Whataroa is a small township in southern Westland

Westland District

Westland District is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Its population is - Government :The Westland District is governed by an elected Council, headed by an elected Mayor. The Mayor is elected at large. The current Mayor is Maureen Pugh. Councillors are...

 on the West Coast

West Coast, New Zealand

The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

 of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

's South Island

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

. It is located on the western bank of the Whataroa River

Whataroa River

The Whataroa River, sometimes the Wataroa River, is a river in the southern West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. Its source is in the Southern Alps and it flows north and northwest, passing the township of Whataroa on the eastern side before reaching the Tasman Sea just south of Abut...

, with the village of Te Taho

Te Taho

Te Taho is a small farming community of eleven houses in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand between the north bank of the Whataroa River and Mt Hercules. It is located slightly inland from the coast....

 on the other side. State Highway 6

New Zealand State Highway 6

State Highway 6 is a major New Zealand State Highway. It extends from the northeastern corner of the South Island across the top of the island, then down the length of the island, initially along the West Coast and then across the Southern Alps through inland Otago and finally across the Southland...

 passes through Whataroa on its route from Ross

Ross, New Zealand

Ross is a small town located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.It lies 27 kilometres south-west of Hokitika and 46 kilometres north-east of Harihari...

 to the Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef Glacier

The Franz Josef is a long glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island...

. Harihari

Harihari

Hari Hari -Maori Meaning, from Te Aka Maori/English Dictionary is "To Take/Carry Joy" or, as local legend suggests, "Come together in Unison" from a Maori canoe paddling chant/song. In recent years, Hari Hari has been increasingly referred to as "Harihari" – Maori Meaning is "Ambulance"...

 is 31 km to the north-east, and Franz Josef

Franz Josef

Franz Josef or Franz Joseph is a given name.People known solely by the name:* Franz Joseph I of Austria , Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary and King of Bohemia...

 is 32 km to the south-west.

The population of Whataroa and its surrounding area was 405 in the 2006 Census

New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings

The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...

, an increase of 81 from 2001..

Whataroa is located in an agricultural area where dairying is the primary activity. The town contains amenities such as a school, two churches, and a Māori craft gallery. It is also a staging base for trips to a white heron

Great Egret

The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...

 sanctuary that is the only breeding location of white heron in New Zealand.

History

Whataroa was the site of cattle sales twice a year from 1875, serving farmers from around South Westland. The last mob of cattle was driven to Whataroa in 1961.

A dairy factory was established at Whataroa before World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

Education

Whataroa School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating

Socio-Economic Decile

Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....

of 7 and a roll of 38. The school was established in 1879 and celebrated its 125th reunion in 2004.