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Taranaki

Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.

The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth District is home to more than 65 per cent of the population of Taranaki. New Plymouth is in North Taranaki along with Inglewood and Waitara. South Taranaki towns include Hāwera, Manaia, Stratford, Eltham, and Ōpunake.

Since 2005, Taranaki has used the promotional brand "Like no other".

Geography
Taranaki is on the west coast of the North Island, surrounding the volcanic peak of Mount Taranaki. The region covers an area of 7258 km2. Its large bays north-west and south-west of Cape Egmont are North Taranaki Bight and South Taranaki Bight.

Mount Taranaki is the second highest mountain in the North Island, and the dominant geographical feature of the region. A Māori legend says that Mount Taranaki previously lived with the Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu mountains of the central North Island but fled to its current location after a battle with Tongariro. A near-perfect cone, it last erupted in the mid-18th century. The mountain and its immediate surrounds form Egmont National Park. Historically, the area consisted of a narrow coastal plain covered by bracken, tutu, rewarewa and karaka trees, with anywhere not close to the coast covered in dense forest.

Māori had called the mountain Taranaki for many centuries, and Captain James Cook gave it the English name of Egmont after the Earl of Egmont, the recently retired First Lord of the Admiralty who had encouraged his expedition. The mountain has two alternative official names, "Mount Taranaki" and "Mount Egmont".

The region is exceptionally fertile thanks to generous rainfall and rich volcanic soil. Dairy farming predominates, with Fonterra's Whareroa milk factory just outside of Hāwera producing the largest volume of dairy ingredients from a single factory anywhere in the world. There are also oil and gas deposits in the region, both on- and off-shore. The Maui gas field off the south-west coast has provided most of New Zealand's gas supply and once supported two methanol plants, (one formerly a synthetic-petrol plant called the Gas-To-Gasoline plant) at Motunui. Fuel and fertiliser is also produced at a well complex at Kapuni and a number of smaller land-based oilfields. With the Maui field nearing depletion, new offshore resources have been developed: the Kupe field, 30 km south of Hāwera and the Pohokura gas field, 4.5 km north of Waitara.

The way the land mass projects into the Tasman Sea with northerly, westerly and southerly exposures, results in many excellent surfing and windsurfing locations, some of them considered world-class.

Demography
Taranaki covers 7254.51 km2 and has a population of as of Statistics New Zealand's,  percent of New Zealand's population. It has a population density of people per km2. It is the tenth most populous region of New Zealand.

Taranaki Region had a population of 126,015 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 8,454 people (7.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 16,407 people (15.0%) since the 2013 census. There were 52,992 dwellings. The median age was 40.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 25,428 people (20.2%) aged under 15 years, 20,625 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 55,929 (44.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 24,033 (19.1%) aged 65 or older.

Taranaki Region had a population of 117,561 at the 2018 New Zealand census. There were 45,249 households. There were 58,251 males and 59,310 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female.

Of those at least 15 years old, 13,776 (14.8%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 21,690 (23.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 14,271 people (15.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 44,673 (48.1%) people were employed full-time, 14,133 (15.2%) were part-time, and 3,681 (4.0%) were unemployed.

Urban areas
Just under half the residents live in New Plymouth, with Hāwera being the next most populous town in the region.

Culture and identity
The region has had a strong Māori presence for centuries. The local iwi (tribes) include Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Ruanui, Taranaki, Te Āti Awa, Ngā Rauru, Ngāruahinerangi and Ngāti Tama.

Ethnicities in the 2023 census were 83.6% European/Pākehā, 21.8% Māori, 2.6% Pasifika, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

In 2018, the percentage of people born overseas was 13.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 51.7% had no religion, 36.0% were Christian, 0.8% were Hindu, 0.5% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 2.5% had other religions.

History
The area became home to a number of Māori tribes from the 13th century. From about 1823 the Māori began having contact with European whalers as well as traders who arrived by schooner to buy flax. Around the 1820s and 1830s, whalers targeted Southern right whales in the South Taranaki Bight. In March 1828 Richard "Dicky" Barrett (1807–47) set up a trading post at Ngamotu (present-day New Plymouth). Barrett and his companions, who were armed with muskets and cannon, were welcomed by the Āti Awa tribe for assisting in their continuing wars with Waikato Māori. Following a bloody encounter at Ngamotu in 1832, most of the 2000 Āti Awa living near Ngamotu, as well as Barrett, migrated south to the Kāpiti region and Marlborough.

In late 1839 Barrett returned to Taranaki to act as a purchasing agent for the New Zealand Company, which had already begun on-selling the land to prospective settlers in England with the expectation of securing its title. Barrett claimed to have negotiated the purchase of an area extending from Mokau to Cape Egmont, and inland to the upper reaches of the Whanganui River including Mt Taranaki. A later deed of sale included New Plymouth and all the coastal lands of North Taranaki, including Waitara.

European settlement at New Plymouth began with the arrival of the William Bryan in March 1841. European expansion beyond New Plymouth, however, was prevented by Māori opposition to selling their land, a sentiment that deepened as links strengthened with the King Movement. Tension over land ownership continued to mount, leading to the outbreak of war at Waitara in March 1860. Although the pressure for the sale of the Waitara block resulted from the colonists' hunger for land in Taranaki, the greater issue fuelling the conflict was the Government's desire to impose British administration, law and civilisation on the Māori.

The war was fought by more than 3,500 imperial troops brought in from Australia as well as volunteer soldiers and militia against Māori forces that fluctuated from a few hundred and to 1,500. Total losses among the imperial, volunteer, and militia troops are estimated to have been 238, while Māori casualties totalled about 200.

An uneasy truce was negotiated a year later, only to be broken in April 1863 as tensions over land occupation boiled over again. A total of 5,000 troops fought in the Second Taranaki War against about 1,500 men, women and children. The style of warfare differed markedly from that of the 1860–61 conflict as the army systematically took possession of Māori land by driving off the inhabitants, adopting a "scorched earth" strategy of laying waste to the villages and cultivations of Māori, whether warlike or otherwise. As the troops advanced, the Government built an expanding line of redoubts, behind which settlers built homes and developed farms. The effect was a creeping confiscation of almost a million acres (4,000 km2) of land.

The present main highway on the inland side of Mount Taranaki follows the path taken by the colonial forces under Major General Trevor Chute as they marched, with great difficulty, from Patea to New Plymouth in 1866.

Armed Māori resistance continued in South Taranaki until early 1869, led by the warrior Tītokowaru, who reclaimed land almost as far south as Wanganui. A decade later, spiritual leader Te Whiti o Rongomai, based at Parihaka, launched a campaign of passive resistance against government land confiscation, which culminated in a raid by colonial troops on 5 November 1881.

The confiscations, subsequently acknowledged by the New Zealand Government as unjust and illegal, began in 1865 and soon included the entire Taranaki district. Towns including Normanby, Hāwera and Carlyle (Patea) were established on land confiscated as military settlements. The release of a Waitangi Tribunal report on the situation in 1996 led to some debate on the matter. In a speech to a group of psychologists, Associate Minister of Māori Affairs Tariana Turia compared the suppression of Taranaki Māori to the Holocaust, provoking a vigorous reaction around New Zealand, with Prime Minister Helen Clark among those voicing criticism.

Economy
The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Taranaki was estimated at NZ$9.51 billion in the year to March 2020, 2.94% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $76,715 in the same period, the highest in New Zealand.

Taranaki’s economy is centred around dairy farming, hydrocarbon exploration, and manufacturing (including agricultural and energy based manufacturing) with these industries making up approximately 40 percent of the region’s GDP in 2019. Taranaki has had the highest GDP per capita from 2007 onward except in 2017 when Wellington was higher.

In the 2019–20 season, there were 468,000 milking cows in Taranaki, 9.5% of the country's total herd. The cows produced 185,320 tonnes of milk solids, worth $1,334 million at the national average farmgate price ($7.20 per kg). The Dairy Farming industry is the largest employer in Taranaki, comprising 5 per cent of all employees. The region is home to the world’s largest milk production facility by annual volume, Fonterra’s Whareroa Plant near Hawera, which produces milk powder, butter, casein whey and cheese. The region also boasts the largest secondary cheese operation in Asia-Pacific as well as a high-tech lactose plant producing pharmaceutical lactose for the global medical industry and a speciality artisan cheese facility.

Natural gas from Taranaki’s fields accounts for around 20% of New Zealand’s primary energy supply. It provides heat, energy and hot water supply for over 245,000 New Zealand households as well as more than 10,000 commercial users such as restaurants, hotels, greenhouses and hospitals. The single biggest user of natural gas is Methanex, also based in Taranaki, who use it as a feedstock to produce methanol for export. Taranaki's natural gas is also used to make urea for use on farms. The head offices of many energy companies are based in the region along with specialist service and supply companies, including freight, logistics, fabrication, technical, professional services and consultancies as well as environmental and health and safety expertise. The region is renowned for its world class engineering design and project management skills, which tackles on and off shore fabrication and construction.

