Stratford, New Zealand
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Stratford () is the only town in Stratford District, and the seat of the
Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...
region, in New Zealand's
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 ...
. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of
Mount Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), officially Taranaki Maunga and also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. At , it is the second highest mountain in the North Island, afte ...
, approximately halfway between
New Plymouth New Plymouth () 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, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Pl ...
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 establishe ...
, 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 region (including the settlements of
Whangamōmona Whangamōmona is a small township in the Stratford, New Zealand, Stratford District and Manawatū-Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui Region of New Zealand. It lies on New Zealand State Highway 43, State Highway 43, the "Forgotten World Highway", no ...
,
Marco Marco may refer to: People Given name * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor Surname * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Jindřich Marco (1921–2000), Czechoslovak photographer and numismat ...
and Tahora, 31.87% of its land area) and the Taranaki region (68.13% of its land area).


Climate

Stratford has a temperate
Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
: Cfb)


Road and rail

Stratford is at the junction of State Highway 3 and State Highway 43. On State Highway 3
New Plymouth New Plymouth () 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, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Pl ...
is north,
Inglewood Inglewood may refer to: Places Australia *Inglewood, Queensland * Shire of Inglewood, Queensland, a former local government area *Inglewood, South Australia *Inglewood, Victoria *Inglewood, Western Australia Canada * Inglewood, Ontario *Inglewoo ...
north,
Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of South London, 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 ...
south 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 establishe ...
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 Kūiti and 55 km west of T ...
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 covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Before the 2023 census, the town had a smaller boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Stratford had a population of 5,784 at the
2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...
, an increase of 315 people (5.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 447 people (8.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,322 households, comprising 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 ''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 ...
, 17.1%
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 Co ...
, 1.6% Pacific peoples, 3.5% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 10.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.9% had no religion, 38.6% were
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 ...
, 0.6% had
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 ...
, 0.6% were
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 ...
, 0.1% were
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 0.4% were
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 ...
and 1.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 387 (8.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,395 (30.5%) people had no formal qualifications. 459 people (10.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. 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 Co ...
name for Stratford is Whakaahurangi, meaning to look to the sky. The name is taken from a story of the
Ngāti Ruanui Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori people, Māori iwi traditionally based in the Taranaki Region, Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the rohe, traditional ...
chieftainess/Puhi Ariki named
Rua-pū-tahanga Rua-pū-tahanga was a Māori people, 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 daugh ...
who fled her husband
Whatihua Whatihua was a Māori people, 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 norther ...
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, Taranaki, Waverley 17 ...
. 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&nb ...
tribes to those in north
Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...
, and further north to Kawhia. Each travelling party would recollect the story of Rua-pū-tahanga sleeping with her face to the sky. Whakaahurangi Marae, a ''
marae A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...
'' (meeting ground) of the
Ngāti Ruanui Ngāti Ruanui is a Māori people, Māori iwi traditionally based in the Taranaki Region, Taranaki region of New Zealand. In the 2006 census, 7,035 people claimed affiliation to the iwi. However, most members now live outside the rohe, traditional ...
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 ''wikt:wh ...
'' (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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
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 transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...
south of
New Plymouth New Plymouth () 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, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Pl ...
, 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 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 ...
. The surveying of a new site for a town on the banks of the
Pātea River The Pātea River is in Taranaki in the North Island 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 ...
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 in 1879, and in 1880 Skinner was directed to survey the southern half of the town.


Naming

On 3 December 1877, the name Stratford-upon-Patea was adopted, on the motion of William Crompton of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board. The town was named after
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
due to similarities of the
Patea River 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 eas ...
and the River Avon in Warwickshire. The connection to
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 ...
's hometown 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 : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...
clock tower plays the balcony scene from ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' 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 const ...
. 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.


Historic building

The Kings Theatre was given Category I status by Heritage New Zealand in 2024.


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 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. The school's name changed from St Mary's Diocesan School in 2018. 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 Park * Windsor Park * Kopuatama Cemetery


Born or lived in Stratford


Sports people

* Mark "Bull" Allen (31 July 1967), All Black, TV host *
Lisa Allpress Lisa Joy Allpress (née Mumby; born May 20, 1975) is a New Zealand jockey. She was the first female jockey in New Zealand to reach 1000 wins. She is also the first female jockey to win a race in the country of Saudi Arabia. Allpress was born M ...
(born 20 May, 1975), female
jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...
* 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 (1906–2003) Olympic Javelin thrower (born in New Plymouth) * Dave Loveridge (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, New Zealand, Stratford. He joined his parents, first in ...
(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 (1961), artist - painter * Michele Leggott (1956), poet and literary scholar * Dominic Sheehan, author of ''Finding Home'', a novel that illustrates growing up in Stratford *
Cheryll Sotheran Dame Cheryll Beatrice Sotheran (11 October 1945 – 30 December 2017) was a New Zealand museum professional. She was the founding chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and was credited with the successful completion of ...
(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. Usually known as Te Papa ( Māori for ' the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand ...


Medicine

* John Daniel Bergin (17 January 1921 – 22 July 1995), Distinguished physician and neurologist, Catholic pro-life apologist * Mel Brieseman, missionary to India, Canterbury Medical Officer of Health * Doris Gordon (10 July 1890 – 9 July 1956), doctor and obstetrician * 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

* Peter Gordon (1921 – 1991), National Party politician * David Thomson (1915–1999),
Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
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 ...
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 estab ...
*
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 legali ...
(1929–1993), Cabinet minister in the Muldoon National Government and homosexual rights activist


Academics

* Alice Copping (14 May 1906 – 21 August 1982), Senior lecturer in nutrition, Queen Elizabeth College, University of London * Dr Alan Kirton (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, tikanga'' (Māori people, Māori, Pākehā, Diocese of Polynesia, Pa ...
* 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
{{Stratford District Populated places in Taranaki Stratford District, New Zealand