# Rahotu

Rahotu (Māori:) is a rural settlement in the North Island of New Zealand, located within the Taranaki region and governed by the South Taranaki District Council. Positioned along State Highway 45, it lies between Ōpunake to the south and New Plymouth to the north. According to the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the Māori meaning of Rahotu is "long for the sun".

## History

The first recorded interaction between Māori and Europeans in the area occurred on 29 April 1834, when the ship Harriet was wrecked off the coast. Among those on board was Captain Guard, a whaler traveling from Sydney to his whaling station at Port Underwood, along with his wife and two young children. All passengers safely reached shore and set up camp near the mouth of the Okahu River. Initially, their encounter with local Māori appeared friendly, but tensions soon escalated into conflict. Captain Guard and some of his companions managed to escape, while his wife and children were captured and held as prisoners before eventually being released unharmed.
Before 1880, the land between Ōpunake and Ōkato was closed to overseas visitors, as it was controlled by Chief Tohu Kākahi and Prophet Te Whiti o Rongomai. However, the government later decided to open the area for settlement. In May 1880, six hundred armed constabulary advanced from both ends of the territory, constructing and surveying what is now State Highway 45. The two contingents met near present-day Pungarehu and took possession of Rahotu in 1881 by seizing both Māori pā on either side of the newly established road. The northern pā, situated at the southwest corner of the domain, gave Rahotu its name. Once occupied, the domain was established as a site for sports activities.
The confiscated land near present-day Rahotu was retained by the government and used as a military base to house armed constabulary during and after the 1881 invasion of Parihaka. With Parihaka reduced to a smaller village and its leaders imprisoned, the government no longer needed the base and sought funding through land sales. The property boundaries extended along and down two tracks now known as Coast Road and Tipoka Road. On 18 October 1883, William Ralston Wright purchased the land. As late as 1886, cottages were still being built in the area, which had previously served as a tent encampment leading to Parihaka. It was officially recognised as a new district around this time.

## Demographics

Rahotu is in an SA1 statistical area which covers 16.57 km$^2$ (6.40 sq mi). The SA1 area is part of the larger Cape Egmont statistical area.
Rahotu had a population of 216 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 24 people (12.5%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 6 people (−2.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 84 households, comprising 108 males and 108 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female. The median age was 37.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 57 people (26.4%) aged under 15 years, 33 (15.3%) aged 15 to 29, 108 (50.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 18 (8.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 77.8% European/Pākehā, 47.2% Māori, 1.4% Pacific peoples, and 2.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.2% had no religion, 31.9% were Christian, 1.4% had Māori religious beliefs and 1.4% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 12 (7.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 60 (37.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 9 people (5.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 66 (41.5%) people were employed full-time, 39 (24.5%) were part-time, and 9 (5.7%) were unemployed.

### Cape Egmont statistical area

Cape Egmont statistical area, which was renamed Parihaka statistical area in 2023, also includes Warea, Pungarehu, Parihaka, and Oaonui. It covers 434.16 km$^2$ (167.63 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,480 as of June 2024, with a population density of 5.7 people per km$^2$.
Cape Egmont had a population of 2,067 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 39 people (−1.9%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 33 people (−1.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 774 households, comprising 1,107 males and 960 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.15 males per female. The median age was 34.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 561 people (27.1%) aged under 15 years, 378 (18.3%) aged 15 to 29, 963 (46.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 168 (8.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 81.9% European/Pākehā, 28.2% Māori, 1.5% Pacific peoples, 2.3% Asian, and 2.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 7.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.0% had no religion, 31.9% were Christian, 1.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 174 (11.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 399 (26.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 180 people (12.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 810 (53.8%) people were employed full-time, 267 (17.7%) were part-time, and 57 (3.8%) were unemployed.

## Education

Rahotu School is a co-educational primary school for students in Years 1 to 8, with an enrollment of 151 as of November 2024. Established in 1884, the school originally consisted of a single classroom during the town’s early settlement period. In 1953, a new block of classrooms was constructed, and the original building was repurposed as the school hall.

## Notable people

* Percy Hickey (1899–1943), rugby union player