Stratford ( mi, Whakaahurangi) is the only town in Stratford District, and the seat of the

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

region, in 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 ...

. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of

Mount Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is the second highest point in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. The mountain has a secon ...

, approximately halfway between

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

and

Hāwera Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight. The origins of the town lie in a government military base that was established ...

, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki Region. The town has a population of , making it the 62nd largest urban area in New Zealand (using the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18)), and the fourth largest in Taranaki (behind New Plymouth, Hāwera and Waitara). The Stratford District has a population of , and a land area of , which is divided between the

Manawatū-Whanganui Manawatū-Whanganui (; spelled Manawatu-Wanganui prior to 2019) is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawat ...

region (including the settlements of Whangamōmona,

Marco Marco may refer to: People * Marco (given name), people with the given name Marco * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Tomás Marco (born 1942), Spanish c ...

and Tahora, 31.87% of its land area) and the Taranaki region (68.13% of its land area).

Road and rail

Stratford is at the junction of State Highway 3 and State Highway 43. On State Highway 3

is north, Inglewood north,

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of Elt ...

south and

south. On State Highway 43

Taumarunui Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of ...

is to the east. This road is known as ''"The Forgotten World Highway"'', due to the scarcity of settlement along the road in contrast to its earlier history. A sign reads "No Petrol for ". Stratford railway station is the junction of the Marton–New Plymouth and Stratford–Okahukura lines.

Population

Stratford is a rural service centre, serving the agricultural economy of its wider hinterland. The population of the district peaked in 1961 at 11,300, and until the end of the century the town fluctuated between 5229 (2001) and 5664 (1996). The 21st century has seen significant economic growth and some associated population growth in the town. Stratford, comprising the statistical areas of Stratford North, Stratford Central and Stratford South with a combined area of , had a population of 5,784 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 ...

, an increase of 315 people (5.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 447 people (8.4%) 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 2,322 households. There were 2,811 males and 2,979 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female, with 1,206 people (20.9%) aged under 15 years, 981 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 2,361 (40.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,230 (21.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 89.1% European/Pākehā, 17.1% Māori, 1.6% Pacific peoples, 3.5% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 10.2%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 48.9% had no religion, 38.6% were Christian, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 387 (8.5%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 1,395 (30.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,980 (43.3%) people were employed full-time, 582 (12.7%) were part-time, and 201 (4.4%) were unemployed.

History and culture

Whakaahurangi

The

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 ...

name for Stratford is Whakaahurangi, meaning to look to the sky. The name is taken from a story of the

Ngati Ruanui ''Ngati'' is a 1987 New Zealand feature film directed by Barry Barclay, written by Tama Poata and produced by John O'Shea. Production ''Ngati'' is of historical and cultural significance in New Zealand as it is the first feature film written an ...

chieftainess/Puhi Ariki named

Rua-pū-tahanga Rua-pū-tahanga was a Māori ''puhi ariki'' (chieftainess) from Ngāti Ruanui, who married Whatihua and thus became the ancestor of many tribes of Tainui. She probably lived in the sixteenth century. Life Rua-pū-tahanga was a daughter of Huetaepo ...

who fled her husband

Whatihua Whatihua was a Māori rangatira (chief) in the Tainui confederation of tribes, based at Kāwhia, New Zealand. He quarrelled with his brother, Tūrongo, and as a result Tainui was split between them, with Whatihua receiving the northern Waikato regi ...

from Waikato, travelling the track known as Te ara tapu o Ruaputahanga which stretches from Urenui down through Tariki, and ends near

Patea Patea ( ) is the third-largest town in South Taranaki District, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Pātea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Whanganui on . Hāwera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east ...

. Here she stopped at the side of the Kahouri river near a fresh water spring. It is said she sat distraught and cried into the spring, naming it Te Puna Roimata o Ruaputahanga (The spring of Rua-pū-tahanga's tears), then camped overnight east of the current town. Being a clear night, Rua-pū-tahanga lay contemplating the stars when slumber overtook her. Withdrawing in respect, her followers observed that their chieftainess slept "with her face to the sky". The site continued to be used as a camping place for Māori, the track she followed linking the

south Taranaki South Taranaki is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island that contains the towns of Hāwera (the seat of the district), Manaia, Ōpunake, Patea, Eltham, and Waverley. The District has a land area of 3,575.46&nbs ...

tribes to those in north

, and further north to Kawhia. Each traveling party would recollect the story of Rua-pū-tahanga sleeping with her face to the sky. The name is fitting, given the exposure of the area to a broad horizon on the face of the mountain's ring plain. Whakaahurangi Marae, a ''

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

'' (meeting ground) of the

Ngāti Ruanui Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori iwi traditionally based in the Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the traditional areas of the iwi. History Early hist ...

tribe and its Ahitahi sub-tribe, is located in Stratford. It includes a ''

wharenui A wharenui (; literally "large house") is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a ''marae''. Wharenui are usually called meeting houses in New Zealand English, or simply called ''whare'' ( ...

