Ruatāhuna
title: "Ruatāhuna" 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"] topic_path: "general/whakatane-district" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruatāhuna" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Ruatāhuna |
| native_name_lang | |
| image_skyline | File:Three food storage pits for storing kumara, at Ruatahuna, 1930. ATLIB 298988.png |
| image_caption | Storage pits for kūmara (sweet potato) at Ruatāhuna in 1930 |
| mapframe | yes |
| mapframe-zoom | 9 |
| 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 | Urewera 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 | |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | 15.06 |
| population_as_of | 2023 Census |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 117 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| :: |
| name = Ruatāhuna | native_name = | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = | image_skyline = File:Three food storage pits for storing kumara, at Ruatahuna, 1930. ATLIB 298988.png | image_alt = | image_caption = Storage pits for kūmara (sweet potato) at Ruatāhuna in 1930 | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 9 | map_alt = | map_caption = | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | 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 = Urewera 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 = | unit_pref = Metric tags -- | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 15.06 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_as_of = 2023 Census | population_footnotes = | population_total = 117 | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone1 = | utc_offset1 = | timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | iso_code = | website = | footnotes = Ruatāhuna is a small town in the remote country of Te Urewera, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is 90 kilometres directly west of Gisborne, and 18 kilometres northwest of Lake Waikaremoana. By road, it is 50 kilometres south-east of Murupara, and 110 kilometres north-west of Wairoa. It is on the upper reaches of the Whakatāne River, and surrounded on three sides by the Te Urewera protected area, formerly the Te Urewera National Park. The road that runs from Murupara through Ruatahuna to Āniwaniwa on Lake Waikaremoana, a large part of which is unsealed, used to be designated as part of State Highway 38. It is a subdivision of the Galatea-Murupara ward of the Whakatāne District.
History
The area was the site of much action during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s and 1870s. From 1870 to 1888, one of the largest wharenui ever built, Te Whai-a-te-Motu, was constructed for Te Kooti and his followers.
Demographics
Ruatāhuna covers 15.06 km2. It is part of the Galatea statistical area.
Ruatāhuna had a population of 117 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 24 people (25.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 18 people (18.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 63 males and 51 females in 24 dwellings. The median age was 26.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 33 people (28.2%) aged under 15 years, 30 (25.6%) aged 15 to 29, 42 (35.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 9 (7.7%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 15.4% European (Pākehā), 97.4% Māori, 5.1% Pasifika, and 2.6% Asian. English was spoken by 87.2%, and Māori by 69.2%. No language could be spoken by 5.1% (e.g. too young to talk). No one was born overseas.
Religious affiliations were 15.4% Christian, and 38.5% Māori religious beliefs. People who answered that they had no religion were 41.0%, and 2.6% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 6 (7.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 51 (60.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 30 (35.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $18,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 21 (25.0%) full-time, 15 (17.9%) part-time, and 12 (14.3%) unemployed.
Marae
Ruatāhuna is within the rohe (tribal area) of Tūhoe, and has several marae affiliated with Tūhoe hapū:
- Kākānui (Tīpapa) marae and Kākahu Tāpiki meeting house, affiliated with Kākahu Tāpiki.
- Mātaatua marae and Te Whai-a-te-Motu meeting house, affiliated with Te Urewera.
- Ōhāua or Ōhāua te Rangi marae and Te Poho-o-Pōtiki meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Rongo.
- Ōpūtao marae and Te Ngāwari meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Tāwhaki.
- Ōtekura marae and Te Ōhāki meeting house, affiliated with Tamakaimoana.
- Pāpueru marae and Te Whatu o Te Kanohi meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Tāwhaki.
- Tātāhoata marae and Te Tapuae meeting house, affiliated with Ngāi Te Riu.
- Te Umuroa marae and Te Poho-o-Parahaki meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Manunui.
- Uwhiārae marae and Te Paena meeting house, affiliated with Ngāi Te Paena.
- Te Wai-iti marae and Te Poho o Kurī Kino meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Kurī Kino.
In October 2020, the Government committed $3,996,258 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Kākānui, Mātaatua, Ōhāua, Pāpueru, Tātāhoata, Uwhiārae, Te Wai-iti marae, creating 79 jobs.
Education
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau is a co-educational state Māori language immersion area school for Year 1 to 13 students, with a roll of as of It opened in 1917 as Huiarau Native School.
Te Whai-a-te-Motu meeting house under construction in Ruatahuna ATLIB 161629.png|Te Whai-a-te-Motu meeting house under construction in the 1910s Maori wooden carvings at Te Whai-a-te Motu, Mataatua ATLIB 142656.png|Māori wood carvings at Te Whai-a-te-Motu, Mātaatua marae Maori wooden carvings at Te Whai-a-te Motu, Mataatua ATLIB 257318.png|Māori wood carvings at Te Whai-a-te-Motu, Mātaatua marae
Climate
|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Tarapounamu, elevation 701 m, (1991–2020) |Jan high C = 20.1 |Feb high C = 19.9 |Mar high C = 17.6 |Apr high C = 14.2 |May high C = 11.5 |Jun high C = 8.9 |Jul high C = 8.2 |Aug high C = 9.1 |Sep high C = 11.2 |Oct high C = 13.6 |Nov high C = 16.4 |Dec high C = 18.2 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 15.2 |Feb mean C = 15.4 |Mar mean C = 13.4 |Apr mean C = 10.7 |May mean C = 8.5 |Jun mean C = 6.2 |Jul mean C = 5.4 |Aug mean C = 5.8 |Sep mean C = 7.5 |Oct mean C = 9.3 |Nov mean C = 11.6 |Dec mean C = 13.6 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 10.2 |Feb low C = 10.9 |Mar low C = 9.2 |Apr low C = 7.3 |May low C = 5.5 |Jun low C = 3.4 |Jul low C = 2.6 |Aug low C = 2.6 |Sep low C = 3.9 |Oct low C = 5.1 |Nov low C = 6.8 |Dec low C = 8.9 | year low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 116.5 |Feb rain mm = 60.2 |Mar rain mm = 113.8 |Apr rain mm = 145.1 |May rain mm = 165.3 |Jun rain mm = 163.3 |Jul rain mm = 162.5 |Aug rain mm = 187.8 |Sep rain mm = 147.8 |Oct rain mm = 113.7 |Nov rain mm = 92.1 |Dec rain mm = 117.8 |year rain mm = |source 1 = NIWA |url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz |title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Tarapounamu Ews |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 20 May 2024}}
References
References
- "Murupara Community Board". Whakatane District Council.
- (2004). "Ka Whawhai Tonu Matou - Struggle Without End". [[Penguin Books (NZ).
- "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service".
- "Geographic Boundary Viewer". Stats NZ.
- {{NZ census 2018. 7015328
- "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.
- "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". [[Te Puni Kōkiri]].
- "Māori Maps". Te Potiki National Trust.
- "Marae in Tuhoe". [[Tuhoe]].
- (9 October 2020). "Marae Announcements". [[Provincial Growth Fund]].
- "Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau Ministry of Education School Profile". [[Ministry of Education (New Zealand).
- "Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau Education Review Office Report". [[Education Review Office]].
- (1992). "Te Kura o Huiarau, 1917-1992".
- "Huiarau Native School : The story of the Tuhoe tribes".
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