Provincial government
From 1853 the Taranaki region was governed as the Taranaki Province (initially known as the New Plymouth Province) until the abolition of New Zealand provinces in 1876. The leading office was that of the superintendent.

The following is a list of superintendents of the Province of Taranaki during this time:

Taranaki Regional Council
The Taranaki Regional Council was formed as part of major nationwide local government reforms in November 1989, for the purpose of integrated catchment management. The regional council was the successor to the Taranaki Catchment Board, the Taranaki United Council, the Taranaki Harbours Board, and 16 small special-purpose local bodies that were abolished under the Local Government Amendment Act (No 3) 1988. The council's headquarters were established in the central location of Stratford to "provide a good compromise in respect of overcoming traditional south vs north Taranaki community of interest conflicts" (Taranaki Regional Council, 2001 p. 6).

Chairs
 * Ross Allen (1989–2001)
 * David Walter (2001–2007)
 * David MacLeod (2007–2022)
 * Charlotte Littlewood (2022–present)

Motion picture location
Taranaki's landscape and the mountain's supposed resemblance to Mount Fuji led it to be selected as the location for The Last Samurai, a motion picture set in 19th-century Japan. The movie starred Tom Cruise.

Public Safety
Taranaki has 20 fire stations scattered throughout the region. It includes one career (full time) brigade based at New Plymouth Central Fire Station and is staffed by two crews (8 firefighters) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and responds, not only to the city, but to surrounding volunteer brigades in satellite towns if needed. New Plymouth has four fire appliances, including an aerial appliance and pump rescue truck, and three specialist vehicles. There are 17 volunteer and two rural brigades in the region.

Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth is the region's largest hospital. It has a 24-hour emergency department, wards for older people's health, rehabilitation, children and young people/pediatrics, general surgery and urology, orthopedics and surgical specialties, general medicine and maternity and provides community services. It's currently undergoing a multi-million dollar development to expand its services. Hawera Hospital, one hour south, is a smaller hospital but offers 24-hour emergency department, inpatient beds, maternity services, outpatients and community services. There are health centres in Waitara, Opunake, Patea, Mokau, Stratford and Urenui.

St John Ambulance supplies all ambulance services to Taranaki, with their main station based Waiwhakaiho on the outskirts of New Plymouth. Throughout the region, they have six emergency ambulances, two rapid response vehicles (one crewed by a critical care paramedic) and two operational managers during the day. At night, four ambulances are on duty and one rapid response vehicle. Volunteer-crewed first response units are based in Opunake and Urenui.

There are 13 police stations in the region, including three in New Plymouth and others are based in the main towns.

The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust provides search, rescue and patient transfer missions when required. The MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 is based at its hangar at Taranaki Base Hospital. It serves as a critical service for missions relating to the region's mountain and steep inland hill country and marine areas.

Sports teams
Notable sports teams from Taranaki include:
 * Yarrows Taranaki Bulls – National Provincial Championship Rugby Union Team
 * Taranaki Airs – NBL Basketball Team
 * Taranaki Thunder – Women's Basketball Team
 * Taranaki Cricket – Men's Cricket Team

Notable people

 * Harry Atkinson – Premier of New Zealand and Colonial Treasurer
 * Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hīroa) of Ngāti Mutunga – Māori scholar, politician, military leader, health administrator, anthropologist, museum director, born in Urenui
 * Richard Faull – New Zealand neuroscientist and academic, born and raised in Tikorangi
 * Māui Wiremu Pita Naera Pōmare of Ngāti Mutunga – politician, Minister of Health
 * Frederic Carrington – surveyor and father of New Plymouth
 * William Douglas Cook – founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa, Gisborne and of Pukeiti, world-famous rhododendron garden, New Plymouth.
 * Hāmi Te Māunu – hereditary Maori leader of Ngāti Mutunga
 * Wiremu Kīngi – Māori Chief of Te Āti Awa, leader in the First Taranaki War
 * William Malone – First World War officer
 * Len Lye – artist, filmmaker born in Christchurch, collection only housed in New Plymouth
 * Minarapa Rangihatuake – Methodist missionary, active from about 1839 in Taranaki
 * Michael Smither – artist
 * Ronald Syme – scholar of ancient history
 * Riwha Titokowaru – Ngaruahine military war leader
 * Te Whiti o Rongomai – spiritual leader of Parihaka and pioneer of peaceful protest strategies

Sports people
Commonwealth gold Bowls, Brian Symes 7s,World, Commonwealth,Olympic gold medalists..Gayle Broughton & Mikalya Blyde. Silver Ferns, Ardean Harper,
 * All Blacks: Beauden Barrett, Scott Barrett, Jordie Barrett, Grant Fox, Luke McAlister, Kayla McAlister, Graham Mourie, Conrad Smith, Carl Hayman.
 * Rugby League:, Issac Luke, Curtis Rona, Howie Tamati Graham West
 * Michael Campbell – golfer
 * Paige Hareb – professional surfer
 * Peter Snell – Gold medal-winning athlete, born in Ōpunake.
 * Hannah Bromley – Former professional footballer.

title: Taranaki


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A Ship Comes In

A Ship Comes In (also known as His Country) is a 1928 silent film which tells the story of immigrants coming to the United States. It stars Rudolph Schildkraut, Louise Dresser, Milton Holmes, Linda Landi, and Fritz Feld.

The movie was written by Julien Josephson (story) (adaptation), John W. Krafft (titles) and Sonya Levien. It was directed by William K. Howard. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress (Louise Dresser).

Synopsis
The film focuses on the Plezniks, a European family immigrating to the United States just before the outbreak of the first World War. The family is boundlessly optimistic about their new life, in particular Peter, the family patriarch. Peter makes a friend of his neighbor Mr. Casey, who helps him get a job as a janitor at the local embassy; after five years, the embassy's Judge makes an enthusiastic Peter a citizen of the United States. At this time, Peter's oldest child Eric, has left to join the military, with the same level of enthusiasm as his father. Mama Pleznik, however, is worried, but lets him go.

In a plot to kill the embassy judge, Peter is framed when an explosive is hidden in a package he had given to the Judge as a thank-you gift. Upon a jury finding him guilty, Peter finally breaks down in tears, but is soon back to his normal optimistic self in prison. His fortune improves when the real bomber, having suffered a guilty conscience, confesses to the police. His patriotism praised, Peter is released, gets his job back (with back pay), and returns to see his family. After a warm welcome, Peter is disheartened to learn that Eric has been killed in action. But his and Mrs. Pleznik's grief turns to pride when they remember Eric was just as loyal to his new country as they were; the film ends with Peter saluting his son's portrait on the wall.

Cast

 * Rudolph Schildkraut - Peter Pleznik
 * Louise Dresser - Mama Pleznik
 * Milton Holmes - Eric
 * Linda Landi - Marthe
 * Fritz Feld - Sokol
 * Lucien Littlefield - Dan Casey
 * Robert Edeson - Judge Gresham
 * Louis Natheaux - Seymon

Preservation status
The film is preserved in the Library of Congress, George Eastman House, Filmarchiv Austria.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: A Ship Comes In


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New Plymouth

New Plymouth (Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Plymouth District, which includes New Plymouth City and several smaller towns, is the 10th largest district (out of 67) in New Zealand, and has a population of – about two-thirds of the total population of the Taranaki Region and  % of New Zealand's population. This includes New Plymouth City (0), Waitara (0), Inglewood (0), Ōakura (0), Ōkato (561) and Urenui (429).

The city itself is a service centre for the region's principal economic activities, including intensive pastoral activities (mainly dairy farming) as well as oil, natural gas and petrochemical exploration and production. It is also the region's financial centre as the home of the TSB Bank (formerly the Taranaki Savings Bank), the largest of the remaining non-government New Zealand-owned banks.

Notable features are the botanic garden (i.e. Pukekura Park), the critically acclaimed Len Lye Centre and Art Gallery, the 13 km New Plymouth Coastal Walkway alongside the Tasman Sea, the Len Lye-designed 45 m artwork known as the Wind Wand, Paritutu Rock, and views of Mount Taranaki.

New Plymouth was awarded the most liveable city (for a population between 75,000–150,000) by the International Awards for Liveable Communities in 2021. In 2023, New Plymouth was awarded New Zealand's most beautiful small city by Keep New Zealand Beautiful. It also won multiple awards in 2008. The city was in 2010 chosen as one of two walking & cycling "Model Communities" by the government. Based on New Plymouth's already positive attitude towards cyclists and pedestrians, the city received $3.71m to invest into infrastructure and community programmes to boost walking and cycling.

