Rai Valley

History

The Valley was one of the last areas explored by Europeans in northern Marlborough. John Tinline discovered it while looking for a route to Nelson in January 1850.

The Rai Valley was densely forested in the 19th century. A township grew up at Carluke, just to the west of Rai Valley locality, around a sawmill built by William Brownlee in 1907. About 100 people worked at the mill, and a light railway connected it to a port on the Pelorus River.

Returned servicemen took up many local farms in 1919.

Demographics

Rai Valley is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 27.96 km2 and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. It is part of the larger Marlborough Sounds West statistical area.

Rai Valley had a population of 177 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 30 people (20.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 36 people (25.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 81 households, comprising 84 males and 96 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.88 males per female. The median age was 40.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 45 people (25.4%) aged under 15 years, 21 (11.9%) aged 15 to 29, 75 (42.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 33 (18.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 93.2% European/Pākehā, 20.3% Māori, 3.4% Pasifika, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 67.8% had no religion, 20.3% were Christian and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 12 (9.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 42 (31.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $28,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 15 people (11.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 60 (45.5%) people were employed full-time, 21 (15.9%) were part-time, and 3 (2.3%) were unemployed.

Education

Rai Valley Area School is a coeducational composite (years 1–13) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 94.

Climate

| Jan record high C = 31.5 | Feb record high C = 33.6 | Mar record high C = 30.0 | Apr record high C = 25.7 | May record high C = 21.8 | Jun record high C = 19.2 | Jul record high C = 19.6 | Aug record high C = 18.8 | Sep record high C = 24.0 | Oct record high C = 25.3 | Nov record high C = 27.6 | Dec record high C = 28.7 | year record high C = |Jan record low C = 1.3 |Feb record low C = 0.7 |Mar record low C = -3.0 |Apr record low C = -4.1 |May record low C = -6.9 |Jun record low C = -7.6 |Jul record low C = -7.8 |Aug record low C = -6.6 |Sep record low C = -5.2 |Oct record low C = -4.4 |Nov record low C = -2.0 |Dec record low C = -0.7 |year record low C = |access-date = 15 Oct 2024}}

Notes

References

References

1. (2004). "Reed New Zealand Atlas". Reed Books.
2. Roger Smith, GeographX. (2005). "The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand". Robbie Burton.
3. "Age and sex by ethnic group (grouped total response), for census usually resident population counts, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (urban rural areas)".
4. Marlborough Historical Society. (2005). "Click – A Captured Moment – Marlborough's Early Heritage". Marlborough Historical Society.
5. "Marlborough Region – Landscape Pattern".
6. Marlborough Historical Society, pp 84–85
7. (September 1993). "Brownlee & Co. Sawmilling Industry". Bits & Pieces.
8. "ArcGIS Web Application".
9. {{NZ census place summary 2018. marlborough-sounds-west. Marlborough Sounds West
10. {{NZ census 2018. 7023221
11. {{TKI. 291. Rai Valley Area School