Waitohi
Waitohi | |
|---|---|
 Richard Pearse monument | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 44°13′S 171°11′E / 44.217°S 171.183°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial authority | Timaru District |
| Ward | Pleasant Point-Temuka |
| Community | Temuka |
| Electorates |
|
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Timaru District Council |
| • Regional council | Environment Canterbury |
| • Mayor of Timaru | Nigel Bowen[1] |
| • Waitaki MP | Miles Anderson |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode | 7985 |
| Area code | 03 |
| Local iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Waitohi, Waitohi Flat and Upper Waitohi are small farming centres from 5 to 16 km west of Temuka and north of the Opihi river, South Canterbury in New Zealand. They are about 20 km north of Timaru.
It is the area where Richard Pearse, a pioneer aviator, lived and farmed. From 1902 to 1904, Richard Pearce built and flew experimental aircraft on his Waitohi farm and managed to achieve powered flight.
Demographics
[edit]The Waitohi statistical area includes Winchester and Milford Huts, and surrounds but does not include Temuka. It covers 371.78 km2 (143.55 sq mi)[2] and had an estimated population of 1,820 as of June 2025,[3] with a population density of 4.9 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,602 | — |
| 2013 | 1,737 | +1.16% |
| 2018 | 1,761 | +0.27% |
| Source: [4] | ||
The statistical area had a population of 1,761 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 24 people (1.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 159 people (9.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 696 households, comprising 927 males and 834 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.11 males per female. The median age was 38.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 366 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 318 (18.1%) aged 15 to 29, 828 (47.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 249 (14.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 85.2% European/Pākehā, 12.6% Māori, 1.0% Pasifika, 6.5% Asian, and 4.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 16.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.8% had no religion, 35.8% were Christian, 1.0% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.2% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 1.0% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 186 (13.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 327 (23.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $35,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. 204 people (14.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 789 (56.6%) people were employed full-time, 213 (15.3%) were part-time, and 33 (2.4%) were unemployed.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Waitohi (Timaru District) (339100). 2018 Census place summary: Waitohi (Timaru District)