Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of 8,320 as of June 2023.[3]
The surrounding district has a number of apple, pear and kiwifruitorchards, as well as growing a variety of specialised crops such as hops. The area formerly served as the main centre of tobacco growing in New Zealand until the early 1980s.[4] A number of small vineyards have also been developed.
Nearby beaches (such as Kaiteriteri and Mārahau) are very popular with holidaymakers, and the area around Motueka has one of the country's highest annual sunshine-hour indices.[5]Riwaka lies 4.8km north of Motueka via State Highway 60 and Nelson is 41.7km to the east of Motueka via State Highway 60 and State Highway 6.
The name Motueka, or more correctly Motuweka, comes from the Māori language, and means weka island, the weka being a bird of the rail family. The town is colloquially called "Mot" by some residents.
History
The Motueka District Museum
The first known European visitor to the coast near Motueka in 1827 was French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, of the French corvette Astrolabe. He explored and described much of the Tasman Bay shore line. Three ships carrying the New Zealand Company's Nelson expedition, led by Captain Arthur Wakefield, anchored at Astrolabe Roads, north of Kaiteriteri Beach—about 16 kilometres (10mi) due north of Motueka—in October 1841. Kaiteriteri was selected as a site for the first settlement but was later abandoned in favour of Nelson Haven.
The exceptional fertility of the soil and the suitability of the surrounding land for small farm settlement were the main reasons for the establishment of the second town of the Nelson settlement at Motueka in 1842. There was trade between Nelson and Motueka in vegetables and timber in the 1840s. In 1850, Motueka had "a church, various tradespeople, a general store, a doctor, a clergyman, a magistrate and a constable". Motueka was described as "the village was laid out in small sections in the middle of a splendid bush, and had some good open land all around on which the farms were situated” in the 1850s.[7] A significant flood hit Motueka in 1877 with the majority of buildings in the High Street being flooded.[7]
During the period, 1853 to 1876, Motueka was administrated as part of the Nelson Province.
Motueka was created as a borough in 1900 with the first meeting of the Motueka Borough Council being held on 17 January 1900.[8] The population at that time was 900 people with 182 ratepayers and 183 dwellings.[9] The post office building was opened in 1902 by Sir Joseph Ward.[9]
Motueka war memorial, Motueka
The Motueka war memorial was unveiled in 1922. It commemorates the 32 soldiers who died in WWI from the Motueka district. A plaque on the war memorial was unveiled in 1957 to commemorate the 35 soldiers who died in WWII from the Motueka district.[10]
Demographics
The population of Motueka in 1951 was 2464 people which increased to 2824 people in 1956 and 3310 people in 1961.[11]
Motueka covers 13.66km2 (5.27sqmi)[2] and had an estimated population of 8,320 as of June 2023,[3] with a population density of 609 people per km2.
Motueka had a population of 8,007 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 897 people (12.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,383 people (20.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,976 households, comprising 3,885 males and 4,128 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female, with 1,323 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 1,314 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 3,189 (39.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,181 (27.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 85.8% European/Pākehā, 14.6% Māori, 2.5% Pasifika, 5.7% Asian, and 2.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 18.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.8% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 0.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 1.7% were Buddhist and 2.1% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 786 (11.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,659 (24.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 489 people (7.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,835 (42.4%) people were employed full-time, 1,008 (15.1%) were part-time, and 174 (2.6%) were unemployed.[12]
Motueka looking toward the south-west and the airport
Motueka is situated on the small Motueka Plain near the Motueka River which enters Tasman Bay about 4km north of the town. To the west of the valley the land rises steeply to the Arthur and Pikiruna Ranges, and to the south the flat is broken by the gently rolling Moutere Hills.
