Gordonton
Town in Waikato, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gordonton (Māori: Hukanui) is a village and rural community in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located southeast of Taupiri on State Highway 1B.[6]
Gordonton
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Town | |
Woodlands Estate homestead | |
 Interactive map of Gordonton | |
| Coordinates: 37.670°S 175.304°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Waikato |
| District | Waikato District |
| Wards |
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| Electorates |
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| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Waikato District Council |
| • Regional council | Waikato Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Waikato | Aksel Bech[1] |
| • Waikato MP | Tim van de Molen[2] |
| • Hauraki-Waikato MP | Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.82 km2 (12.67 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Population (2023 Census)[5] | |
• Total | 729 |
| • Density | 22.2/km2 (57.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
The area was initially called Hukanui, which means "heavy frost" in the Māori language.[7] It was renamed to Gordonton after John Gordon, who was a manager for the New Zealand Land Association in the Waikato from 1886.[8]
The local Hukanui Marae is a meeting place of the local Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Makirangi and Ngāti Wairere.[9] It includes Te Tuturu-a-Papa Kamutu meeting house.[10]
Demographics
Gordonton village and its surrounds cover 32.82 km2 (12.67 sq mi).[4] It is part of the larger Kainui-Gordonton statistical area.[11]
Gordonton had a population of 729 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 9 people (−1.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 12 people (1.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 345 males, 381 females and 3 people of other genders in 204 dwellings.[13] 2.1% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 180 people (24.7%) aged under 15 years, 126 (17.3%) aged 15 to 29, 333 (45.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 90 (12.3%) aged 65 or older.[5]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 75.3% European (Pākehā); 21.4% Māori; 2.1% Pasifika; 11.1% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.1%, Māori language by 9.5%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 14.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.5% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 21.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.[5]
Religious affiliations were 43.6% Christian, 0.4% Hindu, 0.8% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, and 4.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 45.7%, and 6.2% of people did not answer the census question.[5]
Of those at least 15 years old, 144 (26.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 279 (50.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 111 (20.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 78 people (14.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 273 (49.7%) people were employed full-time, 87 (15.8%) were part-time, and 12 (2.2%) were unemployed.[5]
Kainui-Gordonton statistical area
Kainui-Gordonton statistical area covers 88.43 km2 (34.14 sq mi)[14] and had an estimated population of 1,880 as of June 2025,[15] with a population density of 21 people per km2.
Kainui-Gordonton had a population of 1,818 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 84 people (4.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 189 people (11.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 903 males, 912 females and 6 people of other genders in 564 dwellings.[18] 2.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 37.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 441 people (24.3%) aged under 15 years, 297 (16.3%) aged 15 to 29, 861 (47.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 222 (12.2%) aged 65 or older.[16]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.2% European (Pākehā); 15.8% Māori; 2.3% Pasifika; 8.4% Asian; 1.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.2%, Māori language by 4.6%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 11.7%. No language could be spoken by 2.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.[16]
Religious affiliations were 39.8% Christian, 0.3% Hindu, 0.3% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 3.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 49.0%, and 6.6% of people did not answer the census question.[16]
Of those at least 15 years old, 354 (25.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 762 (55.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 270 (19.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $52,200, compared with $41,500 nationally. 246 people (17.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 753 (54.7%) people were employed full-time, 246 (17.9%) were part-time, and 21 (1.5%) were unemployed.[16]
Education
Gordonton School is a co-educational state primary school covering years 1 to 8,[19] with a roll of 243 as of July 2026.[20]
Gordonton School opened in 1893 as Hukanui School. In 1913 it was renamed Gordonton School and in 1961 the school moved to a new site. The former teacher's residence and former school building each have a category 2 registration with Heritage New Zealand. The former school building was designed by Mitchell and Watt and the teacher's residence was designed by John Farrell.[21]
Eastwest College of Intercultural Studies is a Category 1 Private Training Establishment established on the western side of Gordonton in 1996 by WEC Aotearoa New Zealand.[22] It is a Christian tertiary institute that offers both NZQA Level 5 and Level 6 diplomas in intercultural studies. WEC Aotearoa New Zealand headquarters is located next door.[23]
Woodlands Estate
Woodlands is a homestead and Garden of National Significance, established in the 1870s. The gardens occupy eight hectares and are open to the public.[24]