Manawatū District (officially Manawatu District) is a
territorial authority district in the
Manawatū-Whanganui local government region in the
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, administered by Manawatu District Council. It includes most of the area between the
Manawatū River
The Manawatū River is a major river of the lower North Island of New Zealand. The river flows from the Ruahine Ranges, through both the Manawatū Gorge and the city of Palmerston North, and across the Manawatū Plains to the Tasman Sea at Foxto ...
in the south and the
Rangitīkei River
The Rangitīkei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers, long.
Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupō in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It flows from the Central Plateau south past Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and B ...
in the north, stretching from slightly south of the settlement of
Himatangi in the south, to just south of
Mangaweka
}
Mangaweka is a township on New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway One (SH1) in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between Taihape to the north and Hunterville to the south, has a population of ...
in the north, and from the Rangitīkei River to the top of the
Ruahine Range
The Ruahine Range is the largest of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand that form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington. The ridge is at its most pronounced from the ce ...
in the east. It does not include the
Foxton area and the mouth of the Manawatū River, or
Palmerston North City (which includes
Ashhurst
Ashhurst ( - Raukawa is an aromatic plant used to make scent) is a town and outlying suburb of Palmerston North, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
Location
Ashhurst is sited 14 kilometres northeast of the ...
). Its main town is
Feilding
Feilding is a town in the Manawatū District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on New Zealand State Highway 54, State Highway 54, 20 kilometres north of Palmerston North. The town is the seat of the Manawatū District Council. ...
. The district has an area of 2,624 km².
Name and geography
Manawatū is said to have been named by Hau, a great Māori explorer. As he pursued his wife, who had left him for another lover, along the south-west coast of the North Island, he came across and named river mouths, including
Whanganui
Whanganui, also spelt Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is ...
,
Whangaehu
Whangaehu is a settlement in the Rangitikei District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
Whangaehu is located near the mouth of the Whangaehu River, a large river flowing from for the crater lake of Mount Ruapehu o ...
and Rangitīkei according to events that befell him at the time. He then came across the mouth of the large, wide
Manawatū River
The Manawatū River is a major river of the lower North Island of New Zealand. The river flows from the Ruahine Ranges, through both the Manawatū Gorge and the city of Palmerston North, and across the Manawatū Plains to the Tasman Sea at Foxto ...
; awed by the sight and in fear he might not be able to cross it, he said, "Ka tū taku manawa" (My heart stands still).
The name ''Manawatū'' (often ''the Manawatu'') also refers to the whole area centred on the
Manawatū Plains
The Manawatū Plains is an area of low-lying land in New Zealand, located on the floodplains of the Manawatū and Rangitīkei Rivers. It is some of the most fertile lands in the southwestern North Island.
Stretching from the northern Horowhe ...
, the floodplain of the Manawatū River, with
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...
as its principal city. Like some other areas of New Zealand such as
Wairarapa
The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service t ...
and the
King Country
The King Country ( Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from Kawhia Harbour and the town of Ōtorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of th ...
, the Manawatū in this sense has never had precisely defined boundaries, its extents determined largely by custom and preference. Always included are Palmerston North and all of today's Manawatu District, and usually included is that part of
Horowhenua District
Horowhenua District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kāpiti Coast District, Kāpiti, ...
lying north of Levin. Parts of
Rangitikei and/or
Tararua districts might also be included.
Demographics
Manawatu District covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a density of people per km
2.
Feilding
Feilding is a town in the Manawatū District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on New Zealand State Highway 54, State Highway 54, 20 kilometres north of Palmerston North. The town is the seat of the Manawatū District Council. ...
, the council seat, has a population of , the only town with more than 1,000. Other towns and settlements include
Halcombe
Halcombe is a small settlement in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is situated 13 km north west of Feilding and 4 km east of the Rangitikei River, between New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway ...
,
Himatangi Beach
Himatangi Beach is a small coastal community in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located 32 kilometres west of Palmerston North in the centre of the largest sand dune geographical feature in New Zealand.
De ...
,
Kimbolton,
Pohangina,
Rongotea,
Sanson, and
Tangimoana
Tangimoana is a community in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It had a population of 303 permanent residents in 2018. It is located 15 kilometres southwest of Bulls, and 30 kilometres west of Palmerston North. ...
.
Manawatu District had a population of 32,415 in the
2023 New Zealand census
The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...
, an increase of 2,250 people (7.5%) since the
2018 census, and an increase of 4,956 people (18.0%) since the
2013 census. There were 16,020 males, 16,275 females and 117 people of
other genders in 12,183 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as
LGBTIQ+. The median age was 41.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 6,480 people (20.0%) aged under 15 years, 5,217 (16.1%) aged 15 to 29, 14,406 (44.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 6,312 (19.5%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 88.0%
European
European, or Europeans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
(
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
); 18.3%
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 Co ...
; 2.8%
Pasifika; 3.4%
Asian; 0.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.5%, Māori language by 4.0%, Samoan by 0.4% and other languages by 4.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk).
New Zealand Sign Language
New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...
was known by 0.9%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 30.2%
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 0.5%
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.3%
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, 1.0%
Māori religious beliefs
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 Co ...
