Fitzroy, New Plymouth

Fitzroy (Māori: Poutūtaki)^[3] is a coastal suburb of New Plymouth, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the north-east of the city centre.

Fitzroy
Suburb
Holy Trinity Church
Coordinates: 39°2′49″S 174°6′17″E
Country	New Zealand
City	New Plymouth
Local authority	New Plymouth District Council
Electoral ward	Kaitake-Ngāmotu General Ward Kōhanga Moa General Ward Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori Ward
Area [1]
• Land	1,036 ha (2,560 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	3,650

(North Taranaki Bight)	(North Taranaki Bight)	Bell Block
Strandon	Fitzroy
	Merrilands	Glen Avon

The area was initially named the Fitzroy Block after Governor Robert FitzRoy reduced the land purchased by the Plymouth Company from local Māori from 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres) to 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) in the mid-1840s.^[4]

Holy Trinity Church in Henui Street is listed as a Category I structure with Heritage New Zealand.^[5]

Demographics

Fitzroy and Glen Avon statistical areas cover 10.36 km² (4.00 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 3,650 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 352 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	2,880	—
2013	3,270	+1.83%
2018	3,504	+1.39%
Source: [6]

Before the 2023 census, the Fitzroy-Glen Avon statistical area covered 16.98 km² (6.56 sq mi).^[1] Fitzroy-Glen Avon had a population of 3,504 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 234 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 624 people (21.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,383 households, comprising 1,686 males and 1,818 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.93 males per female. The median age was 41.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 729 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 546 (15.6%) aged 15 to 29, 1,611 (46.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 621 (17.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.0% European/Pākehā, 15.0% Māori, 2.6% Pacific peoples, 5.0% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 16.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.2% had no religion, 33.6% were Christian, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% were Hindu, 1.1% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 492 (17.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 537 (19.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. 528 people (19.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,374 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 471 (17.0%) were part-time, and 84 (3.0%) were unemployed.^[6]

Education

Fitzroy School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 416 students as of July 2025.^[7][8] The school celebrated its 125th jubilee in 2007.^[9]

St John Bosco School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 257 students as of July 2025.^[7][10] It is a state integrated Catholic school, established in 1942.^[11]

Transport

Northgate, part of State Highway 3, travels through the southern edge of Fitzroy. Regular Citylink buses connect the suburb to central New Plymouth and the towns of Bell Block and Waitara.

Fitzroy railway station was located to the west of Fitzroy in Strandon and closed in 1963.