Tīrau

In the 19th century, Tīrau, then known as Oxford, was originally planned as a township.[6] However plans were changed after the entrepreneurial Rose family bought up large areas of land in the region, with the intention of making large returns when it came of high demand. Oxford later became a rural service town.

Oxford Royal Hotel opened on 15 April 1881.[7] A store followed in June,[8] but by September 1881 Oxford still only had the hotel and store.[9] 94 lots in the township,[6] which it had been planned to sell in 1891,[10] were offered for sale in 1882.[11] In the 1886 census, Oxford had a population of 48 in the 1896 census,[12] 27 in 1891[13] and 127 in 1911.[14]

Oxford was a name given to the proposed township when it was sold by McLean & Co in 1881.[15] It may have been to identify it as a sister town to Cambridge.[16] Oxford changed its name to Tirau on 23 May 1896.[17] To avoid confusion with Oxford in Canterbury, Piako County Council had been asked for a new name. They chose Tirau, which is the name of the hill[18] to the south.[19] The name was spelled without a macron until 2019, when the New Zealand Geographic Board made Tīrau the official name.[20]

Tīrau in 1958

Oxford railway station was at the site where the Kinleith Branch crossed Okoroire Rd[21] The Thames Valley & Rotorua Railway Co. opened it on Monday 8 March 1886.[22] The first train left Oxford at 7.50am and arrived in Auckland at 4.35pm,[23] 133 mi 60 ch (215.2 km) away.[24] Morrinsville is 30 mi 60 ch (49.5 km) away. Oxford was the terminus for a few months until 21 June 1886, when the line was extended south to Putāruru[25] and Lichfield.[26] On 3 days a week, from the start of the train service, a coach ran to Ohinemutu, at Rotorua.[27]

New Zealand Railways Department took over the line on 1 April 1886.[28] By August there was a coal shed (23ft x 15ft, 50 tons capacity), 2 cottages, 60 ft (18 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed, turntable and a stationmaster's house. In 1895 the stationmaster was moved to Putāruru and Tirau was downgraded to a flag station. However, by 1896 Tīrau also had a 4th class station, platform, cart approach, loading bank, cattle yards, 4-stall engine shed, urinals and a passing loop for 26 wagons (extended for 70 wagons in 1964). In 1898 it was recommended that the engine shed be moved to Grahamstown, though a double shed was then built there. By 1911 there were also sheep yards.[28]

563 passengers bought tickets in 1894,[29] 330 in 1895[30] and 308 in 1896, when the main import was coal and the main exports timber and sheep.[31] It was renamed Tirau on 8 March 1886.

In 1963 a new station in dark Huntly brick, with a storeroom, office, waiting room and platform for two railcars was built for about £4,800.[28] Closure to passengers was on 12 November 1968 and to goods, except private siding traffic, on 29 March 1981.[32] In 1989 the station was derelict, but still had a low level platform.[28]

The main remnant of the station, alongside Prospect Avenue,[33] is an NZHPT Category II listed (on 5 September 1985, List Number 4230) brick water tower.[34] Opening of the station was delayed a week as the water supply wasn't complete. Like other Thames Valley & Rotorua stations, water was fed to a 6,000 imp gal (27 m³) brick tank, supplied from the Oraka Stream, about 90 ch (1.8 km) to the south, by a Blake[35] hydraulic ram.[28] Similar towers remain at Lichfield and Ngātira.[36] Fonterra still moves freight by rail from its Tīrau factory,[37] which runs a very large anaerobic digester.[38]

In 1991, local business man Henry Clothier took advantage of the town's relatively cheap real estate and high traffic volume by opening an Antique shop in the former Rose Bros. grocery store building. Many other businesses followed suit off the back of his success throughout the 1990s until today. Tīrau has built a reputation as a shopping destination for antiques, collectibles and other niche items.

In 2005/06 the South Waikato District Council is working, on behalf of the Tīrau Ward, in conjunction with the community, to develop a concept plan for Tīrau's future.[40] This project is taking the success of Tīrau's transformation over the past decade and linking it with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002[41] new emphasis on the four well-beings, social, economic, environmental and cultural.

The local Paparāmu Marae and Te Apunga meeting house are affiliated with the Ngāti Raukawa hapū of Ngāti Mōtai and Ngāti Te Apunga.[42][43]

Tīrau statistical area covers 293.08 km² (113.16 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 2,630 as of June 2023,[44] with a population density of 9.0 people per km².

Tirau had a population of 2,334 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 228 people (10.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 138 people (6.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 870 households, comprising 1,173 males and 1,161 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female. The median age was 36.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 552 people (23.7%) aged under 15 years, 417 (17.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,047 (44.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 321 (13.8%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 87.4% European/Pākehā, 19.8% Māori, 1.4% Pacific peoples, 2.8% Asian, and 1.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 13.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.7% had no religion, 33.2% were Christian, 0.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 234 (13.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 408 (22.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 336 people (18.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,005 (56.4%) people were employed full-time, 282 (15.8%) were part-time, and 48 (2.7%) were unemployed.[45]