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Murupara is a town located in the Whakatāne District 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 ...
. The town is situated in an isolated part of the region between the Kaingaroa Forest and Te Urewera protected area, on the banks of the Rangitaiki River, 65 kilometres southeast of
Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...
. It is located on SH38 and is the terminus of the Murupara Railway Branch. The town's principal industries are all related to
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
. Murupara is in the '' rohe'' (tribal area) of the
Ngāti Manawa Ngāti Manawa is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. Hapū and marae The tribe is made up of four ''hapū'' (sub-tribes). Each has a ''marae'' (communal grounds) and ''wharenui'' (meeting house). * Moewhare, based at Karangaranga marae and Moewhare ...
iwi. The
Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...
name means "to wipe off mud".


History and culture


History

Murupara was previously a staging post on the road between Rotorua and
Napier Napier may refer to: People * Napier (surname), including a list of people with that name * Napier baronets, five baronetcies and lists of the title holders Given name * Napier Shaw (1854–1945), British meteorologist * Napier Waller (1893–19 ...
. In the early 1900s, the planting of exotic trees began on the surrounding scrubland. This area is now known as the Kaingaroa Forest, with 1,400 square kilometres of planted pines. As the main service centre for the many forestry workers and their families, Murupara grew to a population of over 3,000. Recent changes to the forestry contracting system have brought about a decrease in the number of permanent residents. The settlements of
Galatea Galatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white". Galatea, Galathea or Gallathea may refer to: In mythology * Galatea (Greek myth), three different mythological figures In the arts * ''Aci, Galatea e Polifemo'', cantata by H ...
, Horomanga, Kopuriki, Aniwhenua, Waiohau and Murupara lie between the boundary of the Kaingaroa Forest, the popular
Te Urewera Te Urewera is an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand, a large part of which is within a protected area designated in 2014, that was formerly Te Urewera National Park. Te Urewera is t ...
and
Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park is a publicly accessible conservation park in the North Island of New Zealand. The park is centered on the town of Minginui and part of the eastern boundary flanks Te Urewera. The Whirinaki Forest is on ...
. Earlier history is also evident around Murupara. In a rock shelter approximately eight kilometres west of the town centre are a number of ancient cave drawings. Murupara was regarded as being a "gang town" but local iwi have placed a (ban) on gang patches from being worn at the local marae and school.


Marae

Murupara has four marae, which are meeting places for Ngāti Manawa
hapū In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally opera ...
: * Moewhare or Karangaranga marae and Moewhare meeting house are affiliated with Moewhare. * Painoaiho marae and Ruatapu meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Koro. * Rangitahi marae and Apa Hapai Taketake meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Hui. * Tīpapa marae and Tangiharuru meeting house are affiliated with Ngāi Tokowaru. In October 2020, the Government committed $1,327,283 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the four marae, creating 12 jobs.


Demographics

Murupara had a population of 1,815 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 144 people (8.6%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 57 people (-3.0%) 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 549 households. There were 891 males and 924 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. The median age was 29.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 525 people (28.9%) aged under 15 years, 393 (21.7%) aged 15 to 29, 714 (39.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 186 (10.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 20.2% European/Pākehā, 91.2% Māori, 3.3% Pacific peoples, 0.8% Asian, and 0.8% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 1.8%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 40.3% had no religion, 39.3% were Christian, 0.2% were Buddhist and 13.4% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 60 (4.7%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 423 (32.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $18,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 420 (32.6%) people were employed full-time, 180 (14.0%) were part-time, and 183 (14.2%) were unemployed.


Education

Murupara Area School is a co-educational state area school for Year 1 to 13 students, with a roll of as of It opened in 2013, when the local primary and secondary schools merged. Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tāwhiuau is a co-educational state Māori language immersion school, with a roll of . The school opened in 2000, and was the first Designated Character School (Kura ā-Iwi) in the country.


Notable people

* Jacinda Ardern (born 1980), Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party *
Pem Bird Pembroke Peraniko "Pem" Bird is a New Zealand educator and Māori community leader. From 2010 to 2013, he was President of the Māori Party. In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bird was awarded the Queen's Service Medal, for services to educa ...
, president of the Maori Party 2010–2013 *
Bradley Iles Bradley Iles (born 23 August 1983) is a professional golfer from New Zealand who currently plays on the Nationwide Tour. Career Iles was born in Murupara, New Zealand. He turned professional in 2005. Iles has never won on the Nationwide Tour, ...
, professional golfer *
Willie Ripia Willie Ripia (born 20 August 1985) is a rugby union player. He plays as a first five-eighth. He was born in Murupara, New Zealand. Ripia attended Rotorua Boys' High School. Ripia started his Super 14 career at the Highlanders before moving to ...
, Rugby union player


References

{{Authority control Whakatane District Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region