Ruawai

Ruawai was a location for the late 19th/early 20th century kauri gum digging trade. The farmer Doug Righton had a wing design patented in 1931 and during the 1950s and 1960s, he built a large glider, the Righton Big Wing, based on that patent. ==Economy==

The Ruawai flats produce a large amount of sweet potato. ==Demographics==

Statistics New Zealand describes Rūāwai as a rural settlement, which covers 1.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 48.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 93 people (19.4%) aged under 15 years, 63 (13.1%) aged 15 to 29, 180 (37.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 144 (30.0%) aged 65 or older. Rūāwai-Matakohe statistical area Rūāwai-Matakohe statistical area, which also includes Matakohe and Tinopai, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Rūāwai-Matakohe had a population of 2,631 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 195 people (8.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 342 people (14.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,380 males, 1,248 females and 3 people of other genders in 1,044 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 48.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 498 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 321 (12.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,194 (45.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 621 (23.6%) aged 65 or older. ==Education==

Ruawai College is a secondary (years 7–13) school with a roll of students as of Ruawai District High School was established in 1929. In December 1995, Ruawai College installed a 128 kbit/s DDS leased line connection that delivered internet services and offered dialup internet with IGRIN billing the service (IGRIN has since purchased by Orcon). The arrangement delivered internet to the rural community where the nearest dialup internet services were a toll call away, as well as giving the school low cost internet. At the time, only a handful of schools nationally had a campus-wide, hard wired internet service. Ruawai School is a contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of students as of Both schools are coeducational. ==Notable people==

• Lockwood Smith, politician. • Roy Billing OAM, noted NZ actor, now domiciled in Australia, was brought up in Ruawai where he attended Ruawai High School • ==References==