'' (meeting house), known as Te Whetū o Marama.

Surveying

There is no record of Māori settlement in the vicinity of Stratford. Before

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

settlement the area was covered in dense forest and swamp. The Vogel schemes of the 1870s provided the necessary impetus to lead to the construction of a

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

south of

, and the creation of road access at the same time, to open up access to the rich soils under the mountain. In 1876, Taranaki Waste Lands Board assistant surveyor Edwin Stanley Brookes, Jnr. cut a meridian line from Waitara to the site of Stratford, and oversaw the subdivision of a block between the Manganui River and the

Pātea River The Pātea River is in Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. It runs for 105 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, passing east through Stratford before swinging south and reaching the South Taranaki Bight near the town ...

. The surveying of a new site for a town on the banks of the

was authorised on 11 June 1877, and the northern half of the town (above the Pātea River) was laid out by William Skinner in July. More lots were laid out by

Peter Cheal Peter Edward Cheal (1846 – 12 January 1931) was a prominent surveyor in the settlement of New Zealand during the mid and late 19th century. Biography London Peter Edward Cheal was born and educated in London, where he trained as a mining ...

in 1879, and in 1880 Skinner was directed to survey the southern half of the town.

Naming

Stratford clock tower Glockenspiel - Romeo and Juliet talking

On 3 December 1877, the name Stratford-upon-Patea was adopted, on the motion of William Crompton of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board. The supposed similarity of the Pātea River to the River Avon in England led to the adoption of this name, and Crompton was known to have a literary turn of mind. There was a trend at the time to name towns after the birthplace of prominent British men. The

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

'connection' led to the naming of 67 streets after Shakespearian characters from 27 of his plays. Today New Zealand's only

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The glo ...

clock tower plays the balcony scene from ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' three times a day. The spoken words are provided via external loudspeakers - there is no carillon (multiple bells) as would be more typical for glockenspiels in towers.

Settlement and growth

Stratford was formally classified as a town in June 1878, and on 31 August 1878 an auction of 455 sections saw the first sections sold. By 1881 the population was 97, comprising 56 males and 41 females, with 22 houses. By 1891 this had grown to a population of 342 and by 1896 1,256. This growth continued steadily until the mid-late 20th century, and has since fluctuated between 5229 (2001) and 5664 (1996), numbering 5,337 at the last census.

Institutional history

The first Stratford Town Board was formed in 1882. The Stratford County Council was formed in 1890, and the Stratford Borough Council was formed on 22 July 1898. In the same year, Stratford became the third town in New Zealand to have electric street lighting, on the initiative of inventor and entrepreneur

Alexander Walker Reid Alexander Walker Reid (14 September 1853 – 21 November 1938) was a 19th-century New Zealand farmer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He was notable for making Stratford the second or third New Zealand town to have an electricity supply, for cons ...

. The county and borough councils amalgamated on 1 April 1989 to form the Stratford District Council, which was reconstituted on 1 November 1989 as part of the nationwide restructure in local government.

Schools

There are two secondary schools in Stratford: * Stratford High School is a coeducational secondary (years 9-13) school with a roll of . The school was founded in 1897 and celebrated its centenary in 1997. *

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls ( formerly known as St Mary's Diocesan School, Stratford) is an all-girls Anglican secondary school in Stratford, Taranaki, New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the sout ...

is a state integrated Anglican girls' secondary (years 9-13) school with a roll of . The school was founded in 1914 and moved to its present site in 1917. Most of the students are boarders. There are three primary schools within Stratford township: *Stratford Primary School has a roll of . The school was founded in 1882 and celebrated 125 years in 2007. *Avon School has a roll of . *St Joseph's School is a state integrated Catholic school with a roll of . All these primary schools are coeducational and accept students for years 1–8. Rolls are as of

Parks and reserves

Stratford has a number of public parks and reserves, with names reflecting its English and Māori heritage; * King Edward Park *

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Park *

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

Park * Kopuatama Cemetery

Born or lived in Stratford

Sportspeople

Mark "Bull" Allen Mark Richard Allen (born 27 July 1967), commonly known as Bull Allen, is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and TV celebrity, reaching iconic status on the New Zealand sports scene in the 1990s. As well as 19 games and 8 test match app ...

(31 July 1967), All Black, TV host * Christine Arthur (26 August 1963), New Zealand field hockey player * Arthur Collins (1906–1988), All Black * John Graham (1 January 1935), All Black, NZRU president, NZ cricket team manager, Auckland University Chancellor, Auckland Grammar School headmaster, businessman *

Stan Lay Stanley Arthur Lay (27 July 1906 – 12 May 2003) was a New Zealand javelin thrower who competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics, 1930 British Empire Games, 1938 British Empire Games, and 1950 British Empire Games. In 1928, he finished seventh. ...

