Whakamarama
Whakamārama | |
|---|---|
Rural community | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 37°43′01″S 175°59′42″E / 37.717°S 175.995°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Bay of Plenty |
| Territorial authority | Western Bay of Plenty District |
| Ward | Kaimai Ward |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Western Bay of Plenty District Council |
| • Regional council | Bay of Plenty Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Western Bay of Plenty | James Denyer[1] |
| • Coromandel MP | Scott Simpson[2] |
| • Waiariki MP | Rawiri Waititi[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.27 km2 (11.30 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[5] | |
• Total | 573 |
| • Density | 20/km2 (51/sq mi) |
| Postcode(s) | 3179 |
Whakamārama is a rural area in the Western Bay of Plenty District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island.
It includes a section of State Highway 2 between Ōmokoroa and Te Puna that underwent major maintenance work in early 2020.[6]
The area is dominated by orchards and avocado growers, and has been targeted by avocado thieves.[7]
Etymology
[edit]Whakamārama is the Māori word for illumination or explanation.[8][9]
The macron was officially added to the name in 2019.[10]
History and culture
[edit]Māori settlement
[edit]Whakamārama was one of the Māori villages attacked during the New Zealand Wars in 1867.
The event is marked with a commemorative pouwhenua at Tawhitinui Marae, unveiled on the 150th anniversary in April 2017.[11]
Recent history
[edit]The Atrium Art Gallery opened in Whakamārama in May 2019.[12] It featured a steampunk exhibition later that year.[13]
A missing 85-year-old man was found dead in Whakamārama in July 2019.[14]
In September 2019, police began pursuing a driver in Whakamārama, following through Te Puna before eventually stopping them with road spikes in Bethlehem.[15]
A search operation was launched in Whakamārama in January 2020, after a Tauranga man went missing.[16] The case was featured on Police reality TV series Police Ten 7 four months later, in May 2020.[17]
Several fires broke out in early 2020 in a bark processing plant,[18] a bark pile,[19] a garage and rental home,[20] and a large area of scrub.[21]
Coronavirus pandemic
[edit]During the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, nine-year-old Whakamārama girl Lucinda Finnimore wrote a letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, asking if the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy were deemed essential workers during lockdown.[22]
Ardern responded that they were essential workers, resulting in international media coverage from the Washington Post,[23] the New York Times,[24] CNN,[25] BBC News,.[26] and others.[27]
Salon published an opinion piece, criticising American media for reporting Finnimore's question and Ardern's response, while failing to cover the pandemic in Asia, and what the United States could learn from what was happening in Asia.[27]
Marae
[edit]Tawhitinui Marae is located in the Ōmokoroa area. It is a tribal meeting ground of the Ngāti Ranginui hapū of Pirirākau, and includes the Kahi meeting house.[28][29]
In October 2020, the Government committed $68,682 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae, creating an estimated 13 jobs.[30]
Demographics
[edit]Whakamārama covers 29.27 km2 (11.30 sq mi).[4] It is part of the larger Pahoia statistical area.[31]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 471 | — |
| 2013 | 396 | −2.45% |
| 2018 | 516 | +5.44% |
| 2023 | 573 | +2.12% |
| The 2006 population is for a larger area of 30.41 km2. Source: [5][32] | ||
Whakamārama had a population of 573 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 57 people (11.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 177 people (44.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 294 males, 282 females, and 3 people of other genders in 183 dwellings.[33] 1.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 126 people (22.0%) aged under 15 years, 84 (14.7%) aged 15 to 29, 282 (49.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 90 (15.7%) aged 65 or older.[5]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 92.1% European (Pākehā); 14.1% Māori; 0.5% Pasifika; 1.0% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 6.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.9%, Māori by 3.7%, and other languages by 7.3%. No language could be spoken by 3.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.[5]
Religious affiliations were 34.0% Christian, 0.5% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% New Age, and 1.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 55.0%, and 10.5% of people did not answer the census question.[5]
Of those at least 15 years old, 111 (24.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 258 (57.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 90 (20.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 60 people (13.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 213 (47.7%) full-time, 78 (17.4%) part-time, and 9 (2.0%) unemployed.[5]
Education
[edit]Whakamārama School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[34] with a roll of 89 as of March 2025.[35][36] It opened in 1914.[37]