History
The area where New Plymouth was founded had for centuries been the home for several Māori iwi (tribes). From about 1823, the Māori began having contact with European whalers as well as traders who arrived by schooner to buy flax.

In 1828 Richard "Dicky" Barrett (1807–47) set up a trading post at Ngāmotu after arriving on the trading vessel Adventure. Barrett traded with the local Māori and helped negotiate the purchase of land from them on behalf of the New Zealand Company. Settlers were selected by the Plymouth Company, which was set up to attract emigrants from the West Country of England, and which took over land initially purchased by the New Zealand Company. The grid plan for the town's streets was laid out by surveyor Frederic Carrington. The first of the town's settlers arrived on the William Bryan, which anchored off the coast on 31 March 1841. A series of disputes over ownership and settlement of land developed between Māori and settlers soon after and New Plymouth became a fortified garrison town in 1860–1861 as more than 3500 Imperial soldiers, as well as local volunteers and militia, fought Māori in the First Taranaki War.

City suburbs
From west to east

Satellite settlements

 * Ōakura
 * Omata
 * Bell Block
 * Inglewood
 * Waitara

Climate
New Plymouth has an oceanic climate that could be described as a moist, temperate climate. The average summer afternoon temperature is 21 - 22 C; the average summer night-time temperature is 12 - 13 C. The city experiences mild winters, where the average afternoon temperature is 13 - 14 C and night-time temperature is 5 - 6 C. The average annual rainfall is 1432 mm. On 15 August 2011 it snowed in New Plymouth, a rare event which has been described as a once in a generation occurrence. A New Plymouth site was named the sunniest in the country in 2021, recording 2592 sunshine hours.

New Plymouth Province
The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 created the New Plymouth Province, with a Provincial Council given jurisdiction over an area of 400,000ha. Five years later, the name of the province changed to Taranaki Province. The province was abolished in 1876.

Borough/City of New Plymouth

A Town Board was formed in 1863 and in August 1876, the town was constituted as a borough. Its new status did little to overcome some outside perceptions, however. In 1876, author E. W. Payton wrote that "all the great bustling 'cities' of the colony had a patronising way of trying to snub New Plymouth, referring to it in such derogatory terms as the dullest hole in the colony ... nothing whatever to do there... I find a great liking for this 'slow, old hole' ... it is a quiet, unassuming place and has not done so much to attract immigrants and settlers by exaggerating reports, as some districts have done."

The Fitzroy Town District was merged with New Plymouth borough in August 1911; Vogeltown, Frankleigh Park and Westown were added a year later, followed by St Aubyn-Moturoa. By 1913, the town had a population of 7538. Seafront land was added in 1931 and 1941; land acquired on Omata Rd was added in 1955 and in 1960, large areas including land to the south of Paritutu, as well as Hurdon, Ferndale and Huatoki were included, as well as land straddling Mangorei Rd between the Henui Stream and Waiwakaiho River.

New Plymouth was declared a city in 1949.

New Plymouth District Council
In 1989, as a part of the New Zealand-wide reorganisation of local government, New Plymouth City Council was merged with Taranaki District Council (Taranaki County Council and Waitara Borough merged in 1986), Inglewood District Council (Inglewood Borough and County merged in 1986), and Clifton County Council to form New Plymouth District Council.

Every three years, the Mayor, 14 councillors and 16 community board members are elected by the New Plymouth District's enrolled voters. The full council, sub-committees and standing committees meet on a six-weekly cycle.

The Policy and Monitoring standing committees have delegated authority from the council to make final decisions on certain matters, and they make recommendations to the council on all others. The four community boards–Clifton, Waitara, Inglewood and Kaitake–as well as the subcommittees and working parties can make recommendations to the standing committees for them to consider.

The third standing committee, the Hearings Commission, is a quasi-judicial body that meets whenever a formal hearing is required–for instance, to hear submissions on a publicly notified resource consent application.

The Chief Executive and approximately 460 full-time equivalent staff provide advice and information to the elected members and the public, implement council decisions and manage the district's day-to-day operations.

This includes everything from maintaining more than 280 parks and reserves, waste water management and issuing consents and permits, through to providing libraries and other recreational services and ensuring the district's eateries meet health standards.

New Plymouth District Council's annual operating revenue for 2008/2009 is more than $188 million.

The current Mayor of New Plymouth is Neil Holdom.

Demographics
New Plymouth's City Ward, which covers 111.33 km2, had a population of 57,219 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 4,347 people (8.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 7,824 people (15.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 22,269 households. There were 27,870 males and 29,346 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female. The median age was 40.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 11,220 people (19.6%) aged under 15 years, 9,831 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 25,251 (44.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 10,917 (19.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 84.9% European/Pākehā, 15.9% Māori, 2.4% Pacific peoples, 6.6% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 18.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 50.7% had no religion, 37.3% were Christian, 1.1% were Hindu, 0.7% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 2.4% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 8,880 (19.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 8,919 (19.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $30,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 21,486 (46.7%) people were employed full-time, 7,098 (15.4%) were part-time, and 1,755 (3.8%) were unemployed.

Industry and utilities
Electric power was first provided in January 1906 from the Mangorei power station alongside the Waiwhakaiho River near Burgess Park. In the 1960s, the New Plymouth Power Station was initially designed to run on coal but constructed to be fuelled by natural gas or fuel oil. This is a thermal power station with a steam turbine, commenced operation in 1974 with units progressively decommissioned from 2000 with one left operating in 2008.

Companies began searching for oil on the New Plymouth coast in 1865 after small deposits of thick oil were found on the shoreline. The first commercial quantities of oil were obtained in January 1866. Exploration continued sporadically, and a refinery opened in 1913. Production ceased about 1972. The city was one of the original nine towns and cities in New Zealand to be supplied with natural gas when the Kapuni gas field in South Taranaki entered production in 1970. The offshore Maui A well began production of natural gas in the late 1970s, sparking a flourishing energy and petrochemical industry. As Maui A's resources decline, new sites in Taranaki are being developed in an effort to find more commercial petrochemical reserves.

Powerco operates the local electricity and natural gas distribution networks in the city. Electricity is supplied from Transpower's national grid at two substations: Carrington Street (Brooklands) and Huirangi. Natural gas is supplied from First Gas's transmission system at a gate station in Bell Block.

Among the city's major industrial companies was Ivon Watkins-Dow, an agricultural chemicals company founded in 1944 by brothers Ivon, Harry and Dan Watkins and joined as a partner 20 years later by Dow Chemicals of Michigan. The company ran a factory at Paritutu making the herbicide 2,4,5-T. A 2005 study found that people who lived close to the Ivon Watkins-Dow plant between 1962 and 1987 were likely to have dioxin levels on average four times higher than the general public. In some groups, the level was as much as seven times as high. A Public Health Medicine senior adviser has claimed that based on international findings, the residents' exposure to dioxin may cause increased rates of disease, in particular cancer. In March 2007, the Ministry of Health announced it would offer a major health support programme to anyone affected. In April 2008, the Ministry clarified that the programme's main feature would be a free annual medical check up for those who had lived, worked or studied close to the factory.

Features and attractions
New Plymouth District has a reputation as an events centre, with major festivals (the annual TSB Bank Festival of Lights, Taranaki Powerco Garden Spectacular, WOMAD and the biennial Taranaki Arts Festival), sports fixtures (including international rugby, surfing, cricket and tennis matches, and the annual ITU World Cup Triathlon) and concerts (from Sir Elton John, Jack Johnson, REM, John Farnham and Fleetwood Mac).

With its rich volcanic soil, the city is well known for its gardens. Chief among them are the 52 ha Pukekura Park in the centre of the city (named a Garden of National Significance), and Pukeiti, a rhododendron garden of international significance high on the Pouakai Range.

Pukekura Park is also the home of the TSB Bank Festival of Lights, which runs for free every year from mid-December to early February. It has daytime and night-time programmes of events for people of all ages, and the festival itself transforms the park into an illuminated wonderland every evening.

Next to the foreshore in the central city is Puke Ariki – the world's first purpose-built, fully integrated museum, library and information centre.

Nearby is the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, a contemporary art museum. It includes the Len Lye Centre, a purpose-built extension to the museum that houses the collection of filmmaker and kinetic artist Len Lye, which opened in 2015.

The Coastal Walkway is a 13 km path that forms an expansive sea-edge promenade stretching almost the entire length of the city, from the Bell Block mouth in the east to Port Taranaki in the west. The pathway includes the iconic Te Rewa Rewa Bridge and is ideal for walking, running, cycling or skating, or simply enjoying the view of the dramatic west coast. It has won numerous awards, including the Cycle Friendly Award in 2008 for the best New Zealand cycle facility.