St Thomas's Anglican church, located at 101 High street, was listed as a category two historic place in 1982. It was built in 1911.[17]
Former Catholic church
The former Motueka Catholic church (2023)
The former Catholic church, located at 31 High street, was listed as a category two historic place in 1982. St Peters Chanel church was consecrated in 1917 and was built out of marble from Takaka. In 1985, the church was replaced by a larger church for the congregation.[18][19]
St Andrew's church
St Andrew's Church, Motueka (2023)
St Andrew's church, located at 64 High street, was listed as a category two historic place in 1982.[20]
The Motueka district museum is located in the former Motueka district high school buildings (built 1913) at 140 High Street. The museum includes exhibitions on local history.[24]
Library
The Motueka library is located at 32 Wallace Street.[25] It was rebuilt in 2022 and cost just over $4.92 million. It is over twice the size of the previous library on Pah St.[26]
Saltwater pool
Motueka is home to a saltwater pool which is located on the Motueka foreshore. It was originally built after a sighting of a shark in the 1920s. Originally a wire cage, in 1938, it was rebuilt as a pool and then upgraded in 1950 and 1992.[27][28]
Golf course
The Motueka golf club was awarded the Holden New Zealand golf club of the year in 2018. It is located on Harbour Road in Motueka.[29][30]
Motueka recreation centre
The Motueka recreation centre includes a stadium, climbing wall, a fitness lounge, a theatre facility, games room, a skating rink and netball courts. It is operated by Sport Tasman and is located at 40 Old Wharf Road.[31] The climbing wall was refurbished in 2016.[32]
Economy
Talley's Seafood Division at Port Motueka
Horticulture is the main industry in the area surrounding Motueka, and the town benefits directly from this. Some of the main crops are apples, beer hops and kiwifruit. Sheep and cattle farming also contribute to the local economy.[33]
Due to the seasonal growth of many crops, the town's population increases greatly with seasonal workers, especially during late summer and early autumn for the apple 'pick'.
At the height of tobacco production, Motueka was home to two tobacco factories. One owned by Australian company WD & HO Wills Holdings and the other by Rothmans International. The tobacco industry has ceased to exist in the area in the early 1980s, when the New Zealand government removed the requirement for some New Zealand grown tobacco to be included in locally produced cigarettes.[4]
Major employers in Motueka include:
Genia (formally MLC Group), operates a timber processing facility that specialises in cut-to-length componentry, small end section and specialised timber mouldings.
Nelson Aviation College trains pilots for the aviation industry.[34][35]
Prolam has manufacturing facilities in Lower Moutere and Riwaka (previously Prime Pine) that produce glulam beams, i beams, LVL timber, posts, wood flooring, timber retaining walls and mid floors.
Talley's Group was established in 1936 by Ivan Peter Talijancich. One of the town's largest employers, the company's Port Motueka site incorporates the Group Head Office, the Seafood Division and the Dairy Division. The Vegetable Division began operations in 1978 at Motueka, but has since been relocated to Blenheim and Ashburton.[36] Seafood processing contributed $46.5 million (10.9%) to the local economy in 2021.[37]
CJ Industries is a construction and landscaping company.
Motueka High School is a co-educational state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students,[68][69] with a roll of 733 as of April 2023.[70]
There are two co-educational state primary schools in the township for Year 1 to 8 students: Parklands School,[71][72] with a roll of 203,[73] and Motueka South School,[74][75] with a roll of 211.[76]
There are two private primary schools in the township for Year 1 to 8 students: Motueka Steiner School,[77][78] with a roll of 99,[79] and St Peter Chanel School,[80][81] with a roll of 54.[82]
There are also five other primary schools in the area surrounding Motueka.[83]
Media
Newspaper
There are two local newspapers in Motueka: The Guardian Motueka, out every Wednesday and The Tasman Leader, out every Thursday. The "Motueka Star" was established in August 1901, and was a six-page newspaper, published twice weekly.[9]
The former State Highway61, now known as the Motueka Valley Highway, connects State Highway 60 at Motueka to State Highway 6 at Kohatu Junction near Tapawera.
Port
Port Motueka, 3 kilometres (2mi) south-east of Motueka, on a tidal lagoon of some 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres), provides sheltered berthage for coastal vessels and is the Gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park.[citation needed]
Airport
The Motueka Aerodrome is 3 kilometres (2mi) west of the town centre and serves as a base for the Motueka Aero Club and the Nelson Aviation College. In 1984, Motueka Air started scheduled passenger flights from Motueka to Wellington, New Zealand using a Piper Aztec aircraft. Within a couple of years the Motueka Air network had grown to include Nelson, Wellington and Palmerston North using additional Piper Chieftains. In 1988, Motueka Air was renamed Air Nelson and relocated to Nelson Airport.[84]
Motueka hosts the Kaiteriteri Carnival and Motueka Festival of Lights.