(1906–2003) Olympic Javelin thrower (born in New Plymouth) *

Dave Loveridge David Steven Loveridge (born 22 April 1952) is an All Black of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world. Life and career Loveridge was born in 1952, in Stratford, New Zealand, to Horace and Marg ...

(born 22 April 1952), former All Black * John McCullough (8 January 1936), All Black * Lane Penn, representative rugby footballer, coach, All Black selector and NZRU President * Mark Robinson (born 17 January 1974), former All Black and current NZ Rugby CEO * Ned Shewry (1889–1962), world champion woodchopper * Alan Smith (10 December 1942), All Black *

Jeremiah Trueman Jeremiah Kloeten Trueman (born 19 May 1987) is a New Zealand former professional basketball player. Early life Trueman was born in New Plymouth and originally grew up in nearby Stratford. He joined his parents, first in Tasmania and then in Bra ...

(born 19 May 1987), New Zealand national basketball representative

Literature, art and culture

* Sylvia Ashton-Warner (1908–1984), novelist, autobiographer and educational pioneer *

Michael Hight Michael Hight (born 1961) is a New Zealand artist and illustrator. Background Hight was born in Stratford, New Zealand in 1961. He graduated with a B.Soc.Sc from Victoria University of Wellington in 1982. Between 1984 and 1987 he traveled, ...

(1961), artist - painter *

Michele Leggott Michele Joy Leggott (born 1956) is a New Zealand poet, and an emeritus professor of English at the University of Auckland. She was the New Zealand Poet Laureate between 2007 and 2009. Biography Leggott was born in Stratford, New Zealand, and ...

(1956), poet and literary scholar * Dominic Sheehan, author of ''Finding Home'', a novel that illustrates growing up in Stratford * Cheryll Sotheran (1945-2017), founder of the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring fr ...

* Greg Whyte (1958), Author

Medicine

* Dr

John Daniel Bergin John Daniel Bergin (17 January 1921 – 22 July 1995) was a distinguished neurologist and Catholic anti-abortion apologist. He was born in Stratford, New Zealand, to Martin Bernard Bergin and Minni Bergin (née Hignett). Martin Bergin was a b ...

(17 January 1921 – 22 July 1995), Distinguished physician and neurologist, Catholic pro-life apologist * Dr Mel Brieseman, missionary to India, Canterbury Medical Officer of Health * Dr Graham Gordon (10 December 1927 – 29 February 2004), Surgeon, St John's officer, NZMA Council Chairman (1977–1988) and NZMA President (1990–1991)

Law, government and politics

* David Thomson (1915–1999),

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

and

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

in the

Third National Government of New Zealand The Third National Government of New Zealand (also known as the Muldoon Government) was the government of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. It was an economically conservative government that aimed to preserve the Keynesian economic system establi ...

Venn Young Venn Spearman Young (16 February 1929 – 14 January 1993) was a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the National Party, and served as a Cabinet Minister in the government of Robert Muldoon. He is known for his failed attempt to legalise ...

(1929–1993), Cabinet minister in the Muldoon National Government and homosexual rights activist

Academics

Alice Copping Alice Copping (14 May 1906 – 16 January 1996http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=877556&fileId=S0007114596001249 An Appreciation: Alice Mary Copping) was senior lecturer in nutrition, Queen Elizabeth Colleg ...

(14 May 1906 – 21 August 1982), Senior lecturer in nutrition, Queen Elizabeth College, University of London * Dr

Alan Kirton Alan Henry Kirton (22 February 1933 – 25 July 2001) was a New Zealand agricultural scientist. Biography Born in Stratford, New Zealand in 1933, Kirton was raised in a farming family who ran sheep and dairy cows on a block of land in a sm ...

(1933 - 2001), agricultural scientist *

Jack Tizard Jack Tizard CBE (25 February 1919 – 2 August 1979) was a research psychologist, professor of child development, research unit director, international adviser on learning disability and child care, and a president of the British Psychological S ...

(1919-1979) Professor of Child Development, University of London. CBE

Other

* Brian Davis, (1934–1998),

Archbishop of New Zealand Primate of New Zealand is a title held by a bishop who leads the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Since 2006, the Senior Bishop of each '' tikanga'' ( Māori, Pākehā, Pasefika) serves automatically as one of three co-eq ...

* Emily Stevens (3 September 1900 – 8 August 1967), wholesale florist, nurserywoman, iris hybridiser

Notes

References

* ''The Stratford Inheritance'' by Ian Church, 1990, Heritage Press Ltd, Waikanae, New Zealand: * ''Stratford: Shakespearean Town Under the Mountain'' by David Walter, 2005, Dunmore Publishing, Wellington, New Zealand:

External links

Venture Taranaki (tourism information)

Stratford District Council

''Stratford'' in the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
{{Territorial Authorities of New Zealand Populated places in Taranaki Stratford District, New Zealand