Centre City Shopping Centre is the only shopping mall in New Plymouth. It contains over 65 shops and services.

Awards
New Plymouth won the award for the most liveable city (for a population between 75,000-150,000) by the International Awards for Liveable Communities in 2021.

New Plymouth won the Top Town award from North and South Magazine in 2008 (judged "the best place in New Zealand to live, love, work and raise a family").

The city also won three awards at the 11th International Awards for Liveable Communities held in Dongguan, China, 6–10 November 2008:
 * Whole City Gold award (population category 20,000 – 75,000)
 * Criteria award for Community Sustainability
 * Gold award for community project (natural) – the Coastal Walkway.

Transport
An 18 km railway link between New Plymouth and Waitara was completed in 1875; this later became the Waitara Branch. The next year, work began on a line south to Stratford, which was reached in 1879, followed by Hāwera in 1881. This line, known as the Marton - New Plymouth Line, was completed on 23 March 1885, and when the Wellington - Manawatu Line of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was opened on 3 November 1886, a direct railway link was established to Wellington. The original routing through the centre of the town was replaced in 1907 by an alignment along the foreshore, which remains today. The New Plymouth Express passenger train began operating on this route in December 1886. In 1926, it was augmented by the Taranaki Flyer for the run between New Plymouth and Wanganui, A direct railway route to Auckland was not established until 1932, when the Stratford–Okahukura Line was completed; the next year, when the line was handed over from the Public Works Department to the New Zealand Railways Department, the New Plymouth Night Express began operating to Auckland. All carriage trains were replaced by RM class Standard and 88 seater railcars by 1956. The Wanganui service ceased in 1959; the Auckland service was truncated to terminate in Taumarunui from 1971; and the Wellington service was cancelled on 30 July 1977. On 11 February 1978, the Taumarunui railcar was replaced by a passenger train, but it was ultimately cancelled on 21 January 1983. Since this date, the only passenger trains to operate to New Plymouth have been infrequent excursions operated by railway preservation societies.

The breakwater at Ngamotu was completed in 1883, providing safe berthage for vessels, and the Moturoa wharf was completed in 1888. Port Taranaki is a critical transport link for the region and the only deep water port on the west coast of New Zealand.

In 1916, the city's electric tramway system began, and petrol-powered buses began running four years later. The tramway system was closed in 1954. It was replaced by trolley buses, which operated until 1967.

The first aircraft landed at the racecourse in 1920 and commercial flights began using the airport at Bell Block in June 1937. During World War II, this grass airfield became RNZAF Bell Block; and was replaced in 1966 by the current tarmac airport, 3 km NE of the old airport site.

Emergency services
New Plymouth has two fire stations in the city, with the central station a block away from the CBD. The station houses four fire appliances, including an aerial appliance, along with three specialist vehicles. New Plymouth Central Fire Station is staffed by two crews (8 firefighters) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and responds, not only to the city, but to surrounding areas if needed. New Plymouth West Volunteer Fire Brigade is based west of the city in the suburb of Spotswood. The volunteer station houses a single appliance, but is close to Port Taranaki and LPG/Gas tanks. The brigade supports New Plymouth and surrounding satellite towns.

Police stations are scattered throughout the city, with the main base at a modern police station on Powderham Street. Other suburban stations are located in Fitzroy, Westown and Bell Block.

St John Ambulance supplies all ambulance services to Taranaki, with their main station based at Taranaki Base Hospital.

The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust provides search, rescue and patient transfer missions when required. The MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 is based at its hangar at Taranaki Base Hospital.

Port Taranaki is the home port for HMNZS Endeavour, although the ship is based at the Devonport Naval Base on Auckland's North Shore.

Education
There are schools in Fitzroy, Frankleigh Park, Hurdon, Lynmouth, Mangorei, Marfell, Merrilands, Moturoa, Spotswood, Strandon, Vogeltown, Welbourn, Westown and Brooklands. The Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki has its main campus in Welbourn.

New Plymouth Boys' High School and New Plymouth Girls' High School are single-sex secondary (years 9–13) schools with rolls of and  respectively. The Boys' High School was founded in 1882, and the Girls' High School separated from it in 1914.

Francis Douglas Memorial College and Sacred Heart Girls' College, state-integrated catholic boys and girls schools (Years 7–13) respectively, while Spotswood College in the western suburbs is the only co-educational secondary school in the city.

Media
Local print media include:
 * Taranaki Daily News – established in 1857
 * Taranaki Midweek
 * South Taranaki Star
 * Stratford Press

Local radio stations:
 * More FM 93.2FM – local breakfast (formerly Energy FM)
 * The Hits 90FM – local day show (formerly Radio Taranaki)
 * Access Radio Taranaki 104.4FM – local community programming
 * The Most FM 100.4FM – local programming
 * Cruize FM – online streaming only
 * Hokonui Gold – local breakfast
 * Newstalk ZB – local Saturday morning sports show and local break-outs when required for sport and updates

Other stations run by NZME and Mediaworks are broadcast throughout Taranaki but are networked from either Auckland or Wellington.

Local television stations:
 * 7 Taranaki – closed down in 2007

The main television and FM radio transmitter for New Plymouth is located near Tahurangi Lodge on the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, 25 km south of the city. The first transmitter at the site was commissioned in 1966, relaying Wellington's WNTV1 channel (now part of TVNZ 1). Today, digital terrestrial television (Freeview) is available in the city from the Mount Taranaki transmitter.

Academia

 * Zena Daysh (1914–2011), influential in the human ecology movement, founder of the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council
 * David Gauld (1942–present), president of the New Zealand Mathematical Society 1981–82
 * Leila Hurle (1901–1989), schoolteacher, schools inspector
 * Michael Kelly (1949–present), Prince Philip Professor of Technology, University of Cambridge
 * Professor Emeritus David Penny (1939–present), third New Zealander to be named a National Academy of Sciences foreign associate
 * Harry Skinner (1886–1978), soldier, ethnologist, university lecturer, museum curator and director, librarian; the H.D. Skinner Annex of the Otago Museum, was opened in August 2013, and named in honour of Skinner
 * William Skinner (1857–1946), surveyor, historian, and ethnographer; founder of Puke Ariki, co-founder of the Polynesian Society
 * Beatrice Tinsley (1941–1981), astronomer and cosmologist
 * Neil Waters (1931–2018), inorganic chemist, academic administrator, served as vice-chancellor of Massey University (1983–1995)

Cartoon

 * Maurice Bramley (1898–1975), cartoonist and commercial artist
 * Keith Waite (1927–2014), editorial cartoonist, referred to as one of the 'greatest-ever social and political cartoonists' in Britain

Film

 * Melanie Lynskey (1977–present), actress
 * Anthony McCarten (1961–present), author, playwright and screenwriter
 * John O'Shea (1920–2001), director, producer, writer and actor, produced the only three feature films that were made in New Zealand between 1940 and 1970
 * Jared Turner (1978–present), actor

Music

 * Hayden Chisholm (1975–present), saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist
 * Graeme Jefferies, musician
 * Peter Jefferies, musician
 * Midge Marsden (1945–present), blues and R&B guitarist, harmonica-player, and singer
 * Wayne Mason (1949–present), musician
 * Desna Sisarich (1946–present), pop singer, one of New Zealand's first woman singer/songwriters
 * Matt Thomas (1973–present), musician
 * Stan Walker (1990–present), Australian Idol winner

Photography

 * Trent Keegan (1974–2008), photojournalist

Performing arts

 * Stuart Hoar (1957–present), playwright, teacher, novelist, radio dramatist and librettist
 * Brian McNeill (born 1939), playwright, actor, and director

Visual arts

 * Fanny Arden (c. 1859–1955), painter
 * Barry Brickell (1935–2016), potter, writer, conservationist and founder of Driving Creek Railway
 * Dale Copeland (1943–present), collage and assemblage artist
 * Joan Dukes (1903–1993), artist and illustrator
 * Christine Hellyar (1947–present), artist who makes sculptures and installations
 * Michael Smither (1939–present), painter and composer, set the record for the most expensive painting sold that was painted by a living New Zealand artist
 * Francis Upritchard (1976–present), contemporary artist based in London, she represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale

Writing

 * Helen Brown (1945–present), author and columnist
 * John Guthrie (1905–1955), journalist and novelist
 * Michele Leggott (1956–present), poet, academic
 * Ian Middleton (1927–2007), novelist

Broadcasting

 * Daisy Basham (1879–1963), radio personality
 * Mark Crysell (1961–present), former TVNZ Europe correspondent and current Sunday reporter
 * Patrick Gower (1976/1977–present), journalist and National Correspondent for Newshub
 * Jim Hickey (1949–present), weather presenter
 * Derryn Hinch (1944–present), Australian media personality, politician, actor, journalist and author, best known for his work on Melbourne radio and television. He served as a Senator for Victoria from 2016 to 2019.
 * Marama Martin (1930–2017), television and radio broadcaster. She was the first person seen on colour television in New Zealand, and was the last person to appear on NZBC TV
 * Denzil Meuli (1926–2019), writer, former newspaper editor, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Auckland and a leading traditionalist Catholic in New Zealand
 * John McBeth (1944–present), author and journalist
 * Toni Street (1983–present), television presenter and sports commentator

Business

 * Tim Besley (1927–present), engineer, businessman and former senior public servant
 * Trish Gregory, fashion designer and businesswoman
 * Newton King (1855–1927), auctioneer, merchant and businessman. One of the founders of the Crown Dairy Company. By 1897, it was New Zealand's second-largest dairy product company.

