# Dairy Flat

Dairy Flat is a northern rural district located 8 km south of Orewa in the North Island of New Zealand and 28 km north of central Auckland. Until the early 1990s most of the district was in dairy farms of 40 to 60 hectares (100 to 150 acres), but with the growth of Auckland and the extension of the Northern Motorway into the area, these are being gradually overtime subdivided into lifestyle blocks of around 2 to 5 hectares (5 to 12 acres), many of which are grazing sheep, horses, beef cattle or deer. Although it still retains a rural character, it is counted as part of the Auckland urban area in official statistics.

## Geography

'Dairy Flat' lies within the Rodney ward on State Highway 1 and the former State Highway 17. There is a small village shopping centre and the Dairy Flat Primary School. A major facility is the North Shore Aerodrome owned and operated by the North Shore Aero Club. In addition to aero club and private aircraft, the field is used by Barrier Air to run a scheduled air service in passenger aircraft to Great Barrier Island, some 40 nautical miles (75 km) offshore of the coast.

## History

In the 1850s, Maurice and Mary Kelly established a dairy farm in the area, likely at the location of the North Shore Aerodrome. They named the adjacent stream Dairy Stream, and Dairy Flat was in turn named after the stream. The first known references to the name Dairy Flat come from 1865. The area was a plentiful source of kauri gum, which was sold at the local kauri gum camps: Bull Town on Poyntons Farm, Tiger Camp, and Horse Shoe Bush/Nanahu. Maurice Kelly took over the family timber felling business in the 1860s and 1870s. In 1878, Dairy Flat School was established.
In 1931, local residents lobbied for the area's name to be changed from Dairy Flat to Pine Valley, but this measure was not successful. The area started to be used for flights in the early 1960s, an in 1963 the North Shore Aero Club was established, operating from North Shore Aerodrome.
The planned Auckland Surf Park is a heated artificial surfing lagoon set to be located in Dairy Flat when it opens between 2026 and 2027.

## Demographics

Dairy Flat covers 64.15 km$^2$ (24.77 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 5,090 as of June 2024, with a population density of 79 people per km$^2$.
Dairy Flat had a population of 4,977 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 363 people (7.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 774 people (18.4%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,553 males, 2,409 females and 18 people of other genders in 1,542 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 840 people (16.9%) aged under 15 years, 1,020 (20.5%) aged 15 to 29, 2,403 (48.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 714 (14.3%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 76.9% European (Pākehā); 8.9% Māori; 2.3% Pasifika; 19.0% Asian; 1.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 94.1%, Māori language by 1.9%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 22.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 35.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 28.0% Christian, 0.5% Hindu, 0.8% Islam, 0.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 61.6%, and 6.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 897 (21.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,085 (50.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 909 (22.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $47,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 753 people (18.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,220 (53.7%) people were employed full-time, 627 (15.2%) were part-time, and 111 (2.7%) were unemployed.
Individual statistical areas :
| Name | Area (km$^2$) | Population | Density (per km$^2$) | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
| Dairy Flat North | 18.76 | 1,797 | 96 | 519 | 38.5 years | $42,500 |
| Dairy Flat West | 30.98 | 1,524 | 49 | 507 | 40.9 years | $51,500 |
| Dairy Flat South | 14.40 | 1,659 | 115 | 519 | 42.2 years | $49,300 |
| New Zealand | | | | | 38.1 years | $41,500 |

## Education

Dairy Flat School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of 348 as of August 2024. The school was established in 1878.
The notable secondary schools that are currently serving Dairy Flat are Orewa College, Westlake Boys High School, Westlake Girls High School, Long Bay College and Rangitoto College.