Ruatoria

Ruatoria is a town in the Waiapu Valley of the Gisborne Region in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. The town was originally known as Cross Roads then Manutahi and was later named Ruatorea in 1913, after the Māori Master female grower Tōrea who had some of the finest storage pits in her Iwi at the time . In 1925 the name was altered to "Ruatoria", although some texts retain the original spelling.
Ruatoria's Whakarua Park is the home of the East Coast Rugby Football Union.

Demographics

Stats NZ describes Ruatoria as a rural settlement, which covers. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². It is part of the larger Ruatoria-Raukumara statistical area.
Ruatōria had a population of 876 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 117 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 156 people since the 2013 census. There were 435 males and 441 females in 237 dwellings. 0.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 29.1 years. There were 270 people aged under 15 years, 177 aged 15 to 29, 327 aged 30 to 64, and 102 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 21.2% European, 94.2% Māori, 3.8% Pasifika, 1.4% Asian, and 0.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 93.5%, Māori by 44.2%, and other languages by 1.0%. No language could be spoken by 2.4%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 3.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 31.8% Christian, 5.8% Māori religious beliefs, 1.7% New Age, and 1.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 49.7%, and 11.0% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 60 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 351 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 201 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $24,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 15 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 201 full-time, 63 part-time, and 48 unemployed.
The town is known for its population of Maori Rastafarians.

Ruatoria-Raukumara statistical area

Ruatoria-Raukumara statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².
Ruatōria-Raukumara had a population of 1,443 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 210 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 240 people since the 2013 census. There were 750 males, 690 females, and 3 people of other genders in 420 dwellings. 0.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 32.8 years. There were 408 people aged under 15 years, 258 aged 15 to 29, 570 aged 30 to 64, and 207 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 21.0% European ; 93.1% Māori; 4.0% Pasifika; 0.8% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 1.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 93.1%, Māori by 44.5%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 1.2%. No language could be spoken by 2.7%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 3.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 32.6% Christian, 6.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 1.2% New Age, and 1.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 48.9%, and 10.8% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 102 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 591 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 339 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $24,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 27 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 327 full-time, 114 part-time, and 69 unemployed.

Geography

, Ruatoria is approximately north-northeast of Gisborne, and southwest of the East Cape Lighthouse. By road it is from Gisborne, off State Highway 35. It is at the bottom of the Waiapu Valley on the banks of the Waiapu River just downstream of where the river is formed by the joining of the Mata and Tapuaeroa Rivers.

Climate

Precipitation is prodigiously high — the annual average precipitation total approaches. Precipitation is heavy all year-round, yet is particularly prodigious in the austral winter months from May to September. On 7 February 1973, Ruatoria had the highest ever air temperature recorded in the North Island, the same day the nation's highest temperature was recorded in the South Island town of Rangiora.

Industry

The principal industries in the district are related to agriculture and forestry. Attempts to sink oil wells in the area in the 1920s proved unprofitable.

History

The original shop, bunk house and cook house in the township of Tuparoa were destroyed by fire on two occasions between 1907 and 1913. Commerce was moved inland 5 miles to the area known as The Crossroads, northeast of the present town sitting on the area of the first river plain where it drops to the present river plain where the roads went north–south and to the east.. The Crossroads too was destroyed by fire during the first world war and in 1920 the first general store and accommodation was erected by William Hayes Owen Johnston on what is now Tuparoa Road. He is buried with his third wife in the cemetery at Mahora on the Tuparoa road just before the junction with the side road to Reparoa..
From about 1925 onwards, Ruatoria began to replace Tuparoa as the main urban centre of the East Coast district of New Zealand. The transition to Ruatoria from Tuparoa was brought about by the increased reliability of State Highway 35, which at that time ran via the main street of Ruatoria. Tuparoa was disadvantaged by unreliable road access and a lack of all weather harbour.
The Rotokautuku Bridge, connecting Ruatoria to the northern side of Waiapu River, was built in 1964. This 1964 bridge replaced the old bridge which had been built in the 1930s. The old piles were used for the new bridge, although they had to be lowered by a metre to accommodate the new bridge.
In the 1980s, Ruatoria was briefly notorious for an outbreak of arson attacks in the town, during a period of severe economic downturn.

Significance to Māori

The Ngāti Porou proverb of identity relates to the area — Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapu te awa, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi. Ruatoria is within the iwi's rohe, and Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou has offices located in the town.
The Waiapu River is of immense cultural, spiritual, economic, and traditional value to local Māori. According to traditional beliefs, a number of taniwha dwell in and protect the river, in turn protecting the valley and its hapū. Taniwha believed to be in Waiapu River include Kotuwainuku, Kotuwairangi, Ohinewaiapu, and Ngungurutehorowhatu.
According to an affidavit of Hapukuniha Te Huakore Karaka, two taniwha were placed in strategic locations in the river to protect the hapū from invading tribes — one near Paoaruku, and one at the Wairoa River. Karaka said that a bridge was built from Tikitiki to Waiomatatini, to the protest of local Māori who were concerned that it would disturb the taniwha. The night before the bridge was completed, a storm came washing the bridge away — the weather till then had been calm. From then, one person would drown in the river nearly every year. If it did not happen one year, two would drown the next. A local tohunga, George Gage was approached to help the situation, and after that there were no similar drownings.

Marae

Ruatoria has several marae belonging to Ngāti Porou hapū:

Hiruharama Marae and Kapohanga a Rangi meeting house, a meeting place of Te Aitanga a Mate and Te Aowera.
Te Aowera Marae and Te Poho o Te Aowera meeting house, a meeting place of Te Aowera.
Te Horo Marae and Rākaitemania meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Horowai, Te Whānau a Mahaki and Te Whānau a Uruhonea.
Kakariki Marae and Rakaihoea meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Rākaihoea.
Kariaka Marae and Ngāti Porou meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāi Tangihaere and Te Whānau a Hinekehu.
Mangahanea Marae and Hinetapora meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Uepōhatu and Te Whānau a Hinetapora.
Mangarua or Te Heapera Marae and Te Poho o Mangarua meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Hinetapora.
Porourangi or Waiomatatini Marae and Porourangi meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Karuai.
Reporua Marae and Tū Auau meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Rangi.
Ruataupare Marae and meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāi Tangihaere.
Rauru or Taumata o Mihi Marae and Rauru Nui a Toi meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Hinekehu.
Uepohatu Marae and meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Uepōhatu.
Umuariki Marae and meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Uepōhatu and Te Whānau a Umuariki.

In October 2020, the Government committed $5,756,639 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade 29 Ngāti Porou marae, including Te Aowera Marae, Te Horo, Kariaka, Rauru, Umariki, Mangahanea, Mangarua, Reporua and Ruataupare Marae. It also committed $273,890 to upgrade Uepohatu Marae and $232,227 to upgrade Hiruharama Marae.

Education

Ngata Memorial College is a Year 1–13 co-educational public school with a roll of students as of The college opened in 1959.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiu O Ngati Porou is a Year 1–13 co-educational public school with a roll of students as of

Notable residents

The area was home to politician Sir Āpirana Ngata, and Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu — the second of three Māori to receive a Victoria Cross.