Turua is a small village community on the banks of the

Waihou River The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook in November 1769, when he explored of the river from the mouth. An older Māori name was "Wai Kahou Roung ...

in the

Hauraki Plains The Hauraki Plains are a geographical area located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the lower (northern) end of the Thames Valley, New Zealand, Thames Valley. They are located 75 kilometres south-east of Auckland, at the foot of ...

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 ...

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 ...

. It is located close to the mouth of the river, 9 kilometres south of the

Firth of Thames The Firth of Thames () is a large bay located in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the firth of the rivers Waihou and Piako, the former of which was formerly named the Thames River, and the town of Thames lies on its south ...

and 12 km south of

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

. It is connected by road (Hauraki Road) to SH 25 in the north and SH 2 to the south. Turua is a

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 ...

place name meaning "twice seen," referring to reflections in the river. Before European settlement, the town site was a Māori pā surrounded by vast forests of

kahikatea ''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'', commonly known as kahikatea (from Māori language, Māori) and white pine, is a Pinophyta, coniferous tree endemism, endemic to New Zealand. A Podocarpaceae, podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining hei ...

that came to be known as the "Turua Woods." In the late 19th century the village of Turua became one of the most important sites of kahikatea exploitation in New Zealand when the family of George and Martha Bagnall bought the Turua sawmill in 1875. Over the next forty years the stands of kahikatea surrounding the town were replaced by small family farms.

Demographics

Turua is described 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 larger Hauraki Plains East statistical area. Waihou_River_at_Turua_01

Turua had a population of 402 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 18 people (4.7%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 24 people (6.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 201 males, 198 females and 3 people of other genders in 153 dwellings. 3.0% of people identified as

LGBTIQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group is ...

. The median age was 43.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 78 people (19.4%) aged under 15 years, 57 (14.2%) aged 15 to 29, 189 (47.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 78 (19.4%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.6%

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 ...

); 26.1%

; 4.5% Pasifika; 4.5% Asian; and 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA). English was spoken by 98.5%, Māori language by 5.2%, Samoan by 0.7%, and other languages by 2.2%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 10.4, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 21.6%

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 ...

, 2.2%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 1.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 66.4%, and 6.7% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 36 (11.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 198 (61.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 90 (27.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 24 people (7.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 168 (51.9%) people were employed full-time, 39 (12.0%) were part-time, and 6 (1.9%) were unemployed.

Hauraki Plains East

Hauraki Plains East statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Hauraki Plains East had a population of 1,440 in the

, an increase of 75 people (5.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 123 people (9.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 735 males, 696 females and 6 people of other genders in 510 dwellings. 2.1% of people identified as

. The median age was 41.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 300 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 210 (14.6%) aged 15 to 29, 693 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 237 (16.5%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 87.5%

(

); 19.8%

; 2.9% Pasifika; 4.4% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.1%, Māori language by 2.9%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 3.5%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 11.5, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 22.1%

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.6%

, 0.4%

, 0.2%

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, and 0.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 66.7%, and 9.0% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 147 (12.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 651 (57.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 342 (30.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $40,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 87 people (7.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 609 (53.4%) people were employed full-time, 168 (14.7%) were part-time, and 24 (2.1%) were unemployed.

Education

Turua Primary School is a co-educational state primary school, with a roll of as of

References

{{Waihou Populated places in Waikato Hauraki District