Charity

 * Sir Frederic Truby King (1858–1938), founder of the Plunket Society

Defence

 * Evelyn Brooke (1879–1962), civilian and military nurse, served during the First World War and was the only New Zealand nurse to receive the Royal Red Cross and Bar
 * Tony Parr (1955–present), former Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy Rear Admiral
 * Bert Wipiti (1922–1943), fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War, first Māori airman to leave New Zealand for active duty

Horticulture

 * William Douglas Cook (1884–1967), founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, now the national arboretum of New Zealand; one of the founders of Pukeiti, a rhododendron garden

Law

 * Peter Quilliam (1920–2004), Chief Justice of the Cook Islands, judge of the High Court of New Zealand
 * John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner

Activism

 * Ruth Atkinson (1861–1927), president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (1910–1927), activist involved in the Temperance movement and women's rights movement
 * Dame Stella Casey (1924–2000), campaigner for social issues
 * Te Huirangi Waikerepuru (1929–2020), Māori language activist and trade unionist, was active in the foundation and governance of Māori language radio and television

Local government

 * Harry Barker (1898–1994), Mayor of Gisborne for 27 years (1950–1977)
 * John 'Horse' McLeod, New Plymouth District councillor (2007–2014) and television personality, host of Celebrity Treasure Island 2, panel member for How's Life, Treasure Islands: Extreme winner, appeared on Kiwi Living.

New Zealand Parliament

 * Arthur Atkinson (1863–1935), MP for City of Wellington (1899–1902), Wellington City Councillor (1909–1921)
 * Bruce Beetham (1936–1997), leader of the Social Credit Political League, Mayor of Hamilton (1976 -1977), MP for Rangitīkei (1978–1981)
 * Cam Calder (1952–present), MP (2009–2014), president of the French New Zealand Business Council
 * Ken Comber (1939–1998), MP for Wellington Central (1972–1981)
 * Frederic Carrington (1807–1901), politician and surveyor. He is regarded as the Father of New Plymouth
 * Liz Craig (1967–present), current MP (2017–present)
 * Harry Duynhoven (1955–present), former Mayor of New Plymouth (2010–2013), MP for New Plymouth (1987–1990), current New Plymouth councillor (2015–present)
 * Ida Gaskin (1919–2016), Labour Party candidate for New Plymouth, Mastermind winner
 * Roy Jack (1914–1977), Speaker of the House of Representatives (1967–1972); Minister of Justice (1972); MP for Patea (1954–1963), Waimarino (1963–1972), Rangitīkei (1972–1977)
 * Steven Joyce (1963–present), founder of MediaWorks New Zealand, Member of Parliament (2008–2018), Cabinet Minister (2008–2017)
 * Andrew Little (1965–present), former leader of the Labour Party (2014–2017), current Member of Parliament (2011–present), current Cabinet Minister (2017–present)
 * Gervan McMillan (1904–1951), MP for Dunedin West (1935–1943), Dunedin City Councillor (1935 – 1941, 1944 – 1947, 1950 – 1951)
 * Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (1966/1967–present), MP (2020–present), co-leader of the Te Pāti Māori
 * Maryan Street (1955–present), 29th president of the Labour Party (1993–1995), Minister of ACC (2007–2008), Minister of Housing (2007–2008), MP (2005–2014), first openly gay female Member of Parliament
 * Merv Wellington (1940–2003), MP for Manurewa (1975–1978) and Papakura (1978–1990)

Party politics

 * Claude Weston (1879–1946), effectively the first president of the National Party (1936–1940)

Religion

 * Emma Jane Richmond (1845–1921), community and religious worker, pioneer of anthroposophy in New Zealand

Athletics

 * Michael Aish (1976–present), athlete

Cricket

 * Gary Robertson, NZ Fast Bowler
 * Stephen Robertson, NZ Cricketer
 * Mike Sandle, Black Caps manager
 * Will Young (1992–present), Black Caps batsman

Rugby

 * Lachlan Boshier (1994–present), rugby union player
 * Beauden Barrett (1991–present), rugby union player
 * Jordie Barrett (1997–present), rugby union player
 * Kane Barrett (1990–present), rugby union player
 * Scott Barrett (1993–present), rugby union player
 * Michaela Blyde (1995–present), rugby sevens player
 * Shane Cleaver (1987–present), rugby union player
 * Kendra Cocksedge (1988–present), rugby union player and cricketer
 * Liam Coltman (1990–present), rugby union player
 * Grant Fox (1962–present), rugby union player
 * Scott Fuglistaller (1987–present), rugby union player
 * Du'Plessis Kirifi (1997–present), rugby union player
 * Deacon Manu (1979–present), rugby union player
 * John Mitchell (1964–present), rugby union coach and former player
 * Leon Power (1986–present), rugby union player
 * Ricky Riccitelli (1995–present), rugby union player
 * Conrad Smith (1981–present), rugby union coach and former player
 * Willie Talau (1976–present), rugby league footballer
 * Paul Tito (1978–present), rugby union player
 * Roger Urbahn (1934–1984), rugby union player
 * Teihorangi Walden (1993–present), rugby union player
 * Paul Williams (1985–present), rugby union referee

Soccer

 * Frank van Hattum (1958–present), international football player
 * Frank Albrechtsen (1932 - 2021), international football player

Surfing

 * Paige Hareb (1990–present), professional surfer

Other

 * Charles Armitage Brown (1787–1842), close friend of the poet John Keats, as well as being a friend of artist Joseph Severn, Leigh Hunt, Thomas Jefferson Hogg, Walter Savage Landor and Edward John Trelawny. He was the father of Charles Brown, a pioneer and politician of New Plymouth.

Sister cities

 * Kunming, Yunnan, China
 * Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan

title: New Plymouth


text:
Stratford, New Zealand

Stratford (Whakaahurangi) is the only town in Stratford District, and the seat of the Taranaki region, in New Zealand's North Island. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, approximately halfway between New Plymouth and Hāwera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki Region. The town has a population of, making it the 62nd largest urban area in New Zealand (using the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18)), and the fourth largest in Taranaki (behind New Plymouth, Hāwera and Waitara).

The Stratford District has a population of, and a land area of 2,163.35 km2, which is divided between the Manawatū-Whanganui region (including the settlements of Whangamōmona, Marco and Tahora, 31.87% of its land area) and the Taranaki region (68.13% of its land area).

Climate
Stratford has a temperate Oceanic climate (Köppen Climate Classification: Cfb)

Road and rail
Stratford is at the junction of State Highway 3 and State Highway 43.

On State Highway 3 New Plymouth is 39 km north, Inglewood 21 km north, Eltham 11 km south and Hāwera 30 km south.

On State Highway 43 Taumarunui is 146 km to the east. This road is known as "The Forgotten World Highway", due to the scarcity of settlement along the road in contrast to its earlier history. A sign reads "No Petrol for 150 km".

Stratford railway station is the junction of the Marton–New Plymouth and Stratford–Okahukura lines.

Population
Stratford is a rural service centre, serving the agricultural economy of its wider hinterland.

The population of the district peaked in 1961 at 11,300, and until the end of the century the town fluctuated between 5229 (2001) and 5664 (1996). The 21st century has seen significant economic growth and some associated population growth in the town.

Stratford covers 8.90 km2 and had an estimated population of as of  with a population density of  people per km2.

Before the 2023 census, the town had a smaller boundary, covering 8.54 km2. Using that boundary, Stratford had a population of 5,784 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 315 people (5.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 447 people (8.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,322 households, comprising 2,811 males and 2,979 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female, with 1,206 people (20.9%) aged under 15 years, 981 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 2,361 (40.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,230 (21.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.1% European/Pākehā, 17.1% Māori, 1.6% Pacific peoples, 3.5% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.9% had no religion, 38.6% were Christian, 0.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 387 (8.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,395 (30.5%) people had no formal qualifications. 459 people (10.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,980 (43.3%) people were employed full-time, 582 (12.7%) were part-time, and 201 (4.4%) were unemployed.

