Purau is a small town in Canterbury, New Zealand, facing Lyttelton Harbour.

Geography

Purau is located on Banks Peninsula, one of the southern bays forming Lyttelton Harbour.

History

Purau has a long history of Māori settlement. Ngāti Māmoe lived here prior to Ngāi Tahu settling the bay. There are many Māori burial sites in the area. The bay's first English name was "Acheron Bay", and this name persisted until the 1860s. The name derives from the British Admiralty survey ship HMSV Acheron, which was anchored at Purau in early 1849 while its captain John Stokes and surveyor W.J.W. Hamilton conducted the first survey off the New Zealand coastline since Cook's voyage, exploring the Peninsula and nearby Canterbury Plains. European occupation started in 1843, when the Greenwood brothers started a farm here. They sold to the Rhodes brothers in 1847 (William Barnard and George, with the latter taking over management of the station). When Robert Heaton Rhodes, another of the Rhodes brothers, came to New Zealand in 1850, he took over Purau.

Demographics

Purau is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers 0.21 km2. It had an estimated population of 70 as of June 2022 with a population density of people per km2. It was part of the Eastern Bays-Banks Peninsula SA2 statistical area in 2018, and part of Diamond Harbour in 2023. Purau had a population of 69 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 18 people (35.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 6 people (9.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 33 households, comprising 33 males and 33 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female. The median age was 52.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 9 people (13.0%) aged under 15 years, 6 (8.7%) aged 15 to 29, 39 (56.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 15 (21.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 95.7% European/Pākehā, 13.0% Māori, and 4.3% Pasifika. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.8% had no religion, 26.1% were Christian and 4.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 18 (30.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 6 (10.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. 9 people (15.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 27 (45.0%) people were employed full-time, 12 (20.0%) were part-time, and 3 (5.0%) were unemployed.

Gallery