| Ōtāne | |
| Coordinates: | -39.8833°N 214°W |
| Area Total Km2: | 0.94 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | New Zealand |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hawke's Bay |
| Subdivision Type2: | Territorial authority |
| Subdivision Name2: | Central Hawke's Bay District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Ward |
| Subdivision Name3: | Aramoana-Ruahine |
| Seat Type: | Electorates |
| Leader Title: | Territorial Authority |
| Leader Name: | Central Hawke's Bay District Council |
| Leader Title1: | Regional council |
| Leader Name1: | Hawke's Bay Regional Council |
| Elevation M: | 95 |
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.[1] The small village, has a school, general store, cafe and pub, and is located just off State Highway 2.[2]
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.[3] It became the centre of the Pātangata County from 1885 to 1977. The county took its name from a nearby Māori pā.[4]
On 1 April 1910 the Post Department changed the name from Kaikora North to Otane,[5] to avoid confusion with Kaikōura.[6] The name of the railway station was changed a month later.[7] An 1869 advert mentioned Otane bush, Kaikora.[8]
In July 2020, the name of the locality was officially gazetted as Ōtāne by the New Zealand Geographic Board,[9] having previously often been written as Otane. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of a man" for Maori: Ōtāne.[10]
Tenders for a new public library were invited in 1883[11] and it was open by 1884.[12] It was replaced in 1929 by a building which also contained council and medical offices.[13] It is now occupied by McCaulay's cafe and store.[14] A war memorial is next to the former library.[15]
Initially the township was served by mail coaches running between Napier and Waipukurau.[16] Ōtāne (at that time Kaikora) railway station opened on Monday 28 August 1876, when the railway was extended from Te Aute to Waipawa.[17] 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.[18] A local contractor tendered £29,173. There were allegations of mismanagement and disputes about the contracts. 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. Ōtāne started with 2 trains a day in each direction, increased to 3 in 1883[19] and 4 in 1896.[20]
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 (154feet long in 1926), cart approach, 40feet x 30feet 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 500ft2 station was built of concrete blocks, with an aluminium roof on the same site.[21] On 9 October 1967 Ōtāne closed as an officered station and on 8 June 1985 it closed to all traffic. Only a short platform remains.[22]
Statistics New Zealand describes Ōtāne as a rural settlement, which covers 0.94km2[23] and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Ōtāne is part of the larger Mangarara statistical area.
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.
Ōtāne School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school.[24] It is a decile 3 school with a roll of as of [25] The first Otane School was built in 1868, but burned in 1899 and was rebuilt on the present site.[26] [27]
Argyll East School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school.[28] It is a decile 4 school with a roll of as of [29] The school opened in 1903.[30]
