Auroa facts for kids

Auroa is a small place in the southern part of the Taranaki Region in New Zealand. It's located near Mount Taranaki, which is directly to its north. Other nearby towns include Ōpunake to the west, Kaponga to the northeast, and Manaia to the southeast. The name Auroa means "long cloud" in Māori, according to the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

People Living in Auroa

Auroa is made up of two special areas for counting people, covering about 41 square kilometers. These areas are part of a larger region called Taungatara.

In 2018, 270 people lived in Auroa. This was a small decrease from 291 people in 2013 and 297 people in 2006.

There were 99 households in 2018. The population included 132 males and 135 females. About 57 people (21.1%) were under 15 years old. Most people were aged between 30 and 64 (46.7%).

Most people in Auroa identify as European/Pākehā (87.8%). Some also identify as Māori (11.1%).

Many people (48.9%) said they had no religion. About 38.9% were Christian.

Taungatara Area Population

The Taungatara statistical area is bigger than Auroa, covering about 313 square kilometers. It also includes the areas of Te Kiri and Pihama.

As of 2023, the estimated population for Taungatara is 1,460.

In 2018, 1,326 people lived in Taungatara. This was a decrease from 1,380 people in 2013 and 1,431 people in 2006.

There were 456 households in Taungatara in 2018. The population included 702 males and 624 females. The average age was 32.0 years. About 357 people (26.9%) were under 15 years old.

Most people in Taungatara identify as European/Pākehā (89.4%). Some also identify as Māori (18.3%).

About 8.1% of the people in Taungatara were born outside New Zealand. Many people (49.5%) said they had no religion, while 38.7% were Christian.

Otakeho: A Nearby Place

Otakeho is a small area south of Auroa and west of the Otakeho Stream. This stream starts on Mount Taranaki and flows into the Tasman Sea. Otakeho is located on State Highway 45.

Otakeho has a community hall built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. There's also an old store, probably built around 1920, and a few houses. To the west, you can find Ngāruahine's Tawhitinui Marae, a special meeting place for Māori.

Otakeho also has a small sandy beach at the bottom of 40-meter-high cliffs. People use it for fishing. A special type of plant called Craspedia Otakeho, which is nationally threatened, grows there.

In the past, Otakeho had a school (from 1884 to 2003), a church, an hotel, a post office, a smithy (where metal was worked), and a dairy factory. The church was sold in 2018 and moved to Pihama in 2021.

A bus service runs through Otakeho daily, except on weekends, connecting Ōpunake to New Plymouth.

Auroa School

Auroa School is a school for students from Year 1 to Year 8 (ages 5-13). As of February 2024. , it has 174 students. In 2004, schools from Pihama, Riverlea, and Te Kiri closed and joined Auroa School.

Football in Auroa

The Auroa Association Football (soccer) club started in May 1907. After the First World War, the club became active again with two teams.

In 1923, a funny story appeared in the local newspaper: an Auroa player rode nearly 20 miles on a ladies' bicycle in just over an hour to deliver a lost bag to the Hawera train station.

In 1924, Mr. W. Brown from Auroa was the captain of the Taranaki team when they played against Chinese Universities. In 1926, Auroa won the Taranaki Championship and the Julian Cup, which are important football awards. In 1927, Mr. Freakley from Auroa captained the Taranaki team against Canada.