Elsthorpe, New Zealand

Elsthorpe
Locality
Interactive map of Elsthorpe
Coordinates: 39°55′01″S 176°48′54″E / 39.917°S 176.815°E / -39.917; 176.815
CountryNew Zealand
RegionHawke's Bay
Territorial authorityCentral Hawke's Bay District
WardAramoana-Ruahine
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityCentral Hawke's Bay District Council
 • Regional councilHawke's Bay Regional Council
 • Mayor of Central Hawke's BayWill Foley[3]
 • Tukituki MPCatherine Wedd[4]
 • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MPCushla Tangaere-Manuel[5]
Area
 • Total
281.49 km2 (108.68 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 Census)[2]
 • Total
417
 • Density1.48/km2 (3.84/sq mi)

Elsthorpe is a village in the Central Hawke's Bay District and Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Ōtāne, Waipawa and State Highway 2 and west of the east coast.[6]

It began as a sheep station, named after Elsthorpe, a hamlet in the English county of Lincolnshire.[7] It is now a small settlement, supporting neighbouring sheep farms.[8][9]

The local St Stephen's Chapel holds five services during the year under the oversight of St Luke's Anglican Church in Havelock North.[10] The village also features a memorial to Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter pilot Flight Lieutenant William Waterhouse, who died in a Vietnam War training accident in Canberra in January 1969.[11]

The Elsthorpe and neighbouring Omakere rugby union teams were featured in a New Zealand television advertisement for coverage of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Demographics

Elsthorpe locality covers 281.49 km2 (108.68 sq mi).[1] The locality is part of the Mangarara statistical area.[12]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
2006339—    
2013324−0.64%
2018369+2.64%
2023417+2.48%
Source: [2][13]

Elsthorpe had a population of 417 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 48 people (13.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 93 people (28.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 210 males and 207 females in 156 dwellings.[14] There were 102 people (24.5%) aged under 15 years, 45 (10.8%) aged 15 to 29, 201 (48.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 66 (15.8%) aged 65 or older.[2]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 92.1% European (Pākehā); 16.5% Māori; 2.2% Pasifika; 0.7% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 4.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.1%, Māori by 3.6%, and other languages by 5.0%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 12.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.[2]

Religious affiliations were 33.8% Christian, 0.7% New Age, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 59.7%, and 2.9% of people did not answer the census question.[2]

Of those at least 15 years old, 72 (22.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 186 (59.0%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 57 (18.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 24 people (7.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 189 (60.0%) full-time, 51 (16.2%) part-time, and 3 (1.0%) unemployed.[2]

Education

Elsthorpe School is a Year 1-8 co-educational state primary school.[15] It is a decile 9 school with a roll of 44 as of July 2025.[16][17] It opened in 1898.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 1 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. 7016728 and 7016730. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  3. ^ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Tukituki - Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  6. ^ Hariss, Gavin. "Elsthorpe, Hawke's Bay". topomap.co.nz. NZ Topo Map.
  7. ^ "Elsthorpe". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  8. ^ Pollock, Kerryn (30 November 2015). "Hawke's Bay places – Southern coast". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  9. ^ "Business beats nostalgia for Elsthorpe sheep breeder Rick Lee". stuff.co.nz. Stuff Farming. 26 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Elsthorpe St Stephen's". stlukeshn.org.nz. St Luke's Anglican Church. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  11. ^ Ancell, Grant (2014). "Waterhouse memorial, Elsthorpe". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  12. ^ "Geographic Boundary Viewer". Stats NZ. Statistical Area 1 – 2023 and Statistical Area 2 – 2023.
  13. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7016728 and 7016730.
  14. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  16. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  18. ^ Elsthorpe School, 75th Jubilee, 1898-1973 (PDF). Elsthorpe School Jubilee Magazine Committee. 1973.