aged under 15 years, 195 (14.8%) aged 15 to 29, 564 (42.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 300 (22.7%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 60.7% European (Pākehā), 53.6% Māori, 6.8% Pasifika, 1.8% Asian, and 1.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.0%, Māori by 14.1%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 2.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.6% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 1.1%. The percentage of people born overseas was 7.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 28.4% Christian, 0.5% Hindu, 7.3% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 53.6%, and 8.9% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 69 (6.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 555 (52.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 429 (40.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $26,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 27 people (2.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 336 (31.7%) full-time, 135 (12.7%) part-time, and 48 (4.5%) unemployed.

Education

Pātea Area School is a composite (years 1-13) school with a roll of . Patea Public School, later called Patea Primary School, opened in 1875 and started offering secondary education in 1901. Patea High School opened in 1960. The primary and high school merged to form Pātea Area School at the beginning of 2005.

St Joseph's School is a state integrated Catholic contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of . The school was established in January 1904.

Both schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of

Notable people

Vera Burt (1927—2017), international cricketer and field hockey player
Eric D'Ath (1897—1979), professor of pathology and medical jurisprudence at the University of Otago
Len Keys (1880—1958), lawn bowls player who competed for his country at the 1934 British Empire Games, businessman, one of the pioneers of the Auckland passenger bus service
Cedric Muir (1912—1975), cricketer, played in one first-class match for Wellington in 1943 and 44
Denise Newlove (born 1973), Scottish international cricketer
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (born 1966 or 1967), Member of Parliament, co-leader of the Māori Party
Dalvanius Prime (1948—2002), entertainer and songwriter, recorded Poi E with the Pātea Māori Club
Codey Rei (born 1989), rugby union player
Alistair Scown (born 1948), rugby union player
Murray Watts (born 1955), rugby union player
Cecil J. Wray (1867–1955), sports administrator, represented New Zealand on the International Olympic Committee from 1931 to 1934; he was on the Rugby Football Union in England for 25 years

Climate

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Patea (1981–2010) |Jan high C = 21.7 |Feb high C = 21.8 |Mar high C = 20.7 |Apr high C = 18.4 |May high C = 16.1 |Jun high C = 14.3 |Jul high C = 13.6 |Aug high C = 13.9 |Sep high C = 15.5 |Oct high C = 16.5 |Nov high C = 18.1 |Dec high C = 20.4 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 18.0 |Feb mean C = 18.1 |Mar mean C = 16.7 |Apr mean C = 14.7 |May mean C = 12.8 |Jun mean C = 11.0 |Jul mean C = 10.1 |Aug mean C = 10.4 |Sep mean C = 12.1 |Oct mean C = 13.1 |Nov mean C = 14.4 |Dec mean C = 16.7 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 14.3 |Feb low C = 14.5 |Mar low C = 12.7 |Apr low C = 11.1 |May low C = 9.4 |Jun low C = 7.7 |Jul low C = 6.6 |Aug low C = 7.0 |Sep low C = 8.7 |Oct low C = 9.8 |Nov low C = 10.6 |Dec low C = 13.1 | year low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 99.8 |Feb rain mm = 81.0 |Mar rain mm = 105.3 |Apr rain mm = 135.6 |May rain mm = 147.4 |Jun rain mm = 161.4 |Jul rain mm = 175.0 |Aug rain mm = 151.8 |Sep rain mm = 151.1 |Oct rain mm = 158.4 |Nov rain mm = 182.4 |Dec rain mm = 132.1 |year rain mm = |source 1 = NIWA (rain 1991–2020) |url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz |title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Patea Aws, Patea Hydro |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 20 May 2024}}

References

(2004). "Reed New Zealand Atlas". Reed Books.
Roger Smith, GeographX. (2005). "The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand". Robbie Burton.
{{Cite Q. Q58677531
South Taranaki District Council Heritage files (Local Government Historical Body)
Historical Settlements: From Whanganui to New Plymouth—N.J Taniwha—Wanganui—summary 2001 1st year 1997 subm. Political Essay—Infrastructure—Patea Freezing Works Government deregulation and asset assumption—A political agenda. National Congress Lib. Washington, D.C., USA
(20 August 2025). "Pātea Port Works". [[New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage]].
(6 February 2008). "NZ Police Alert: Fire At Patea Freezing Works". [[New Zealand Police]].
(5 August 2009). "Contract awarded for Patea Freezing Works clearance". South Taranaki District Council.
"Interview with Syd and Hui Kahu from Patea Maori Club".
"Mōkai Pātea Services - Whānau Ora Unit". Healthpoint.
"Aotea Utanganui - Museum of South Taranaki". South Taranaki District Council.
"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. Patea (222200). patea. Patea
"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.
{{TKI. 185. Patea Area School
Baker, Ngaere. (1975). "Patea Primary School centennial, 1875-1975".
"Patea Schools". Patea Historical Society.
{{TKI. 2452. St Joseph's School
"School History". St Joseph's School.

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