Aramoho

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Aramoho
Suburb
Map
Interactive map of Aramoho
Coordinates: 39°54′15″S 175°03′39″E / 39.904034°S 175.060965°E / -39.904034; 175.060965
CountryNew Zealand
CityWhanganui
Local authorityWhanganui District Council
Area
[1]
 • Land365 ha (900 acres)
Population
 (June 2025)[2]
 • Total
4,360
 • Density1,190/km2 (3,090/sq mi)
Brunswick Upokongaro
Otamatea
Aramoho
St Johns Hill Whanganui East

Aramoho is a settlement on the Whanganui River, in the Whanganui District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is an outlying suburb of Whanganui.[3]

History

[edit]
The remains of the Kempthorne Prosser Chemical Works at Aramoho.

The settlement was established on the river in the 1860s, upstream from the European Wanganui settlement and the Māori Pūtiki settlement. A school was established in 1873.[4][5] The name may be derived from ara mohoau, or 'path of the North Island takahē'.[6]

A rail bridge at Aramoho, on the Marton–New Plymouth line, was completed in 1877.[7]

In the early 20th century, families would travel up the river on a paddle steamer for an annual picnic at Hipango Park. Parents also raised money for a school pool, where generations of children learned to swim.[4]

The National Library of New Zealand holds a photograph of school students and staff from 1915, showing boys wearing shorts, long socks, ties and blazers, and girls wearing dresses, on a small field in front of a school house.[8] Another photo of children at the school featured in the New Zealand Railways Magazine in 1937.[9]

A rose garden was planted near the school after World War I who commemorate locals who had died in the war. The garden later became a memorial to all pupils and teachers who had died in both world wars.[4]

In 1926, Kempthorne Prosser opened a drug and fertiliser factory in Aramoho. It has since been used as a fertiliser plant and a medical centre.[10]

In the 1930s, the Duchess Theatre or Duck Theatre began showing films. It later became the Aramoho Plaza.[11]

The suburb expanded after World War II with a meatworks, a pickle factory, tea gardens, a fruit evaporating company, a zoo, and various hotels and boarding houses.[12]

Demographics

[edit]

Aramoho covers 3.65 km2 (1.41 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 4,360 as of June 2025,[2] with a population density of 1,195 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20063,966—    
20133,693−1.01%
20183,966+1.44%
20234,212+1.21%
Source: [13][14]

Aramoho had a population of 4,212 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 246 people (6.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 519 people (14.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,052 males, 2,148 females, and 15 people of other genders in 1,638 dwellings.[15] 3.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 37.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 936 people (22.2%) aged under 15 years, 705 (16.7%) aged 15 to 29, 1,770 (42.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 804 (19.1%) aged 65 or older.[13]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 77.1% European (Pākehā); 35.0% Māori; 3.7% Pasifika; 4.1% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.4%, Māori by 10.3%, Samoan by 0.6%, and other languages by 5.3%. No language could be spoken by 2.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 10.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.[13]

Religious affiliations were 26.3% Christian, 0.4% Hindu, 0.3% Islam, 4.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.9% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 58.3%, and 8.3% of people did not answer the census question.[13]

Of those at least 15 years old, 465 (14.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,857 (56.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 957 (29.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $31,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 105 people (3.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,386 (42.3%) full-time, 489 (14.9%) part-time, and 156 (4.8%) unemployed.[13]

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Dwellings Median age Median
income
Lower Aramoho 2.08 2,040 979 762 36.2 years $30,000[16]
Upper Aramoho 1.56 2,175 1,392 876 39.6 years $33,400[17]
New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500

Education

[edit]

Churton School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[18] with a roll of 139 as of July 2025.[19][20] It opened in 1975.[21]

St Mary's School is a co-educational state-integrated primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[22] with a roll of 249.[23] It opened in 1919 on Victoria Avenue in the central city, moved to Grey Street in 1927 and then to Wicksteed Street in 1964. It moved to Aramoho in 1988, on a site occupied by Holy Infancy (later St Joseph's) school from 1899 to 1979.[24]

The original Aramaho School was established in 1973 and closed in 2016 due to an ageing local population and the growth of kohanga reo and other schools.[25][4] The Education Review Office had raised several concerns about how the school was being managed before its closure.[26][27]

