Omihi
Locality
Omihi Hall
Coordinates: 43°01′S 172°51′E / 43.017°S 172.850°E / -43.017; 172.850
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
Territorial authority	Hurunui District
Ward	East Ward
Electorates	Kaikōura Te Tai Tonga
Government
• Territorial Authority	Hurunui District Council
• Regional council	Environment Canterbury
• Mayor of Hurunui	Marie Black
• Kaikoura MP	Stuart Smith
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Time zone	UTC+12 (New Zealand Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Omihi or Ōmihi is a rural community in the Hurunui District of the Canterbury Region, on New Zealand's South Island. It is located 21km north-east of Amberley.^[1]

Translated from Māori, it means place of (Ō) greeting, wailing or lamentation (mihi).^[1]

European settlers began farming the area in the late 19th century.^[2]

The Omihi settlement includes a school and a community hall, which is used for a range of functions.^[3]

The settlement has a war memorial obelisk, featuring the names of ten local men who died in World War I and five local men who died in World War II.^[4]

Demographics

The Omihi statistical area, which also includes Waipara and Greta Valley, covers 717.87 km² (277.17 sq mi).^[5] It had an estimated population of 1,310 as of June 2022,^[6] with a population density of 1.8 people per km².

Omihi War Memorial

Omihi had a population of 1,242 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 45 people (3.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 48 people (4.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 486 households, comprising 660 males and 579 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.14 males per female. The median age was 45.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 231 people (18.6%) aged under 15 years, 162 (13.0%) aged 15 to 29, 639 (51.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 207 (16.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 95.2% European/Pākehā, 8.9% Māori, 0.7% Pasifika, 1.0% Asian, and 1.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.7% had no religion, 32.6% were Christian, 0.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were Hindu, 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.0% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 162 (16.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 210 (20.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $31,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 141 people (13.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 561 (55.5%) people were employed full-time, 189 (18.7%) were part-time, and 18 (1.8%) were unemployed.^[7]

Education

Omihi School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,^[2][8] with a roll of 42 as of April 2023.^[9]

The school was founded in 1900 with a roll of 31 and one classroom. The school was expanded between 1906 and 1911, and moved to a new position on the same site in 1948. It currently has two classrooms, an office block, a school house, a library and a swimming pool.^[2]

References