# Maramarua

Maramarua is a locality in the north-eastern part of the Waikato District of New Zealand. State Highway 2 runs through the settlement.

## Demographics

Maramarua settlement is in two SA1 statistical areas which cover 50.55 km$^2$ (19.52 sq mi). The SA1 areas are part of the larger Maramarua statistical area.
The settlement had a population of 315 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 15 people (−4.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 21 people (7.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 168 males and 147 females in 111 dwellings. 1.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 66 people (21.0%) aged under 15 years, 60 (19.0%) aged 15 to 29, 147 (46.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 39 (12.4%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 80.0% European (Pākehā); 28.6% Māori; 5.7% Pasifika; 5.7% Asian; and 1.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA). English was spoken by 95.2%, Māori language by 2.9%, and other languages by 2.9%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 1.9%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 19.0% Christian, 2.9% Hindu, 1.9% Māori religious beliefs, 1.0% Buddhist, and 1.0% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 64.8%, and 11.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 18 (7.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 135 (54.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 87 (34.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 24 people (9.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 126 (50.6%) people were employed full-time, 39 (15.7%) were part-time, and 6 (2.4%) were unemployed.

### Maramarua statistical area

Maramarua statistical area, which also includes Meremere, covers 267.64 km$^2$ (103.34 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,080 as of June 2024, with a population density of 7.8 people per km$^2$.
Maramarua statistical area had a population of 1,839 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 72 people (4.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 360 people (24.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 966 males, 870 females and 3 people of other genders in 615 dwellings. 2.1% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 37.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 444 people (24.1%) aged under 15 years, 282 (15.3%) aged 15 to 29, 882 (48.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 231 (12.6%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 76.7% European (Pākehā); 28.2% Māori; 9.0% Pasifika; 7.2% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.4%, Māori language by 4.7%, Samoan by 0.7%, and other languages by 6.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.6% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 24.5% Christian, 1.1% Hindu, 1.1% Islam, 1.8% Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.5%, and 9.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 192 (13.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 816 (58.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 384 (27.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $42,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 156 people (11.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 771 (55.3%) people were employed full-time, 198 (14.2%) were part-time, and 27 (1.9%) were unemployed.

## History

In 1913 a launch linked with Mercer via the Maramarua River.
The Kōpako sub-bituminous open cast coal mine was sold by Solid Energy to Bathurst Resources and Talleys in 2016. The 1948 mine restarted production in 2017. It was once linked to Meremere Power Station by an aerial ropeway.
Two prominent New Zealanders have died while driving near Maramarua.
Stephen Allen, a lawyer and local body politician, died of a heart attack in 1964 and in the resulting crash, his housekeeper was also killed. Historian Michael King and his wife died when their car crashed into a tree in 2004.
Publican Chris Bush was shot dead at the Red Fox Tavern in Maramarua on 24 October 1987, shortly before midnight, while he was having a drink with staff. Nearly thirty years later, in 2017, two men were charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Mark Joseph Hoggart and another accomplice, with name suppression, have been found guilty of the murder of Chris Bush, on 29 March 2021. Both men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Chris Bush, on 7 May 2021.

## Education

Maramarua School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 130 as of November 2024. The school opened in 1894.

## Climate

Climate data for Maramarua Forest (1981–2010) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.4 (75.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 19.9 (67.8) | 17.1 (62.8) | 14.7 (58.5) | 14.0 (57.2) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.4 (61.5) | 17.9 (64.2) | 20.0 (68.0) | 22.3 (72.1) | 19.0 (66.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.6 (65.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 11.8 (53.2) | 9.6 (49.3) | 8.8 (47.8) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.4 (52.5) | 12.9 (55.2) | 14.7 (58.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 13.6 (56.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.5 (54.5) | 12.9 (55.2) | 11.3 (52.3) | 8.4 (47.1) | 6.5 (43.7) | 4.5 (40.1) | 3.5 (38.3) | 4.8 (40.6) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.8 (46.0) | 9.4 (48.9) | 11.2 (52.2) | 8.3 (46.9) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 92.3 (3.63) | 75.1 (2.96) | 94.3 (3.71) | 75.0 (2.95) | 97.4 (3.83) | 93.8 (3.69) | 100.3 (3.95) | 137.4 (5.41) | 91.7 (3.61) | 91.1 (3.59) | 95.3 (3.75) | 107.0 (4.21) | 1,150.7 (45.29) |
| Source: NIWA ||||||||||||||