Bridge Pa


Bridge Pa is a rural Māori settlement and surrounding area in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, located approximately 10 kilometres inland from Hastings. The pā itself comprises a school, a meetinghouse of the LDS Church, two marae, a cemetery, a disused quarry, and the 140-year-old historical Homestead of the Kamau family.
Bridge Pa is situated on flat land on the Heretaunga Plains with the major geographical feature of the township being the Karewarewa Stream. Located on the edge of an unconfined aquifer, the surrounding land is free-draining and is used for sheep grazing, horticulture and wine production.
The surrounding area includes Hastings Aerodrome, two golf clubs, a car club, and a Deer Stalkers hall. As well as the main settlement centred on the intersection of Maraekakaho Road and Raukawa Road, a satellite settlement is located on Ngatarawa Road and on State Highway 50. A relatively large tract of the surrounding rural area is also classified as "Bridge Pa" by local authorities and the White Pages.
The main road through the town is limited to 50 km/h and traffic is slowed through a variety of traffic calming measures. There is no sewerage. There is metropolitan style water reticulation. Wastewater is treated via individual homeowner septic tanks.
The rural setting experiences between −3 °C frosts in winter to 40 °C heat in late summer. Bridge Pa is approximately 20 km from the coast, and with the central North Island mountain ranges of the Ruahines and Kawekas to intercept the prevailing westerly winds, the region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with around 2350 sunshine hours per annum and very low humidity.

Demographics

Bridge Pa settlement covers. It is part of the larger Bridge Pa statistical area.
Bridge Pa settlement had a population of 729 in the 2023 [New Zealand census], an increase of 111 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 213 people since the 2013 census. There were 363 males, 360 females, and 3 people of other genders in 180 dwellings. 0.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 186 people aged under 15 years, 138 aged 15 to 29, 294 aged 30 to 64, and 108 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 43.2% European ; 67.5% Māori; 7.4% Pasifika; 1.2% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 2.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.5%, Māori by 20.2%, Samoan by 1.2%, and other languages by 3.7%. No language could be spoken by 2.1%. The percentage of people born overseas was 9.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 46.9% Christian, 2.9% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, and 0.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 45.3%, and 4.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 69 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 312 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 141 people exclusively held high school qualifications. 27 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 282 full-time, 69 part-time, and 30 unemployed.

Bridge Pa statistical area

Bridge Pa statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. The area includes Hawke's Bay Regional Prison which houses approximately 640 inmates.
The statistical area had a population of 1,374 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 234 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 291 people since the 2013 census. There were 888 males, 486 females, and 3 people of other genders in 261 dwellings. 1.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 35.9 years. There were 219 people aged under 15 years, 300 aged 15 to 29, 684 aged 30 to 64, and 171 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 45.9% European ; 60.7% Māori; 7.9% Pasifika; 5.2% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.3%, Māori by 17.5%, Samoan by 1.3%, and other languages by 6.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.3%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 38.9% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.7% Islam, 5.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, and 1.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 49.8%, and 3.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 129 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 687 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 342 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $23,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 57 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 450 full-time, 135 part-time, and 51 unemployed.

Bridge Pa Triangle

Bridge Pa Triangle is a grape growing area roughly delineated by three roads: Ngatarawa Road, State Highway 50 and Maraekakaho Road. It is recognised as a premium wine growing area in the Hawke's Bay wine region. Wines grown include Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. In ancient times the area was blanketed by the pumice tephra of numerous Lake Taupō volcanic events. Much of the Triangle area covers the historical riverbed of the nearby Ngaruroro River. As such soil types include Ngatarawa Gravels, Takapau Silty-loam and shallow clay-loam soils with underlying deep free draining pumice.
Alwyn Corban and Garry Glazebrook of Ngatarawa Wines pioneered wine production in the area in the 1980s and it is only with the growth of other boutique wineries in the late 1990s the "Bridge Pa Triangle" has been delineated and named. The area is also sometimes described as The Maraekakaho Triangle and The Ngatarawa Triangle. Bordering Ngatarawa Road and to the north of the area along State Highway 50 is the Gimblett Gravels wine growing area.

Marae

Bridge Pa has two marae. Korongatā Marae and Nukanoa meeting house is a meeting place of the Ngāti Kahungunu hapū of Ngāti Pōporo and Ngāti Whatuiāpiti. Mangaroa Marae and Hikawera II meeting house is a meeting place of the Ngāti Kahungunu hapū of Ngāti Pōporo and Ngāti Rahunga.
In October 2020, the Government committed $6,020,910 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade a group of 18 marae, including both Korongatā and Mangaroa. The funding was expected to create 39 jobs.

Education

Bridge Pa School is a co-educational Year 1-8 state primary school, with a roll of as of It opened in 1967.
The Māori Agricultural College was a school run by The [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] in Bridge Pa from 1913 until the Hawke's Bay earthquake|1931 earthquake].

Notable people