Climate
[edit]| Climate data for Whakamārama, elevation 392 m (1,286 ft), (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) |
21.7 (71.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
17.3 (63.1) |
14.5 (58.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
12.1 (53.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.4 (59.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
16.4 (61.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) |
17.7 (63.9) |
16.2 (61.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
11.6 (52.9) |
9.4 (48.9) |
8.7 (47.7) |
9.1 (48.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
15.8 (60.4) |
13.0 (55.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
12.3 (54.1) |
10.6 (51.1) |
8.8 (47.8) |
6.8 (44.2) |
5.9 (42.6) |
6.2 (43.2) |
7.3 (45.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
9.6 (49.3) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.5 (49.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 155.4 (6.12) |
209.0 (8.23) |
177.6 (6.99) |
256.5 (10.10) |
218.0 (8.58) |
233.5 (9.19) |
301.2 (11.86) |
242.1 (9.53) |
200.1 (7.88) |
223.8 (8.81) |
189.1 (7.44) |
215.5 (8.48) |
2,621.8 (103.21) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 215.8 | 188.0 | 182.5 | 159.2 | 134.8 | 114.2 | 116.5 | 139.1 | 136.9 | 176.8 | 181.3 | 185.7 | 1,930.8 |
| Source: NIWA[38] | |||||||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Mayor and Councillors". Western Bay of Plenty District Council. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Coromandel - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Waiariki – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 1 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. 7013598, 7013604, 7013612 and 7033143. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Staff reporter (3 February 2020). "Delays on SH2 between Katikati and Tauranga". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.
- ^ Kelway, Sam (10 June 2019). "Tauranga couple appeal for information after at least 1000 avocados stolen from their orchard". Television New Zealand. 1News.
- ^ Moorfield, John. "whakamārama". maoridictionary.co.nz. Te Aka Online Māori Dictionary.
- ^ Reed, A.W.; Dowling, Peter (2010). Place Names of New Zealand – via New Zealand Gazetteer.
- ^ "Notice of Approved Official Geographic Names". New Zealand Government. 21 June 2019.
- ^ Liddle, Rosalie (8 April 2017). "Memorial pou raised in Whakamārama". Sun Media. Sun Live.
- ^ Liddle, Rosalie (5 May 2019). "Anything goes at Atrium Gallery". Sun Media. Sun Live.
- ^ Liddle, Rosalie (31 August 2019). "Steampunk art at Atrium Gallery". Sun Media. Sun Live.
- ^ Staff reporter (5 July 2019). "Man missing on rural outskirts of Tauranga found dead". stuff.co.nz.
- ^ Liddle, Rosalie (23 September 2019). "Police pursuit ends in capture". Sun Media. Sun Live.
- ^ Fleming, Caroline (29 January 2020). "Family's frantic search for missing Tauranga man Julian Varley". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.
- ^ Staff reporter (15 May 2020). "Police reveal new details in case of missing Tauranga man Julian Varley". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.
- ^ "Bark processing plant fire in Whakamarama". Sun Media. Sun Live. 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Large Whakamarama bark fire sends smoke across Tauranga city". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times. 31 March 2020.
- ^ Conchie, Sandra (5 March 2020). "Te Puna fire guts garage and rental home". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Bay of Plenty Times.
- ^ "Large scrub fire in Whakamarama". Sun Media. Sun Live. 12 April 2020.
- ^ Staff writer (9 April 2020). "Tauranga school girl delighted Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy deemed essential by PM". Television New Zealand. 1News.
- ^ "Tooth fairy and Easter Bunny are 'essential workers,'". Washington Post. 6 April 2020.
- ^ "Jacinda Ardern: Easter Bunny "Essential Worker"". New York Times. 6 April 2020.
- ^ "New Zealand PM adds 2 crucial figures to list of essential workers: The Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny". CNN. 6 April 2020.
- ^ "Jacinda Ardern: 'Tooth Fairy and Easter bunny are essential workers'". BBC News. 6 April 2020.
- ^ a b Demause, Neil (12 April 2020). "Mainstream media favors Easter Bunny news over global lessons of pandemic". Salon.
- ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
- ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
- ^ "Marae Announcements" (Excel). growregions.govt.nz. Provincial Growth Fund. 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Geographic Boundary Viewer". Stats NZ. Statistical Area 1 – 2023 and Statistical Area 2 – 2023.
- ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7013598, 7013604, 7013612 and 7013611.
- ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Whakamarama School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
- ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Whakamarama School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
- ^ Foster, Merle (25 October 2014). "School celebrates 100 years". SunLive.
- ^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Whakamarama 1". NIWA. Retrieved 20 May 2024.