Poukawa is a rural community in the

Hastings District Hastings is a town in the United Kingdom, most famous for the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Hastings may also refer to: Places Australia * Hastings, Tasmania, a locality * Hastings, Victoria, Australia ** Electoral district of Hastings, Victoria, ...

and

Hawke's Bay Region Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...

of 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 is located south of

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

, off State Highway 2.

Demographics

Poukawa settlement is in an SA1 statistical area, which covers . The SA1 area is part of the larger Poukawa statistical area. The SA1 area had a population of 156 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 15 people (10.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 24 people (18.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 51 households, comprising 84 males and 75 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.12 males per female. The median age was 40.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 48 people (30.8%) aged under 15 years, 18 (11.5%) aged 15 to 29, 66 (42.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 27 (17.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 75.0% 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 ...

, 57.7%

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 ...

, 1.9% Pacific peoples, and 1.9% Asian. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 40.4% had no religion, 46.2% 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 1.9% 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, 12 (11.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 24 (22.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $30,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 12 people (11.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 60 (55.6%) people were employed full-time, 15 (13.9%) were part-time, and 3 (2.8%) were unemployed.

Poukawa statistical area

Poukawa statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². The statistical area had a population of 1,365 at the

, an increase of 93 people (7.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 72 people (5.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 492 households, comprising 705 males and 660 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female. The median age was 44.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 297 people (21.8%) aged under 15 years, 204 (14.9%) aged 15 to 29, 639 (46.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 225 (16.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 85.7% European/

, 23.3%

, 2.0% Pacific peoples, 0.9% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.0% had no religion, 35.8% were

, 3.3% had

and 0.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 249 (23.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 165 (15.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 195 people (18.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 606 (56.7%) people were employed full-time, 192 (18.0%) were part-time, and 15 (1.4%) were unemployed.

Marae

The community has two

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi (tribe) located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The Kahungunu iwi also comprises 86 hapū (sub-tribes ...

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 ...

. Te Whatuiāpiti Marae and meeting house is a meeting place of

Ngāti Whatuiāpiti 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. ...

. In October 2020, the Government committed $887,291 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 the marae and 4 others, creating 12 jobs. Kahurānaki Marae and Kahurānaki meeting house is a meeting place of

Ngāi Te Rangikoianake 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. ...

and

. In October 2020, the Government committed $6,020,910 to upgrade Kahurānaki and 17 other marae, creating 39 jobs.

Education

Poukawa School is a co-educational state primary school, with a roll of as of The school was established in 1921.

Railway station

Poukawa had a

flag station In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a bus stop, stop or train station, station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or drop ...

, opened on 16 February 1876, as part of the Paki Paki to Te Aute section of the

Palmerston North–Gisborne Line The Palmerston North–Gisborne Line (PNGL) is a secondary main line railway in the North Island of New Zealand. It branches from the North Island Main Trunk at Palmerston North and runs east through the Manawatū Gorge to Woodville, New Zeal ...

. By 1891 there were 3 trains a day in each direction, serving a shelter shed, platform, cart approach, loading bank and a short siding. In 1912 an automatic tablet exchanger was added. In 1929 a

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...

was added, which was moved north east, near to Te Mahanga Road, in 1958. In the 1931 earthquake the line near Te Mahanga Road was displaced by about . In 1967 Te Mahunga Road crossing gained flashing lights and bells, which were added the next year to Station Road crossing as well. The station lost its passenger service on 3 August 1959 and closed on 1 August 1971.

Te Hauke platform

After an 1884 petition for a platform at Te Hauke, south of Poukawa, described as a Native Settlement, a short platform was provided in 1886 and a shelter shed in 1906. Te Hauke closed to all traffic on 21 Nov 1958.

References

External links

2002 railway track and signalling plandrawing of Poukawa railway station
{{Hastings District Hastings District Populated places in Hawke's Bay