Portland, New Zealand

Portland
Portland
Coordinates: 35°48′06″S 174°19′45″E / 35.80167°S 174.32917°ECoordinates: 35°48′06″S 174°19′45″E / 35.80167°S 174.32917°E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Northland Region
District	Whangarei District
Population (2006)
• Total	993

A train stopped on the North Auckland Line in 1923.

Portland is a locality on the western side of Whangarei Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. Whangarei is about 10 km to the north. Tikorangi is a hill to the west with a summit 161 m above sea level.^[1][2]

The population of the Otaika-Portland area was 993 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 18 from 2001.^[3]

The major industry is Portland Cement, which is New Zealand's largest cement manufacturer.^[4] It has a specialised loading dock on the harbour,^[5] and quarries Tikorangi for lime.^[6]

History

The Portland Cement Works, which started on Limestone Island in Whangarei Harbour in 1885, moved to Portland in 1916.^[7][8] The Cement works is now owned by Golden Bay Cement, a division of Fletcher Building.

Historically, the town had a train station on the North Auckland Line.

Education

Portland School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 2 and a roll of 56.^[9]

Notes

1. Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 7. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
2. Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. pp. map 27. ISBN 1-877333-20-4.
3. Quickstats about Portland, New Zealand
4. "Northland - Industries". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
5. "Northland - Transport links". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
6. Pickmere, Nancy Preece (1986). Whangarei: The Founding Years. p. 65.
7. "Whangarei Harbour". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).
8. "Brief History of the Cement Industry in New Zealand". Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand. This source gives a date of 1918 for the move to Portland.
9. "Te Kete Ipurangi - Portland School". Ministry of Education.