Ruatoria is a town in the Waiapu Valley of the Gisborne Region in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. The town was originally known as Cross Roads, and was named Ruatorea in 1913, from the MāoriRua-a-Tōrea. In 1925 the name was changed to "Ruatoria", although some texts retain the original spelling. As of the 2013 census, it was the third largest centre of population in the sparsely populated region, yet had a population of only 750. This was a decrease of less than 1% since the 2006 census. It is the centre of population and largest town in the Waiapu Valley. 94.8% of the population is Māori, and 46% of the population is able to speak te reo Māori — both significantly higher than regional or national averages. Ruatoria's Whakarua Park is the home of the East Coast Rugby Football Union.
Precipitation is prodigiously high — the annual average precipitation total approaches. Precipitation is heavy all year-round, yet is particularly prodigious in the austral winter months from May to September. On 7 February 1973, Ruatoria had the highest ever air temperature recorded in the North Island, the same day the nation's highest temperature was recorded in the South Island town of Rangiora.
Industry
The principal industries in the district are related to agriculture and forestry. Attempts to sink oil wells in the area in the 1920s proved unprofitable.
History
The original shop, bunk house and cook house in the township of Tuparoa were destroyed by fire on two occasions between 1907 and 1913. Commerce was moved inland 5 miles to the area known as The Crossroads, northeast of the present town sitting on the area of the first river plain where it drops to the present river plain where the roads went north-south and to the east.. The Crossroads too was destroyed by fire during the first world war and in 1920 the first general store and accommodation was erected by William Hayes Owen Johnston on what is now Tuparoa Road. He is buried with his third wife in the cemetery at Mahora on the Tuparoa road just before the junction with the side road to Reparoa.. From about 1925 onwards, Ruatoria began to replace Tuparoa as the main urban centre of the East Coast district of New Zealand. The transition to Ruatoria from Tuparoa was brought about by the increased reliability of State Highway 35, which at that time ran via the main street of Ruatoria. Tuparoa was disadvantaged by unreliable road access and a lack of all weather harbour. The Rotokautuku Bridge, connecting Ruatoria to the northern side of Waiapu River, was built in 1964. This 1964 bridge replaced the old bridge which had been built in the 1930s. The old piles were used for the new bridge, although they had to be lowered by a metre to accommodate the new bridge. In the 1980s, Ruatoria was briefly notorious for an outbreak of arson attacks in the town, during a period of severe economic downturn.
Significance to Māori
The Ngāti Porou proverb of identity relates to the area — Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapu te awa, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi. Ruatoria is within the iwi's rohe, and Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou has offices located in the town. The Waiapu River is of immense cultural, spiritual, economic, and traditional value to local Māori. According to traditional beliefs, a number of taniwha dwell in and protect the river, in turn protecting the valley and its hapū. Taniwha believed to be in Waiapu River include Kotuwainuku, Kotuwairangi, Ohinewaiapu, and Ngungurutehorowhatu. According to an affidavit of Hapukuniha Te Huakore Karaka, two taniwha were placed in strategic locations in the river to protect the hapū from invading tribes — one near Paoaruku, and one at the Wairoa River. Karaka said that a bridge was built from Tikitiki to Waiomatatini, to the protest of local Māori who were concerned that it would disturb the taniwha. The night before the bridge was completed, a storm came washing the bridge away — the weather till then had been calm. From then, one person would drown in the river nearly every year. If it did not happen one year, two would drown the next. A local tohunga, George Gage was approached to help the situation, and after that there were no similar drownings. Ruatoria has several marae belonging to Ngāti Porou hapū:
Mangarua or Te Heaper Marae and Te Poho o Mangarua meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Hinetapora.
Porourangi or Waiomatatini Marae and Porourangi meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Karuai.
Reporua Marae and Tū Auau meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Rangi.
Ruataupare Marae and meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāi Tangihaere.
Rauru or Taumata o Mihi Marae and Rauru Nui a Toi meeting house, a meeting place of Te Whānau a Hinekehu.
Uepohatu Marae and meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Uepōhatu.
Umuariki Marae and meeting house, a meeting place of Ngāti Uepōhatu and Te Whānau a Umuariki.
Education
Ngata Memorial College is a Year 1–13 co-educational public school. In 2019, it was a decile 1 school with a roll of 76. Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiu O Ngati Porou is a Year 1–13 co-educational public school. In 2019, it was a decile 1 school with a roll of 123.
