Urenui is a settlement in northern Taranaki, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 3 close to the shore of the North Taranaki Bight, 13 kilometres east of Waitara and 6 km south-west of Mimi. The Urenui River flows past the settlement into the North Taranaki Bight.[3][4]
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "great courage" for Urenui, noting that courage is "a figurative expression".[5] A fuller explanation is that the name was given by Manaia in honour of his well-endowed son. Ure means "penis", and nui means "large".[6][7]
The town was the site of the Urenui Redoubt, created in winter 1865 during the Second Taranaki War. Originally envisioned as a settlement for Māori loyal to the colonial government, however by 1866 it was decided that the town should be a settlement for soldiers.[8]
Urenui is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers 3.65 km2 (1.41 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 430 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 118 people per km2. It is part of the wider Tikorangi statistical area,[9] which covers 167.79 km2 (64.78 sq mi).[1]
Urenui had a population of 414 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 18 people (−4.2%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 15 people (−3.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 186 households, comprising 210 males and 198 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female, with 63 people (15.2%) aged under 15 years, 45 (10.9%) aged 15 to 29, 180 (43.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 126 (30.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.1% European/Pākehā, 20.3% Māori, 0.0% Pacific peoples, 0.7% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.8% had no religion, 31.9% were Christian, 0.7% were Buddhist and 0.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 36 (10.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 81 (23.1%) people had no formal qualifications. 54 people (15.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 153 (43.6%) people were employed full-time, 45 (12.8%) were part-time, and 3 (0.9%) were unemployed.[10]
Urenui School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 95 students as of February 2024.[14][15] The school was founded in 1876 and celebrated its 125th jubilee in 2001.[16]
^Discover New Zealand:A Wises Guide (9th ed.). 1994. p. 217.
^O'Regan, Stephen (2004). "Maori control of the Maori heritage". In Gathercole, Peter; Lowenthal, David (eds.). The Politics of the Past. London and New York: Routledge. p. 98.
Messenger, A. H.; Andrews, Edward Rolfe (1956), Urenui School 80th jubilee, 1876–1956: souvenir booklet, history of school and district, 1st and 2nd April, 1956, Urenui, [N.Z.] ; New Plymouth, [N.Z.]: Urenui School ; Taranaki Herald
Buist, Alastair Gordon (1964), Archaeology in North Taranaki, New Zealand a study of field monuments in the Pukearuhe – Mimi-Urenui area, Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Archaeological Association
Gumbley, Warren (1997), Archaeological mapping of pa in four Taranaki historic reserves, Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation
de Jardine, Margaret (1992), The little ports of Taranaki: being Awakino, Mokau, Tongaporutu, Urenui, Waitara, Opunake, Patea, together with some historical background to each, New Plymouth, [N.Z.]: Margaret de Jardine
The history of Urenui: arrival of the first Maoris, New Plymouth, NZ: Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1930
Buist, Alastair Gordon (1964), Archaeology in North Taranaki, New Zealand a study of field monuments in the Pukearuhe – Mimi-Urenui area, Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Archaeological Association
SW - locality that was formerly part of the defunct South-West Ward until 2022; NPC - locality that was formerly part of the defunct New Plymouth City Ward until 2022; nonCB - area not within a community board
