Ongarue

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Ongarue
Rural community
Ongarue valley
Ongarue valley
Map
Coordinates: 38°42′58″S 175°17′02″E / 38.716°S 175.284°E / -38.716; 175.284
CountryNew Zealand
RegionManawatū-Whanganui
DistrictRuapehu District
Ward
  • Ruapehu General Ward
  • Ruapehu Māori Ward
CommunityTaumarunui-Ōhura Community
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityRuapehu District Council
 • Regional councilHorizons Regional Council
 • Mayor of RuapehuWeston Kirton[1]
 • Taranaki-King Country MPBarbara Kuriger[2]
 • Te Tai Hauāuru MPDebbie Ngarewa-Packer[3]
Area
[4]
 • Total
138.62 km2 (53.52 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 Census)[5]
 • Total
120
 • Density0.87/km2 (2.2/sq mi)

Ongarue (Māori: Ōngarue) is a rural community in the Ruapehu District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located south of Te Kūiti and Waimiha, and north of Taumarunui.

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of shaking" (i.e. an earthquake) for Ōngarue.[6]

Ongarue is on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. The Ongarue railway station operated from 1901 to 1975.[7] On 6 July 1923, south of the township, an express train hit a landslide; the resulting Ongarue railway disaster killed 17 people, at the time the worst loss of life on New Zealand's railway. It remains the country's third-worst railway disaster.[8]

The village formerly had an Ellis and Burnand sawmill. From 1922 to 1958, the Ellis and Burnand Tramway, an extensive bush tramway, served this mill and connected with the Main Trunk railway.[9] Much of the tramway's alignment is now the Timber Trail cycleway; Ongarue is at the lower end of the route.

Demographics

[edit]

Ongarue locality covers 138.62 km2 (53.52 sq mi).[4] The locality is part of the larger Otangiwai-Ohura statistical area.[10]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
2006132—    
2013126−0.66%
2018135+1.39%
2023120−2.33%
Source: [5][11]

Ongarue had a population of 120 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 15 people (−11.1%) since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 6 people (−4.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 66 males and 51 females in 51 dwellings.[12] The median age was 47.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 21 people (17.5%) aged under 15 years, 27 (22.5%) aged 15 to 29, 48 (40.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 24 (20.0%) aged 65 or older.[5]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 75.0% European (Pākehā), 37.5% Māori, and 10.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.0%, Māori by 15.0%, and other languages by 2.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 7.5, compared with 28.8% nationally.[5]

Religious affiliations were 25.0% Christian, 7.5% Māori religious beliefs, and 2.5% New Age. People who answered that they had no religion were 47.5%, and 20.0% of people did not answer the census question.[5]

Of those at least 15 years old, 9 (9.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 66 (66.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 24 (24.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $32,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 3 people (3.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 54 (54.5%) full-time, 18 (18.2%) part-time, and 6 (6.1%) unemployed.[5]

Marae

[edit]

The area has two local marae:

Education

[edit]

Ongarue School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[15] with a roll of 19 as of July 2025.[16] It opened in 1902.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Taranaki-King Country - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Te Tai Hauāuru - Official Result". Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 1 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. 7017561. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  6. ^ "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
  7. ^ Juliet Scoble, "Names and Opening and Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand, 1863 to 2010" (Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand), p.64.
  8. ^ Geoff Conly and Graham Stewart, New Zealand Tragedy on the Track: Tangiwai and Other Railway Accidents, rev. ed. (Wellington: Grantham House, 1991 [1986]).
  9. ^ John Yonge (ed.), New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas, 4th ed. (Exeter: Quail Map Company, 1993 [1965]), map 8b.
  10. ^ "Geographic Boundary Viewer". Stats NZ. Statistical Area 1 – 2023 and Statistical Area 2 – 2023.
  11. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7017561.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ a b "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
  14. ^ a b "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
  15. ^ Education Counts: Ongarue School
  16. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  17. ^ "History". Ongarue School.