Whakaahurangi
The Māori name for Stratford is Whakaahurangi, meaning to look to the sky. The name is taken from a story of the Ngati Ruanui chieftainess/Puhi Ariki named Rua-pū-tahanga who fled her husband Whatihua from Waikato, travelling the track known as Te ara tapu o Ruaputahanga which stretches from Urenui down through Tariki, and ends near Patea. Here she stopped at the side of the Kahouri river near a fresh water spring. It is said she sat distraught and cried into the spring, naming it Te Puna Roimata o Ruaputahanga (The spring of Rua-pū-tahanga's tears), then camped overnight 3 km east of the current town. Being a clear night, Rua-pū-tahanga lay contemplating the stars when slumber overtook her. Withdrawing in respect, her followers observed that their chieftainess slept "with her face to the sky". The site continued to be used as a camping place for Māori, the track she followed linking the south Taranaki tribes to those in north Taranaki, and further north to Kawhia. Each travelling party would recollect the story of Rua-pū-tahanga sleeping with her face to the sky. The name is fitting, given the exposure of the area to a broad horizon on the face of the mountain's ring plain.

Whakaahurangi Marae, a marae (meeting ground) of the Ngāti Ruanui tribe and its Ahitahi sub-tribe, is located in Stratford. It includes a wharenui (meeting house), known as Te Whetū o Marama.

Surveying
There is no record of Māori settlement in the vicinity of Stratford. Before British settlement the area was covered in dense forest and swamp. The Vogel schemes of the 1870s provided the necessary impetus to lead to the construction of a railway line south of New Plymouth, and the creation of road access at the same time, to open up access to the rich soils under the mountain.

In 1876, Taranaki Waste Lands Board assistant surveyor Edwin Stanley Brookes, Jnr. cut a meridian line from Waitara to the site of Stratford, and oversaw the subdivision of a block between the Manganui River and the Pātea River. The surveying of a new site for a town on the banks of the Pātea River was authorised on 11 June 1877, and the northern half of the town (above the Pātea River) was laid out by William Skinner in July. More lots were laid out by Peter Cheal in 1879, and in 1880 Skinner was directed to survey the southern half of the town.

Naming
On 3 December 1877, the name Stratford-upon-Patea was adopted, on the motion of William Crompton of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board. The supposed similarity of the Pātea River to the River Avon in England led to the adoption of this name, and Crompton was known to have a literary turn of mind. There was a trend at the time to name towns after the birthplace of prominent British men. The William Shakespeare 'connection' led to the naming of 67 streets after Shakespearian characters from 27 of his plays.

Today New Zealand's only glockenspiel clock tower plays the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet three times a day. The spoken words are provided via external loudspeakers - there is no carillon (multiple bells) as would be more typical for glockenspiels in towers.

Settlement and growth
Stratford was formally classified as a town in June 1878, and on 31 August 1878 an auction of 455 sections saw the first sections sold. By 1881 the population was 97, comprising 56 males and 41 females, with 22 houses. By 1891 this had grown to a population of 342 and by 1896 1,256. This growth continued steadily until the mid-late 20th century, and has since fluctuated between 5229 (2001) and 5664 (1996), numbering 5,337 at the last census.

Institutional history
The first Stratford Town Board was formed in 1882. The Stratford County Council was formed in 1890, and the Stratford Borough Council was formed on 22 July 1898. In the same year, Stratford became the third town in New Zealand to have electric street lighting, on the initiative of inventor and entrepreneur Alexander Walker Reid. The county and borough councils amalgamated on 1 April 1989 to form the Stratford District Council, which was reconstituted on 1 November 1989 as part of the nationwide restructure in local government.

Historic building
The Kings Theatre was given Category I status by Heritage New Zealand in 2024.

Schools
There are two secondary schools in Stratford:
 * Stratford High School is a coeducational secondary (years 9-13) school with a roll of . The school was founded in 1897 and celebrated its centenary in 1997.
 * Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls is a state integrated Anglican girls' secondary (years 9-13) school with a roll of . The school was founded in 1914 and moved to its present site in 1917. Most of the students are boarders. The school's name changed from St Mary's Diocesan School in 2018.

There are three primary schools within Stratford township:
 * Stratford Primary School has a roll of . The school was founded in 1882 and celebrated 125 years in 2007.
 * Avon School has a roll of.
 * St Joseph's School is a state integrated Catholic school with a roll of.

All these primary schools are coeducational and accept students for years 1–8. Rolls are as of

Parks and reserves
Stratford has a number of public parks and reserves, with names reflecting its English and Māori heritage;
 * King Edward Park
 * Victoria Park
 * Windsor Park
 * Kopuatama Cemetery

Sportspeople

 * Mark "Bull" Allen (31 July 1967), All Black, TV host
 * Christine Arthur (26 August 1963), New Zealand field hockey player
 * Arthur Collins (1906–1988), All Black
 * John Graham (1 January 1935), All Black, NZRU president, NZ cricket team manager, Auckland University Chancellor, Auckland Grammar School headmaster, businessman
 * Stan Lay (1906–2003) Olympic Javelin thrower (born in New Plymouth)
 * Dave Loveridge (born 22 April 1952), former All Black
 * John McCullough (8 January 1936), All Black
 * Lane Penn, representative rugby footballer, coach, All Black selector and NZRU President
 * Mark Robinson (born 17 January 1974), former All Black and current NZ Rugby CEO
 * Ned Shewry (1889–1962), world champion woodchopper
 * Alan Smith (10 December 1942), All Black
 * Jeremiah Trueman (born 19 May 1987), New Zealand national basketball representative

Literature, art and culture

 * Sylvia Ashton-Warner (1908–1984), novelist, autobiographer and educational pioneer
 * Michael Hight (1961), artist - painter
 * Michele Leggott (1956), poet and literary scholar
 * Dominic Sheehan, author of Finding Home, a novel that illustrates growing up in Stratford
 * Cheryll Sotheran (1945-2017), founder of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
 * Greg Whyte (1958), Author

Medicine

 * John Daniel Bergin (17 January 1921 – 22 July 1995), Distinguished physician and neurologist, Catholic pro-life apologist
 * Mel Brieseman, missionary to India, Canterbury Medical Officer of Health
 * Doris Gordon (10 July 1890 – 9 July 1956), doctor and obstetrician
 * Graham Gordon (10 December 1927 – 29 February 2004), Surgeon, St John's officer, NZMA Council Chairman (1977–1988) and NZMA President (1990–1991)

Law, government and politics

 * Peter Gordon (1921 – 1991), National Party politician
 * David Thomson (1915–1999), Minister of Defence and Minister of Justice in the Third National Government of New Zealand
 * Venn Young (1929–1993), Cabinet minister in the Muldoon National Government and homosexual rights activist

Academics

 * Alice Copping (14 May 1906 – 21 August 1982), Senior lecturer in nutrition, Queen Elizabeth College, University of London
 * Dr Alan Kirton (1933 - 2001), agricultural scientist
 * Jack Tizard (1919-1979) Professor of Child Development, University of London. CBE

Other

 * Brian Davis, (1934–1998), Archbishop of New Zealand
 * Emily Stevens (3 September 1900 – 8 August 1967), wholesale florist, nurserywoman, iris hybridiser
 * Paula Parore, The Voice Australia 2012 & 2015 NZ National Anthem Singer All Blacks in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth

title: Stratford, New Zealand


text:
Street Angel (1928 film)

Street Angel is a 1928 American synchronized sound drama film. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the sound-on-film movietone process. The film was directed by Frank Borzage, adapted by Harry H. Caldwell (titles), Katherine Hilliker (titles), Philip Klein, Marion Orth and Henry Roberts Symonds from the play Lady Cristilinda by Monckton Hoffe. As one of the early, transitional sound film releases, it did not include recorded dialogue, but used intertitles along with recorded sound effects and musical selections.

Street Angel was one of three movies for which Janet Gaynor received the first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1929; the others were F. W. Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Borzage's 7th Heaven.

The movie received two further Academy Award nominations in 1930, for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography, making it one of two English-language films to receive Oscar nominations in separate years. The other was The Quiet One, nominated in 1949 for Documentary Feature and 1950 for Story and Screenplay.

Street Angel entered the public domain in the United States in 2024.

Plot
A spirited young woman (Gaynor) tries to prostitute herself and, failing in that, to steal money, to pay for her seriously ill mother's medicine. She is caught in the act and convicted but escapes from her guards, only to find her mother dead. Fleeing the pursuing police, she joins a traveling carnival, where she meets a vagabond painter (Farrell). Though they fall in love, her past will not leave her alone.