The Born and Raised Pasifika preschool was established on part of the Aramoho School site in 2003.[4]

The Holy Infancy School opened in Aramoho in 1889 to provide Catholic education, becoming known as Sister Rita's School for the sister who ran the school for 40 years. It was renamed St Joseph's School in 1966, became an intermediate school for girls in 1970, and finally closed in 1979.[28]

Marae

[edit]

Te Ao Hou Marae is located in Aramoho, across the road from Churton School.[29] It is a tribal meeting ground of Ngāti Tupoho, and the Ngāti Rangi hapū of Ngāti Rangi-ki-tai.[30]

The marae occupies a section of Māori freehold land on the banks of the Whanganui River that was originally a summer fishing and food gathering place for the Ngāti Rangi people.[31][32] A meeting house, called Te Puawaitanga, was built at the site in the 1970s.[32] The blessing of the completed marae was photographed by Ans Westra in 1978.[33]

Homes and toilets were later added to the site.[32] In 2019, the marae trust applied for Government funding to expand its meeting house so it would not need to put up tents for tangihanga and other special events.[34]

The marae marks the downstream end point for Tira Hoe Waka, an annual pilgrimage in which participants paddle waka between marae on the Whanganui River.[35]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 3 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Aramoho". idnz.co.nz.
  4. ^ a b c d e Wylie, Liz (18 December 2016). "A fond farewell to Aramoho School". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Whanganui Chronicle.
  5. ^ Aramoho school in retrospect : official. Wanganui: Aramoho School Jubilee Committee. 1953.
  6. ^ Phillips, W.J. (April 1959). "The Last (?) Occurrence of Notornis in the North Island" (PDF). Notornis. 8 (4): 93–94.
  7. ^ Black, Sandi (25 March 2019). "Museum Notebook: The Wanganui Town Bridge Cog". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Whanganui Chronicle.
  8. ^ "Aramoho School". natlib.govt.nz. National Library of New Zealand.
  9. ^ "Aramoho Primary School". New Zealand Railways Magazine. 11 (10). 1 January 1937.
  10. ^ Stark, Frank (29 August 2019). "Museum notebook: What's behind the Drews Avenue revival?". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Whanganui Chronicle.
  11. ^ Staff reporter (5 November 2015). "Cinema series brings flashbacks". Whanganui Chronicle.
  12. ^ "Suburb's social history explored". APN New Zealand. Whanganui Chronicle. 18 January 2014.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Aramoho (54700). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Lower Aramoho (224000) and Upper Aramoho (224600).
  15. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Lower Aramoho. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Upper Aramoho. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  19. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  21. ^ "Churton School Celebrates 50 years" (PDF). River City Press. 31 July 2025. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2025.
  22. ^ "St Mary's School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  23. ^ "St Mary's School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  24. ^ Sharpe, Libby; Doyle, Helen (25 April 2018). "Museum: Catholic education in Whanganui". Whanganui Chronicle.
  25. ^ Gerritsen, John (6 March 2018). "Lots of space, not enough students: Whanganui schools struggling for enrolments". Radio New Zealand. rnz.co.nz.
  26. ^ Gebbie, Joyce. "Aramoho School – 25/02/2014". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  27. ^ Gebbie, Joyce. "Aramoho School – 14/09/2016". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  28. ^ Sharpe, Libby (25 April 2018). "Museum: Catholic education in Whanganui". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Whanganui Chronicle.
  29. ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
  30. ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
  31. ^ "Te Ao Hou Marae" (PDF). whanganui.govt.nz. Whanganui District Council.
  32. ^ a b c Stowell, Laura (26 June 2018). "Pair have big plans to revive Whanganui's Te Ao Hou Marae". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Whanganui Chronicle.
  33. ^ Westra, Ana. "Scenes, at Te Ao Mārama, at Te Ao Hou Marae". natlib.govt.nz. National Library of New Zealand.
  34. ^ Stowell, Laura (11 June 2019). "Whanganui's Te Ao Hou Marae to apply for development funding". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Whanganui Chronicle.
  35. ^ McLachlan, Leigh-Marama (18 January 2019). "Iwi Whanganui River pilgrimage refreshes soul and relationships". Radio New Zealand.
[edit]
  • Media related to Aramoho at Wikimedia Commons