Pōrangahau is a small

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

close to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

coast in the south-east of 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. It lies in the southernmost part of

Hawke's Bay 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 ...

, 45 kilometres south of

Waipukurau Waipukurau is the largest town in the Central Hawke's Bay District on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the banks of the Tukituki River, 7 kilometres south of Waipawa and 50 kilometres southwest of Hastings, New ...

, and close to the mouth of the Pōrangahau River. The settlement includes a marae and a school. 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 ''Pōrangahau'' expresses the idea of a night (''pō'') of pursuit or of retreat (''rangahau''). Six kilometres southwest of the township stands an insubstantial hill, with the longest place name in the world: . The area west of the main township, known as Mangaorapa, was used for sheep farming during the 20th century. The area has more recently been used for cattle farming and wine growing. The 2370 hectare Mangaorapa Station was the most expensive farm in Central Hawke's Bay when it was sold in 2005.

Demographics

Statistics New Zealand describes Pōrangahau as a rural settlement, which covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Pōrangahau is part of the larger Taurekaitai statistical area. Pōrangahau had a population of 141 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 39 people (38.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 21 people (17.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 51 households, comprising 72 males and 69 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 48.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 33 people (23.4%) aged under 15 years, 18 (12.8%) aged 15 to 29, 63 (44.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 30 (21.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 42.6% 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 ...

, 70.2%

, 12.8% Pacific peoples, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 36.2% had no religion, 46.8% 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 4.3% 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, 6 (5.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 36 (33.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $20,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 3 people (2.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 36 (33.3%) people were employed full-time, 18 (16.7%) were part-time, and 6 (5.6%) were unemployed.

Taurekaitai statistical area

Taurekaitai statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Before the 2023 census, Taurekaitai had a larger boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Taurekaitai had a population of 1,893 at the

, an increase of 231 people (13.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 135 people (7.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 714 households, comprising 966 males and 927 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 44.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 417 people (22.0%) aged under 15 years, 225 (11.9%) aged 15 to 29, 900 (47.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 354 (18.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 86.4% European/

, 19.5%

, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 0.3% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 9.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.4% had no religion, 40.6% were

, 0.8% had

, 0.3% 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 1.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 261 (17.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 285 (19.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $31,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 207 people (14.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 753 (51.0%) people were employed full-time, 279 (18.9%) were part-time, and 42 (2.8%) were unemployed.

Marae

The local Rongomaraeroa Marae and its meeting house, Te Poho o Kahungunu, are affiliated with the

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 ...

hapū of Ngāti Hinetewai, Ngāti Kere,

Ngāti Manuhiri Ngāti Manuhiri is a Māori iwi of the Mahurangi Peninsula area of New Zealand. They have an interest in the region from the Ōkura River in the south to Mangawhai in the north, and extending out to Great Barrier Island. They are descended from ...

Ngāti Pihere 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 Tamatea Hinepare o Kahungunu.

Education

Porangahau School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school. It is a decile 4 school with a roll of as of The school first opened in 1867. Mangaorapa School merged with Porangahau School at the end of 2014. Mangaorapa School opened in 1925.

Notable people

Max Christie Cormac Karl "Max" Christie Jr. (born February 10, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans men's baske ...

, politician and local farmer * George Hunter, politician and local landowner * Kuni Kaa Jenkins, educationalist * Piri Sciascia, Māori leader and kapa haka exponent

References

{{Central Hawke's Bay District Central Hawke's Bay District Populated places in Hawke's Bay