Cast

 * Janet Gaynor as Angela
 * Charles Farrell as Gino
 * Natalie Kingston as Lisetta
 * Henry Armetta as Mascetto
 * Guido Trento as Neri, Sergeant of Police
 * Alberto Rabagliati as A Policeman
 * Demetrius Alexis as Museum Waiter (uncredited)
 * Jennie Bruno as Landlady (uncredited)
 * Gino Conti as Policeman (uncredited)
 * Milton Dickinson as Bimbo (uncredited)
 * Helena Herman as Andrea (uncredited)
 * Dave Kashner as The Strong Man (uncredited)
 * Louis Liggett as Beppo (uncredited)
 * Hector Sarno as Spaghetti Cook (uncredited)

Music
The film featured a theme song entitled "Angela Mia (My Angel)" which was composed by Erno Rapee and Lew Pollack.

Home video release
The film was thought lost for years, but it is now part of a 12 film collection by Fox that was released in 2008.

title: Street Angel (1928 film)


text:
Cyclotomic polynomial

In mathematics, the nth cyclotomic polynomial, for any positive integer n, is the unique irreducible polynomial with integer coefficients that is a divisor of $$x^n-1$$ and is not a divisor of $$x^k-1$$ for any k < n. Its roots are all nth primitive roots of unity $$ e^{2i\pi\frac{k}{n}} $$, where k runs over the positive integers not greater than n and coprime to n (and i is the imaginary unit). In other words, the nth cyclotomic polynomial is equal to

\Phi_n(x) = \prod_\stackrel{1\le k\le n}{\gcd(k,n)=1} \left(x-e^{2i\pi\frac{k}{n}}\right). $$

It may also be defined as the monic polynomial with integer coefficients that is the minimal polynomial over the field of the rational numbers of any primitive nth-root of unity ($$ e^{2i\pi/n} $$ is an example of such a root).

An important relation linking cyclotomic polynomials and primitive roots of unity is
 * $$\prod_{d\mid n}\Phi_d(x) = x^n - 1,$$

showing that $x$ is a root of $$x^n - 1$$ if and only if it is a dth primitive root of unity for some d that divides n.

Examples
If n is a prime number, then
 * $$\Phi_n(x) = 1+x+x^2+\cdots+x^{n-1}=\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} x^k.$$

If n = 2p where p is a prime number other than 2, then
 * $$\Phi_{2p}(x) = 1-x+x^2-\cdots+x^{p-1}=\sum_{k=0}^{p-1} (-x)^k.$$

For n up to 30, the cyclotomic polynomials are:

 * $$\begin{align}

\Phi_1(x) &= x - 1 \\ \Phi_2(x) &= x + 1 \\ \Phi_3(x) &= x^2 + x + 1 \\ \Phi_4(x) &= x^2 + 1 \\ \Phi_5(x) &= x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x +1 \\ \Phi_6(x) &= x^2 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_7(x) &= x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 \\ \Phi_8(x) &= x^4 + 1 \\ \Phi_9(x) &= x^6 + x^3 + 1 \\ \Phi_{10}(x) &= x^4 - x^3 + x^2 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_{11}(x) &= x^{10} + x^9 + x^8 + x^7 + x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 \\ \Phi_{12}(x) &= x^4 - x^2 + 1 \\ \Phi_{13}(x) &= x^{12} + x^{11} + x^{10} + x^9 + x^8 + x^7 + x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 \\ \Phi_{14}(x) &= x^6 - x^5 + x^4 - x^3 + x^2 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_{15}(x) &= x^8 - x^7 + x^5 - x^4 + x^3 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_{16}(x) &= x^8 + 1 \\ \Phi_{17}(x) &= x^{16} + x^{15} + x^{14} + x^{13} + x^{12} + x^{11} + x^{10} + x^9 + x^8 + x^7 + x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1\\ \Phi_{18}(x) &= x^6 - x^3 + 1 \\ \Phi_{19}(x) &= x^{18} + x^{17} + x^{16} + x^{15} + x^{14} + x^{13} + x^{12} + x^{11} + x^{10} + x^9 + x^8 + x^7 + x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1\\ \Phi_{20}(x) &= x^8 - x^6 + x^4 - x^2 + 1 \\ \Phi_{21}(x) &= x^{12} - x^{11} + x^9 - x^8 + x^6 - x^4 + x^3 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_{22}(x) &= x^{10} - x^9 + x^8 - x^7 + x^6 - x^5 + x^4 - x^3 + x^2 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_{23}(x) &= x^{22} + x^{21} + x^{20} + x^{19} + x^{18} + x^{17} + x^{16} + x^{15} + x^{14} + x^{13} + x^{12} \\ & \qquad\quad + x^{11} + x^{10} + x^9 + x^8 + x^7 + x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 \\ \Phi_{24}(x) &= x^8 - x^4 + 1 \\ \Phi_{25}(x) &= x^{20} + x^{15} + x^{10} + x^5 + 1 \\ \Phi_{26}(x) &= x^{12} - x^{11} + x^{10} - x^9 + x^8 - x^7 + x^6 - x^5 + x^4 - x^3 + x^2 - x + 1 \\ \Phi_{27}(x) &= x^{18} + x^9 + 1 \\ \Phi_{28}(x) &= x^{12} - x^{10} + x^8 - x^6 + x^4 - x^2 + 1 \\ \Phi_{29}(x) &= x^{28} + x^{27} + x^{26} + x^{25} + x^{24} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{21} + x^{20} + x^{19} + x^{18} + x^{17} + x^{16} + x^{15} \\ & \qquad\quad + x^{14} + x^{13} + x^{12} + x^{11} + x^{10} + x^9 + x^8 + x^7 + x^6 + x^5 + x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 \\ \Phi_{30}(x) &= x^8 + x^7 - x^5 - x^4 - x^3 + x + 1. \end{align}$$

The case of the 105th cyclotomic polynomial is interesting because 105 is the least positive integer that is the product of three distinct odd prime numbers (3*5*7) and this polynomial is the first one that has a coefficient other than 1, 0, or −1:

 * $$\begin{align}

\Phi_{105}(x) ={}&x^{48} + x^{47} + x^{46} - x^{43} - x^{42} - 2 x^{41} - x^{40} - x^{39} + x^{36} + x^{35} + x^{34} \\ &{}+ x^{33} + x^{32} + x^{31} - x^{28} - x^{26} - x^{24} - x^{22} - x^{20} + x^{17} + x^{16} + x^{15} \\ &{}+ x^{14} + x^{13} + x^{12} - x^9 - x^8 - 2 x^7 - x^6 - x^5 + x^2 + x + 1. \end{align}$$

Fundamental tools
The cyclotomic polynomials are monic polynomials with integer coefficients that are irreducible over the field of the rational numbers. Except for n equal to 1 or 2, they are palindromes of even degree.

The degree of $$\Phi_n$$, or in other words the number of nth primitive roots of unity, is $$\varphi (n)$$, where $$\varphi$$ is Euler's totient function.

The fact that $$\Phi_n$$ is an irreducible polynomial of degree $$\varphi (n)$$ in the ring $$\Z[x]$$ is a nontrivial result due to Gauss. Depending on the chosen definition, it is either the value of the degree or the irreducibility which is a nontrivial result. The case of prime n is easier to prove than the general case, thanks to Eisenstein's criterion.

A fundamental relation involving cyclotomic polynomials is

 * $$\begin{align} x^n - 1

&=\prod_{1\leqslant k\leqslant n} \left(x- e^{2i\pi\frac{k}{n}} \right) \\ &= \prod_{d \mid n} \prod_{1 \leqslant k \leqslant n \atop \gcd(k, n) = d} \left(x- e^{2i\pi\frac{k}{n}} \right) \\ &=\prod_{d \mid n} \Phi_{\frac{n}{d}}(x) = \prod_{d\mid n} \Phi_d(x).\end{align}$$

which means that each n-th root of unity is a primitive d-th root of unity for a unique d dividing n.

The Möbius inversion formula allows $$\Phi_n(x)$$ to be expressed as an explicit rational fraction:

 * $$\Phi_n(x)=\prod_{d\mid n}(x^d-1)^{\mu \left (\frac{n}{d} \right )}, $$

where $$\mu$$ is the Möbius function.

The cyclotomic polynomial $$\Phi_{n}(x)$$ may be computed by (exactly) dividing $$x^n-1$$ by the cyclotomic polynomials of the proper divisors of n previously computed recursively by the same method:

 * $$\Phi_n(x)=\frac{x^{n}-1}{\prod_{\stackrel{d|n}{{}_{d<n}}}\Phi_{d}(x)}$$

(Recall that $$\Phi_{1}(x)=x-1$$.)

