Morrinsville () is a provincial town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. Morrinsville is a service town for the local dairy industry; the area surrounding the town has the highest concentration of dairy cattle in New Zealand.
Following the arrival of Europeans, some early European traders are believed to have traversed this route prior to 1834 when the Rev. J. Morgan travelled up the Piako River to near the future town site and crossed west to Horotiu, near Ngāruawāhia. First recorded contact with European settlers in the area occurred around 1850, with John Johnson trading with the Māori from 1852.
The Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company began construction of a railway line from Morrinsville to Rotorua in 1879, and on 1 October 1884, the line from Hamilton to Morrinsville was opened. With construction progressing towards Paeroa and the line to Te Aroha opening on 1 March 1886, the town's population was listed as 633 people. There were some proposals for lines to Matamata, Tīrau, and Rotorua, which would have turned Morrinsville into an area where several lines meet, instead a railway line was built to Lichfield. In 1880 Morrinsville was a hamlet with her own school, post office, and hotel. With further expansion of the railway towards Thames and Tauranga, alongside extensive drainage of swamp land to the south and west of the town making available large areas for dairy farming. Morrinsville was declared a town district in 1908 and in 1921 was constituted as a borough.
In 1895 the first church in Morrinsville, an Anglican church, was constructed. In 1907 a police station was constructed. The resident constable also serviced Wardville, Gordon, and Waharoa.
In 1957 Morrinsville annexed land from Piako County. The expansion included land at the south-east up to the Piako River and the Waitakaruru Stream, alongside land near the Tahuna-Waharoa highway, and land around Avenue Road.
In the early 1900s a Māori canoe (waka) was discovered on a property in Tahuna. The waka, named Maungateroto, had been laying on the property under a tree for 60 years. The waka was placed outside the Morrinsville War Memorial Hall after being gifted to Morrinsville by Ngati-Paoa in 1968.
Morrinsville covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Morrinsville had a population of 9,003 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,110 people (14.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,956 people (27.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 4,293 males, 4,695 females and 18 people of other genders in 3,390 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTQ. The median age was 38.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,860 people (20.7%) aged under 15 years, 1,617 (18.0%) aged 15 to 29, 3,627 (40.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,896 (21.1%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.1% European (Pākehā); 19.5% Māori; 2.3% Pasifika; 7.6% Asian; 0.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.0%, Māori language by 4.2%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 8.0%. No language could be spoken by 2.7% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.5, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 30.2% Christian, 0.8% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 1.0% Māori religious beliefs, 1.5% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, and 2.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.1%, and 7.6% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,158 (16.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 3,978 (55.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 2,010 (28.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,200, compared with $41,500 nationally. 645 people (9.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,648 (51.1%) people were employed full-time, 870 (12.2%) were part-time, and 171 (2.4%) were unemployed.
+Individual statistical areas |
$44,200 |
$40,900 |
$40,300 |
Apart from Morrinsville, the largest number of commuters go to Waihou from Morrinsville East and Tahuroa from West. In 2018 13.8% of the population of Morrinsville East and 25.1% of West were Māori.
Morrinsville Intermediate is the state intermediate school, with a roll of . It opened in 1970.
The town has two state primary schools for Year 1 to 6 students: Morrinsville School, with a roll of ; and David Street School, with a roll of ; Morrinsville School opened in 1877 at Studholme St, and moved in stages to Lincoln Street between 1920 and 1935 as the high school expanded on the original site. David Street School opened in 1955.
A third primary school, Motumaoho School, is located south-west of the town on State Highway 26; it has a roll of .
St Joseph's Catholic School is a state integrated Catholic primary school, with a roll of . It opened in 1930.
All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of
Morrinsville was impacted by the Long Depression but weathered it better than other settlements due to its location on the railway line.
Morrinsville houses several factories involved in agricultural products such as a butter factory, which claims to be the first butter factory in the world to be fully automated,, and a fertiliser factory.
Passenger services are no longer provided to or from Morrinsville Railway Station. The Thames Branch closed on 28 June 1991 and the track subsequently lifted, although in 2004 a short shunt line – the Waitoa Industrial Line – reopened to facilitate freight trains for the Waitoa Dairy Factory. The East Coast Main Trunk Railway provided passenger services between Auckland and Rotorua – the Geyserland Express – and Auckland and Tauranga - the Kaimai Express; however, in 2001 it was announced that these services were too uneconomic to continue, and the last trains ran on 7 October 2001.
