Waitōtara is a town in South

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 ...

, New Zealand. Waverley is 10 km to the north-west, and

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 ...

is 34 km to the south-east. State Highway 3 passes through it. The

Waitōtara River The Waitōtara River in New Zealand's North Island stretches approximately in length from its headwaters in the Matemateāonga Range to its mouth on the South Taranaki Bight. The river takes in significant tributaries such as the Ngutuwera, Ma ...

flows past the east side of the town. More than 30 homes were evacuated during flooding in February 2004. A local

freezing works In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a meat ...

is a major employer. In April 2025 the 104-year old Waitotara Hotel, which was also used as a grocery story and postal centre, was devastated by a fire.

Demographics

Waitōtara is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². It is part of the wider Manutahi-Waitotora statistical area. Waitōtara had a population of 72 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 6 people (9.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 6 people (9.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 39 households, comprising 42 males and 30 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.4 males per female. The median age was 54.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 12 people (16.7%) aged under 15 years, 6 (8.3%) aged 15 to 29, 33 (45.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 21 (29.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 70.8% 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 ...

, and 33.3%

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 ...

. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.3% had no religion, 29.2% 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 ...

, and 4.2% 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 ...

. Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (40.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $23,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 24 (40.0%) people were employed full-time, 9 (15.0%) were part-time, and 6 (10.0%) were unemployed.

Marae

Waitōtara has

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 ...

associated with the

hapū In Māori language, 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 ...

of Ngā Rauru Kītahi: * Te Ihupuku Marae and Te Kawerau and Karepoonia are affiliated with Ngāti Hinewaiata. * Kaipō or Wharetapapa Marae and its Tokanuhea III meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Hou Tipua. * Takirau Marae and Ko Te Marunga Nui o Pourua meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Pourua. * Tauranga Ika Marae and Te Aputa ki Wairau meeting house are affiliated with

Ngāti Ruaiti Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...

. * Waipapa Marae and Ngā Paiaka meeting house are affiliated with Ngā Ariki. In October 2020, the Government committed $522,926 from the

Provincial Growth Fund Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the New Zealand First party. Jones' political career began 2005 New Zealand general election, in 2005 as a l ...

to upgrade Te Ihupuku Marae, Waipapa Marae and Te Aroha Marae, creating 92 jobs.

Education

Waitotara School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of students as of The school was founded in 1874.

References

{{South Taranaki District South Taranaki District Populated places in Taranaki

Demographics

Marae

Education

See also

References