Omarumutu is a community in the

Ōpōtiki District Ōpōtiki District is a territorial authority district in the North Island of New Zealand. The Ōpōtiki District Council is headquartered in the largest town, Ōpōtiki. The district falls within the Bay of Plenty region. Lyn Riesterer has be ...

and

Bay of Plenty Region The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway ...

of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

, located near the mouth of the Waiaua River. The area includes large tracts of Māori freehold land. Neighbouring localities are Opape, on the coast to the east, and Waiaua, inland.

Demographics

Omarumutu is in an SA1 statistical area, which also includes Waiaua, and covers . The SA1 area is part of the Otara-Tirohanga statistical area. The SA1 area had a population of 153 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, a decrease of 30 people (−16.4%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 24 people (−13.6%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 66 households, comprising 72 males and 78 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female. The median age was 47.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 24 people (15.7%) aged under 15 years, 21 (13.7%) aged 15 to 29, 81 (52.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 30 (19.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 64.7% European/

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

, 45.1%

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

, 2.0%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.0% had no religion, 37.3% were

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, and 3.9% had Māori religious beliefs. Of those at least 15 years old, 15 (11.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 33 (25.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $25,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 24 people (18.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 66 (51.2%) people were employed full-time, 18 (14.0%) were part-time, and 6 (4.7%) were unemployed.

Otara-Tirohanga statistical area

Otara-Tirohanga statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Otara-Tirohanga had a population of 1,176 at the

, an increase of 9 people (0.8%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 12 people (−1.0%) since the

. There were 408 households, comprising 591 males and 585 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female. The median age was 46.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 216 people (18.4%) aged under 15 years, 195 (16.6%) aged 15 to 29, 516 (43.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 249 (21.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 64.8% European/

, 50.8%

, 3.3% Pacific peoples, 2.0%

, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 9.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.7% had no religion, 34.7% were

, 9.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and 1.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 114 (11.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 279 (29.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $24,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 108 people (11.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 435 (45.3%) people were employed full-time, 153 (15.9%) were part-time, and 51 (5.3%) were unemployed.

Marae

Ōmarumutu Marae features the Tūtāmure meeting house, named after the ancestral chief of Ngāti Ruatākena, who overcame

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...

on the Māhia Peninsula. Tūtāmure's original fortifications are still visible; the nearby Makeo peak was one of his strongholds. The house was opened in 1901. Omarumutu War Memorial Hall, located on the marae, was opened by Minister of Māori Affairs Ralph Hanan on 18 March 1961. Bishop

Wiremu Panapa Wiremu Netana Panapa (1898–1970) was a New Zealand Anglican Suffragan Bishop in the second half of the 20th century. He was born on 7 June 1898, educated at St John's College, Auckland and ordained in 1921. After curacies in the Diocese o ...

and Reverend Rangi Ehu unveiled a memorial tablet inside, presented to Ngāti Ruatākena and

Whakatōhea Whakatōhea is a Māori people, Māori iwi located in the eastern Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the area around the town of Ōpōtiki. The traditional territorial lands extend eastwards from Ohiwa Har ...

by members of the Māori Battalion, to commemorate both

and

who died during the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

, World War I and World War II.

Pine Taiapa Pineamine "Pine" Taiapa (1901–1972) was a notable New Zealand wood carver, farmer, rehabilitation officer, writer and genealogist. He was one of the first students of the School of Māori Arts in Rotorua under Āpirana Ngata. As a carver ...

oversaw the creation of the carvings,

tukutuku Tukutuku panelling is a distinctive art form of the Māori people of New Zealand, a traditional latticework used to decorate meeting houses (wharenui). Other names are tuitui and arapaki. Tukutuku flank the posts around the edge of the wharenui ...

and kōwhaiwhai that decorate the hall. The artwork is promoted as some of the best Māori artwork in the country and is a tourist drawcard, open the public when

tangihanga ''Tangihanga'', or more commonly, ''tangi'', is a traditional Māori funeral rite held on a marae. While still widely practised, it is not universally observed in modern times. Each iwi (tribe/nation) differs on how they honour those who pass. ''T ...

or other functions are not being held. A memorial cenotaph on the marae, a white column on a concrete base and funeral urn, was initially unveiled with the names of eight local men who died during wars. The names of a further eight who died during World War II and the Vietnam War were added in 1978. A granite memorial stone, also on a concrete base, lists the name of a further four men who died during World War II. In October 2020, the Government committed $61,944 from the Provincial Growth Fund to renovate the war memorial, toilets and cooking shed, creating an estimated 8 jobs.

Education

Omarumutu School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of .

References

{{Ōpōtiki District Ōpōtiki District Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region