Passenger traffic reached a peak in 1944, as shown in this table and the graph -
year | tickets | season tickets | staff | source | titte |
1885 | 1,652 | 3 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1885/I/1156 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1885 |
1886 | 4,562 | 6 | 6 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1886/I/1138 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1886 |
1887 | 3,688 | 63 | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1887/I/920 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1887 |
1888 | 1,892 | 58 | 1 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1889/I/1068?large_image=true | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1888 |
1889 | 1,911 | 26 | 1 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1889/I/1068 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1889 |
1890 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1890/I/1064 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1890 | |||
1891 | 2,024 | 7 | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1891/II/1264 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1891 |
1892 | 2,175 | 13 | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1892/I/1164 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1892 |
1893 | 2,603 | 26 | 2 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1893/I/1494 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1893 |
1894 | 2,965 | 16 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1894/I/1388 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1894 |
1895 | 2,137 | 15 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1895/I/1586 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1895 |
1896 | 2,241 | 8 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1896/I/1624 | RETURN No. 10. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Twelve Months ending 31 March 1896 |
1897 | 2,225 | 8 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1897/II/1610 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1897 |
1898 | 2,249 | 11 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1898/I/1670 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1898 |
1899 | 2,172 | 29 | 3 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1899/I/1824 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1899 |
1900 | 2,621 | 22 | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1900/I/1612 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1900 |
1901 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1901 | ||||
1902 | 3,787 | 2 | 4 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1902/I/1436 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1902 |
1903 | 4,448 | 16 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1903/I/1873 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1903 |
1904 | 5,652 | 34 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1904/I/1848 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1904 |
1905 | 6,363 | 22 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1905/I/3767 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1905 |
1906 | 6,747 | 17 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1906/II/1600 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1906 |
1907 | 8,099 | 26 | 6 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1907/I/2542 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1907 |
1908 | 11,985 | 43 | 7 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1908/I/2061 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1908 |
1909 | 13,067 | 43 | 8 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1909/II/1832 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1909 |
1910 | 14,043 | 44 | 6 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1910/I/2050 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1910 |
1911 | 14,505 | 57 | 5 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1911/I/2497 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1911 |
1912 | 14,718 | 69 | 6 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1912/II/2420 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1912 |
1913 | 19,603 | 62 | 8 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1913/I/3693 | RETURN No. 12. STATEMENT of Revenue and Expenditure of each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1913 |
1914 | 23,661 | 74 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1914/I/2031 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1914 | |
1915 | 26,790 | 120 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1915/I/1638 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1915 | |
1916 | 30,754 | 358 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1916/I/1053 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1916 | |
1917 | 33,249 | 264 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1917/I/1123 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1917 | |
1918 | 33,602 | 320 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1918/I-II/1159 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1918 | |
1919 | 38,808 | 351 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1919/I/1231 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1919 | |
1920 | 39,360 | 249 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1920/I/1349 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1920 | |
1921 | 46,421 | 309 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1921/I-II/1452 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1921 | |
1922 | 42,904 | 424 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1922/I/1409 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1922 | |
1923 | 38,073 | 478 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1923/I-II/1321 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1923 | |
1924 | 37,166 | 593 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1924/I/2458 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1924 | |
1925 | 35,327 | 354 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1925/I/1804 | RETURN No. 12. Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1925 | |
1926 | 33,467 | 446 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1926/I/1930 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1926 | |
1927 | 31,587 | 261 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1927/I/2230 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1927 | |
1928 | 27,278 | 286 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1928/I/2628 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1928 | |
1929 | 24,925 | 215 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1929/I/2090 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1929 | |
1930 | 18,686 | 257 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1930/I/2212 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1930 | |
1931 | 20,961 | 217 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1931/I-II/1778 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1931 | |
1932 | 18,270 | 234 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1932/I-II/1934 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1932 | |
1933 | 23,006 | 367 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1933/I/1388 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1933 | |
1934 | 27,071 | 390 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1934/I/2278 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1934 | |
1935 | 28,201 | 401 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1935/I/1326 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1935 | |
1936 | 27,293 | 373 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1936/I/1552 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1936 | |
1937 | 29,399 | 364 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1937/I/1896 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1937 | |
1938 | 28,030 | 329 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1938/I/1652 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1938 | |
1939 | 26,365 | 257 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1939/I/1970 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1939 | |
1940 | 25,771 | 280 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1940/I/1314 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1940 | |
1941 | 28,618 | 289 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1941/I/1203 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1941 | |
1942 | 37,228 | 306 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1942/I/651 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1942 | |
1943 | 51,297 | 318 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1943/I/679 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1943 | |
1944 | 52,091 | 281 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1944/I/895 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1944 | |
1945 | 40,542 | 173 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1945/I/969 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1945 | |
1946 | 37,342 | 193 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1946/I/1548 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1946 | |
1947 | 23,886 | 153 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1947/I/2495 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1947 | |
1948 | 17,221 | 44 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1948/I/2521 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1948 | |
1949 | 13,901 | 68 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1949/I/2104 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1949 | |
1950 | 11,797 | 55 | https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/appendix-to-the-journals-of-the-house-of-representatives/1950/I/2366 | STATEMENT No. 18 Statement of Traffic and Revenue for each Station for the Year ended 31 March 1950 |
Transport out of Morrinsville was initially difficult with the only proper road leading to Mangateparu; however, it was quite treacherous and prone to flooding.
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