Coroglen

Coroglen (Māori: Ōunuora) is a locality in the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 25, 18 kilometres south of Whitianga and 26 kilometres north west of Tairua.^[6][7] The "Tapu-Coroglen Road", a windy gravel road, connects it across the Coromandel Range with Tapu on the west coast of the peninsula.

Coroglen Ōunuora (Māori)[citation needed]
The Coroglen Tavern
Coordinates: 36°55′26″S 175°41′31″E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Waikato
District	Thames-Coromandel District
Ward	Mercury Bay ward
Community Board	Mercury Bay Community
Electorates	Coromandel Hauraki-Waikato (Māori)
Government
• Council	Thames-Coromandel District Council
• Regional council	Waikato Regional Council
• Mayor of Thames-Coromandel	Len Salt[1]
• Coromandel MP	Scott Simpson[2]
• Hauraki-Waikato MP	Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke[3]
Area [4]
• Total	21.92 km2 (8.46 sq mi)
Population  (2023 Census)[5]
• Total	135
• Density	6.16/km2 (16.0/sq mi)
Postcode	3591

History

The town was founded as "Gumtown" in the late 19th century with a kauri sawmill, later becoming an important location in the kauri gum trade.^[8][9] In the early 1900s, Gumtown had three stores, a bakery, a butcher's, a bootmaker, a blacksmith, a hotel, two boarding houses, and a billiard saloon.^[10] Currently, Coroglen has a tavern (famous for live music performances), a school, a pre school and a community garden.

Demographics

Coroglen is in an SA1 statistical area which covers 21.92 km² (8.46 sq mi).^[4] The SA1 area is part of the larger Mercury Bay South statistical area.^[11]

Historical population for Coroglen and surrounds

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	111	—
2013	126	+1.83%
2018	129	+0.47%
2023	135	+0.91%
Source: [12][5]

The SA1 area had a population of 135 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 6 people (4.7%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 9 people (7.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 63 males and 75 females in 48 dwellings.^[13] 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 21 people (15.6%) aged under 15 years, 27 (20.0%) aged 15 to 29, 57 (42.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 33 (24.4%) aged 65 or older.^[5]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 88.9% European (Pākehā), 17.8% Māori, and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 100.0%, Māori language by 4.4%, and other languages by 6.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[5]

The only religious affiliation given was 20.0% Christian. People who answered that they had no religion were 71.1%, and 8.9% of people did not answer the census question.^[5]

Of those at least 15 years old, 9 (7.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 78 (68.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 30 (26.3%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $32,200, compared with $41,500 nationally. 3 people (2.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 51 (44.7%) people were employed full-time and 24 (21.1%) were part-time.^[5]

Education

Coroglen School is a co-educational full primary (years 1–8) school^[14] with a roll of 98 as of July 2025.^[15] The school started in 1896.^[16]