Sport
Mountain biking
Motueka sits on the Tasman's Great Taste Trail which is a mountain bike trail connecting the towns of Nelson, Wakefield, Richmond, Motueka and Kaiteriteri.[87]
Nelson is a New Zealand city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island. It is the oldest city in the South Island and the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand; it was established in 1841 and became a city by royal charter in 1858.
Te Kūiti is a town in the north of the King Country region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk railway, 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Hamilton. The town promotes itself as the sheep shearing capital of the world and is host to the annual New Zealand National Shearing Championships.
Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipa District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Hamilton on State Highway 3, one of the two main routes south from Auckland and Hamilton.
Murchison is a town in the Tasman Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is near the western end of the "Four Rivers Plain", at the confluence of the Buller River and the Matakitaki River. The other two rivers are the Mangles River, and the Matiri River. It is a rural service town for the surrounding mixed farming district, approximately halfway between Westport and Nelson. Murchison was named after the Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison, one of the founders of the Royal Geographical Society.
Ōtorohanga is a north King Country town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 53 kilometres (33 mi) south of Hamilton and 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of Te Kūiti, on the Waipā River. It is a service town for the surrounding dairy-farming district. It is recognised as the "gateway" to the Waitomo Caves and as the "Kiwiana Town" of New Zealand. Until 2007, Ōtorohanga held a yearly 'Kiwiana Festival.'
Ōpōtiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty Region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau District.
Richmond is a town and the seat of the Tasman District Council in New Zealand. It lies 13 kilometres (8 mi) south of Nelson in the South Island, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay. The town, first settled by Europeans in 1842, was named in 1854 after the town of Richmond on Thames near London. The town has an estimated population of 19,200 as of June 2023.
Tapawera is a small town in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island. It is located 76 km southwest of Nelson and 48 km southeast of Motueka. It is situated on the Motueka Valley Highway by the banks of the Motueka River.
Tākaka is a small town situated at the southeastern end of Golden Bay, at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island, located on the lower reaches of the Tākaka River. State Highway 60 runs through Takaka and follows the river valley before climbing over Tākaka Hill, to Motueka linking Golden Bay with the more populated coast of Tasman Bay to the southeast. The town is served by Tākaka Aerodrome.
Riwaka is a small settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island. It lies beside Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, five kilometres north of Motueka, and close to the mouth of the Riuwaka River. The land where the town is based was a swamp known as Tureauraki. Europeans first settled in Riwaka in May 1842. The Riwaka economy has been based around growing tobacco and hops.
Ōtaki is a town in the Kāpiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand, situated half way between the capital city Wellington, 70 km (43 mi) to the southwest, and Palmerston North, 70 km (43 mi) to the northeast.
Tasman District Council is the unitary local authority for the Tasman District of New Zealand.
Ngātīmoti or Ngatimoti is a town near Motueka in New Zealand's South Island.
Onekawa is a suburb of the city of Napier, in the Hawke's Bay Region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand. Development of the suburb began in the late 1940s, after the land was acquired from then-Harbour Board.
Māpua is a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is to the west of Nelson on State Highway 60 and on the coastline of Tasman Bay.
Tasman is a settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's upper South Island. It is located between Māpua and Motueka, 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Abel Tasman National Park and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Nelson.
Lower Moutere is a settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's upper South Island. It is a farming community it the Lower Moutere valley, 6 km (3.7 mi) from Motueka close to the Moutere Inlet.
Brooklyn is a settlement and rural valley in the Tasman District of New Zealand's upper South Island. It is located on the outskirts of Motueka, and is dominated by orchards.
Mahana is a settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's upper South Island.
↑ McLintock, Alexander Hare; Brian Newton Davis, M. A.; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "MOTUEKA". An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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