Ōtāne

Ōtāne
Coordinates: 39°53′S 176°38′E / 39.883°S 176.633°E / -39.883; 176.633
Country	New Zealand
Region	Hawke's Bay
Territorial authority	Central Hawke's Bay District
Ward	Aramoana-Ruahine
Electorates	Tukituki Ikaroa-Rāwhiti (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Central Hawke's Bay District Council
• Regional council	Hawke's Bay Regional Council
Area [1]
• Total	0.94 km2 (0.36 sq mi)
Elevation	95 m (312 ft)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	830
• Density	880/km2 (2,300/sq mi)

Ōtāne is a town in the Central Hawke's Bay District and the Hawke's Bay region, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island.^[3] The small village, has a school, general store, cafe and pub, and is located just off State Highway 2.^[4]

The town was founded in 1874, during a subdivision of Henry Tiffen's 5140-hectare Homewood farming estate. The first sales of Kaikora township sections were on 26 March 1874.^[5] It became the centre of the Pātangata County from 1885 to 1977. The county took its name from a nearby Māori pā.^[6]

On 1 April 1910 the Post Department changed the name from Kaikora North to Otane,^[7] to avoid confusion with Kaikōura.^[8] The name of the railway station was changed a month later.^[9] An 1869 advert mentioned Otane bush, Kaikora.^[10]

In July 2020, the name of the locality was officially gazetted as Ōtāne by the New Zealand Geographic Board,^[11] having previously often been written as Otane. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of a man" for Ōtāne.^[12]

Tenders for a new public library were invited in 1883^[13] and it was open by 1884.^[14] It was replaced in 1929 by a building which also contained council and medical offices.^[15] It is now occupied by Henry's Family Pies, cafe and store.^[16] A war memorial is next to the former library.^[17]

Initially the township was served by mail coaches running between Napier and Waipukurau.^[18] Ōtāne (at that time Kaikora) railway station opened on Monday 28 August 1876, when the railway was extended from Te Aute to Waipawa.^[19] as part of the Palmerston North–Gisborne Line. It was part of the Paki Paki to Waipukurau contract, tendered on 9 July 1874 for £19,532 by Charles McKirdy, of Wellington, who built the Rimutaka Incline and several other lines.^[20] A local contractor tendered £29,173.^[14] There were allegations of mismanagement^[13] and disputes about the contracts.^[15] However, in 1876, the Minister for Public Works, Edward Richardson, attributed delays only to unexpectedly heavy land claims and floods. S Tracey and Allen, of Napier, tendered £7,989 for track for the Paki Paki-Waipawa length in September 1875.^[17] Ōtāne started with 2 trains a day in each direction,^[16] increased to 3 in 1883^[21] and 4 in 1896.^[22]

By March 1876 Justin McSweeney had built a platform and station, McLeod & Co a 5th class stationmaster's house and Joseph Sowry a goods shed and water tank. In 1884 the station was enlarged and a loading ramp, cattle and sheep yards added. That station burnt down on 1 February 1894. By 1896 Kaikora had a 5th class station, platform (154 ft (47 m) long in 1926), cart approach, 40 ft (12 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m) goods shed, loading bank, cattle yards, stationmaster's house, urinals and a passing loop for 26 wagons. In 1940 the loop was extended for 80 wagons. There was a Post Office at the station from 1883 to 1912. In 1912 an automatic tablet exchanger was added. Railway houses were built in 1927, 1945 and 1953. In 1966 a new 500 sq ft (46 m²) station was built of concrete blocks, with an aluminium roof^[9] on the same site.^[23] On 9 October 1967 Ōtāne closed as an officered station and on 8 June 1985 it closed to all traffic.^[9] Only a short platform remains.^[24]

Statistics New Zealand describes Ōtāne as a rural settlement, which covers 0.94 km² (0.36 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 830 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 883 people per km². Ōtāne is part of the larger Mangarara statistical area.^[26]

Ōtāne had a population of 669 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 129 people (23.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 153 people (29.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 246 households, comprising 318 males and 348 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female, with 135 people (20.2%) aged under 15 years, 90 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 327 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 105 (15.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 70.4% European/Pākehā, 35.9% Māori, 3.1% Pacific peoples, 2.7% Asian, and 2.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.3% had no religion, 30.5% were Christian, 2.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% were Hindu and 0.4% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 57 (10.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 144 (27.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 33 people (6.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 261 (48.9%) people were employed full-time, 69 (12.9%) were part-time, and 24 (4.5%) were unemployed.^[27]

Ōtāne School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school.^[28] It is a decile 3 school with a roll of 89 as of August 2024.^[29][30] The first Otane School was built in 1868, but burned in 1899 and was rebuilt on the present site.^[31][32]

Argyll East School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school.^[33] It is a decile 4 school with a roll of 82 as of August 2024.^[29][34] The school opened in 1903.^[35]