, 0.3%
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, 0.5%
New Age
New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had
no religion were 58.1%, and 8.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 3,390 (13.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 15,042 (58.0%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 6,432 (24.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 2,517 people (9.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 13,530 (52.2%) people were employed full-time, 3,657 (14.1%) were part-time, and 489 (1.9%) were unemployed.
Local government
Manawatu County Council
Manawatu County Council was one of 63
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
councils that were formed in 1876 when the
provinces
A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
were abolished. It originally extended from
Rangiwahia
Rangiwahia is a small, elevated, farming settlement in the North Island, New Zealand, northeast of Kimbolton, New Zealand, Kimbolton in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. It is in the Kiwitea valley, near the Whanahuia Range of the Ruahine Range ...
in the north to
Waikanae
Waikanae (, ) is a town on the Kāpiti Coast, north of the Wellington, New Zealand. The name is a Māori language, Māori word meaning "waters" (''wai'') "of the flathead grey mullet, grey mullet".
The area surrounding the town is notable fo ...
in the south.
The county greatly reduced by various splits over the next 30 years. Three towns split off to form borough councils:
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...
(1877, raised to city status in 1930),
Feilding
Feilding is a town in the Manawatū District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on New Zealand State Highway 54, State Highway 54, 20 kilometres north of Palmerston North. The town is the seat of the Manawatū District Council. ...
(1881), and
Foxton (1888). The northern half of (remaining) Manawatu County split off to form
Oroua County Council in 1883, initially unilaterally, as a protest against county authority. Parts of Oroua themselves split off to form separate counties (Kiwitea in 1894, Pohangina in 1895, and Kairanga in 1902). In 1903 Oroua County was officially established, covering the remaining parts after these splits, and also losing
Ashhurst
Ashhurst ( - Raukawa is an aromatic plant used to make scent) is a town and outlying suburb of Palmerston North, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
Location
Ashhurst is sited 14 kilometres northeast of the ...
(transferred to Palmerston North). The area south of the Manawatū River split off to form Horowhenua County Council in 1884.
Manawatu District Council
Manawatu District Council was formed in 1988 when Manawatu County Council amalgamated with Kairanga County Council, itself a splinter of Oroua County Council. The following year, Manawatu District amalgamated with Feilding Borough, Kiwitea County, Oroua County and Pohangina County
[ in the ]1989 local government reforms
The 1989 New Zealand local government reform was the most significant reform of local government in New Zealand in over a century. Some 850 local bodies were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, on Regions of New Zealand, regional and Territo ...
.
For the purposes of representation, Manawatu District is divided into two wards:
In 2021, the council decided to establish a Māori ward from the 2022 local election.
The council is responsible for day-to-day administration and services:
* Animal control
* Bylaws
* Cemeteries
* Community grants and funding
* Infrastructure such as roads, drains, rubbish collection
* Library services
* Liquor licensing
* Property profiling
Ian McKelvie was elected mayor in a by-election in November 2002 and remained in the position until he resigned on 15 December 2011, after being elected to Parliament in the . Deputy Mayor Matt Bell was then acting mayor until a by-election held on 7 March 2012. The by-election was narrowly won by Margaret Kouvelis from Feilding, who beat councillor Steven Gibson by just 14 votes (3293 votes to 3279). Helen Worboys won the mayoralty from the incumbent Margaret Kouvelis in the 2016 Local Government elections.
Horizons Regional Council
Manawatu District is in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, which is governed by the Horizons Regional Council. For electoral and representation purposes, the district is divided into:
* Horowhenua-Kairanga Ward: rural area south of Feilding, including the entire Horowhenua District.
* Manawatū-Rangitikei Ward: Feilding and rural area to the north, and including the entire Rangitikei District.
Tourism
The Manawatu district includes both plains and hills, and is visited by cyclists and others for the views of the Central North Island volcanoes on clear days. The western coast has swimming beaches and large dunes
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
, while the Ruahine Ranges in the east has walking tracks and views over the district from the Wharite mountain or from the Saddle Road.
In the middle of the district is Feilding, with its saleyards, equestrian and motorsport venue (Manfeild), boutique shopping and historical landmarks and collections.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...
's main base, RNZAF Base Ohakea
RNZAF Base Ohakea is an operational base of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Opened in 1939, it is located near Bulls, 25 km north-west of Palmerston North in the Manawatū. It is also used as an alternate airport for civilian aircraft. The ...
, is in Manawatū.
Schools
Secondary:
* Feilding High School, Feilding
* Hato Paora College, Cheltenham
References
Further reading
*Davies, D. A. & Clevely, R. E. (1981) ''Pioneering to prosperity 1874–1974: a centennial history of the Manchester Block''. Feilding: Fisher Printing.
*Holcroft, M. H. (1977) ''The line of the road: a history of Manawatu County, 1876–1976''. Palmerston North: Manawatu County Council.
*Knight, Catherine (2014) ''Ravaged Beauty: An Environmental History of the Manawatu''. Auckland: Dunmore Press.
External links
Manawatū District Council
History
Manawatu District Council
Manawatū and Horowhenua
Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Manawatu & City Business Directory
{{Cities and districts of New Zealand
Districts of New Zealand