Paparoa

Paparoa was one of several Kaipara settlements established by a religious group known as Albertlanders. Port Albert near Wellsford was the main settlement, and Matakohe was another.[6] They settled at the Paparoa Block in 1863. The land was burnt off so that corn and grass could be planted.[7]

A road was constructed to the port at Pahi in 1865, and one to Matakohe shortly afterwards.[8] A pottery using local clay and a factory making rope and matting from flax operated in the 1870s, and brick and tile yards were established, but their business suffered from the poor roads and high freight charges. The nearest stores were in Pahi, 6 miles (9.7 km) to the south.[9]

The steamer Minnie Casey connected Paparoa with Helensville on the south side of the Kaipara with a weekly service from 1882, and the S.S. Ethel took over from 1891–95, after which services went only to Matakohe and Pahi.[10] The network of roads in the area were improved in the 1880s and 1890s.[11]

In the 1890s, Paparoa had 35 families and about 200 people, mostly living along the banks of the Paparoa River. Including Pahi, there were 400 people in the area. By 1906, the population of Paparoa had doubled.[12] Pastoral farming became established in the area, and a dairy factory was opened in Paparoa in January 1895.[13] A branch of a Helensville-based department store was operating in the town in the 1900s.[14]

The North Auckland railway line reached Huarau, to the east of Paparoa, in the early 1920s. A route through Paparoa was planned at one stage but this did not eventuate. The road to Maungaturoto, which passes through Huarau, was metalled in 1922.[15]

The local Ōtamatea marae and its Aotearoa wharenui are a tribal meeting place for Ngāti Whātua and Te Uri o Hau.[16][17]

Otamatea statistical area includes Pahi, and surrounds but does not include Maungaturoto. It covers 244.89 km² (94.55 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 1,940 as of June 2022,[19] with a population density of 7.9 people per km².

Otamatea statistical area had a population of 1,713 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 231 people (15.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 306 people (21.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 687 households, comprising 879 males and 834 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.05 males per female. The median age was 47.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 348 people (20.3%) aged under 15 years, 234 (13.7%) aged 15 to 29, 744 (43.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 387 (22.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.7% European/Pākehā, 17.0% Māori, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 1.4% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 12.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.3% had no religion, 37.8% were Christian, 1.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.1% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 147 (10.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 309 (22.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $23,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 147 people (10.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 555 (40.7%) people were employed full-time, 246 (18.0%) were part-time, and 51 (3.7%) were unemployed.[20]