This formula defines an algorithm for computing $$\Phi_n(x)$$ for any n, provided integer factorization and division of polynomials are available. Many computer algebra systems, such as SageMath, Maple, Mathematica, and PARI/GP, have a built-in function to compute the cyclotomic polynomials.

Easy cases for computation
As noted above, if $n$ is a prime number, then

 * $$\Phi_n(x) = 1+x+x^2+\cdots+x^{n-1}=\sum_{k=0}^{n-1}x^k\;.$$

If n is an odd integer greater than one, then

 * $$\Phi_{2n}(x) = \Phi_n(-x)\;.$$

In particular, if $n = 2p$ is twice an odd prime, then (as noted above)

 * $$\Phi_n(x) = 1-x+x^2-\cdots+x^{p-1}=\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}(-x)^k\;.$$

If $n = p^{m}$ is a prime power (where p is prime), then

 * $$\Phi_n(x) = \Phi_p(x^{p^{m-1}}) =\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}x^{kp^{m-1}}\;.$$

More generally, if $n = p^{m}r$ with $r$ relatively prime to $p$, then

 * $$\Phi_n(x) = \Phi_{pr}(x^{p^{m-1}})\;.$$

These formulas may be applied repeatedly to get a simple expression for any cyclotomic polynomial $$\Phi_n(x)$$ in term of a cyclotomic polynomial of square free index: If $q$ is the product of the prime divisors of $n$ (its radical), then

 * $$\Phi_n(x) = \Phi_q(x^{n/q})\;.$$

This allows formulas to be given for the $n$th cyclotomic polynomial when $n$ has at most one odd prime factor: If $p$ is an odd prime number, and $h$ and $k$ are positive integers, then
 * $$\Phi_{2^h}(x) = x^{2^{h-1}}+1\;,$$
 * $$\Phi_{p^k}(x) = \sum_{j=0}^{p-1}x^{jp^{k-1}}\;,$$
 * $$\Phi_{2^hp^k}(x) = \sum_{j=0}^{p-1}(-1)^jx^{j2^{h-1}p^{k-1}}\;.$$

For the other values of $n$, the computation of the $n$th cyclotomic polynomial is similarly reduced to that of $$\Phi_q(x),$$ where $q$ is the product of the distinct odd prime divisors of $n$. To deal with this case, one has that, for $p$ prime and not dividing $n$,

 * $$\Phi_{np}(x)=\Phi_{n}(x^p)/\Phi_n(x)\;.$$

Integers appearing as coefficients
The problem of bounding the magnitude of the coefficients of the cyclotomic polynomials has been the object of a number of research papers. Several survey papers give an overview. If n has at most two distinct odd prime factors, then Migotti showed that the coefficients of $$\Phi_n$$ are all in the set {1, −1, 0}.

The first cyclotomic polynomial for a product of three different odd prime factors is $$\Phi_{105}(x);$$ it has a coefficient −2 (see its expression above). The converse is not true: $$\Phi_{231}(x)=\Phi_{3\times 7\times 11}(x)$$ only has coefficients in {1, −1, 0}.

If n is a product of more different odd prime factors, the coefficients may increase to very high values. E.g., $$\Phi_{15015}(x) =\Phi_{3\times 5\times 7\times 11\times 13}(x)$$ has coefficients running from −22 to 23, $$\Phi_{255255}(x)=\Phi_{3\times 5\times 7\times 11\times 13\times 17}(x)$$, the smallest n with 6 different odd primes, has coefficients of magnitude up to 532.

Let A(n) denote the maximum absolute value of the coefficients of Φn. It is known that for any positive k, the number of n up to x with A(n) > nk is at least c(k)⋅x for a positive c(k) depending on k and x sufficiently large. In the opposite direction, for any function ψ(n) tending to infinity with n we have A(n) bounded above by nψ(n) for almost all n.

A combination of theorems of Bateman resp. Vaughan states that on the one hand, for every $$\varepsilon>0$$, we have
 * $$A(n) < e^{\left(n^{(\log 2+\varepsilon)/(\log\log n)}\right)}$$

for all sufficiently large positive integers $$n$$, and on the other hand, we have
 * $$A(n) > e^{\left(n^{(\log 2)/(\log\log n)}\right)}$$

for infinitely many positive integers $$n$$. This implies in particular that univariate polynomials (concretely $$x^n-1$$ for infinitely many positive integers $$n$$) can have factors (like $$\Phi_n$$) whose coefficients are superpolynomially larger than the original coefficients. This is not too far from the general Landau-Mignotte bound.

Gauss's formula
Let n be odd, square-free, and greater than 3. Then:

 * $$4\Phi_n(z) = A_n^2(z) - (-1)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}nz^2B_n^2(z)$$

where both An(z) and Bn(z) have integer coefficients, An(z) has degree φ(n)/2, and Bn(z) has degree φ(n)/2 − 2. Furthermore, An(z) is palindromic when its degree is even; if its degree is odd it is antipalindromic. Similarly, Bn(z) is palindromic unless n is composite and ≡ 3 (mod 4), in which case it is antipalindromic.

The first few cases are

 * $$\begin{align}

4\Phi_5(z) &=4(z^4+z^3+z^2+z+1)\\ &= (2z^2+z+2)^2 - 5z^2 \\[6pt] 4\Phi_7(z) &=4(z^6+z^5+z^4+z^3+z^2+z+1)\\ &= (2z^3+z^2-z-2)^2+7z^2(z+1)^2 \\ [6pt] 4\Phi_{11}(z) &=4(z^{10}+z^9+z^8+z^7+z^6+z^5+z^4+z^3+z^2+z+1)\\ &= (2z^5+z^4-2z^3+2z^2-z-2)^2+11z^2(z^3+1)^2 \end{align}$$

Lucas's formula
Let n be odd, square-free and greater than 3. Then

 * $$\Phi_n(z) = U_n^2(z) - (-1)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}nzV_n^2(z)$$

where both Un(z) and Vn(z) have integer coefficients, Un(z) has degree φ(n)/2, and Vn(z) has degree φ(n)/2 − 1. This can also be written

 * $$\Phi_n \left ((-1)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}z \right ) = C_n^2(z) - nzD_n^2(z).$$

If n is even, square-free and greater than 2 (this forces n/2 to be odd),

 * $$\Phi_{\frac{n}{2}} \left (-z^2 \right ) = \Phi_{2n}(z)= C_n^2(z) - nzD_n^2(z)$$

where both Cn(z) and Dn(z) have integer coefficients, Cn(z) has degree φ(n), and Dn(z) has degree φ(n) − 1. Cn(z) and Dn(z) are both palindromic.

The first few cases are:

 * $$\begin{align}

\Phi_3(-z) &=\Phi_6(z) =z^2-z+1 \\ &= (z+1)^2 - 3z \\[6pt] \Phi_5(z) &=z^4+z^3+z^2+z+1 \\ &= (z^2+3z+1)^2 - 5z(z+1)^2 \\[6pt] \Phi_{6/2}(-z^2) &=\Phi_{12}(z)=z^4-z^2+1 \\ &= (z^2+3z+1)^2 - 6z(z+1)^2 \end{align}$$

Sister Beiter conjecture
The Sister Beiter conjecture is concerned with the maximal size (in absolute value) $$A(pqr)$$ of coefficients of ternary cyclotomic polynomials $$\Phi_{pqr}(x)$$ where $$3\leq p\leq q\leq r$$ are three prime numbers.

Cyclotomic polynomials over a finite field and over the $p$-adic integers
Over a finite field with a prime number $p$ of elements, for any integer $n$ that is not a multiple of $p$, the cyclotomic polynomial $$\Phi_n$$ factorizes into $$\frac{\varphi (n)}{d}$$ irreducible polynomials of degree $d$, where $$\varphi (n)$$ is Euler's totient function and $d$ is the multiplicative order of $p$ modulo $n$. In particular, $$\Phi_n$$ is irreducible if and only if $p$ is a primitive root modulo $n$, that is, $p$ does not divide $n$, and its multiplicative order modulo $n$ is $$\varphi(n)$$, the degree of $$\Phi_n$$.

These results are also true over the $p$-adic integers, since Hensel's lemma allows lifting a factorization over the field with $p$ elements to a factorization over the $p$-adic integers.

Polynomial values
If $x$ takes any real value, then $$\Phi_n(x)>0$$ for every $n ≥ 3$ (this follows from the fact that the roots of a cyclotomic polynomial are all non-real, for $n ≥ 3$).

For studying the values that a cyclotomic polynomial may take when $x$ is given an integer value, it suffices to consider only the case $n ≥ 3$, as the cases $n = 1$ and $n = 2$ are trivial (one has $$\Phi_1(x)=x-1$$ and $$\Phi_2(x)=x+1$$).

For $n ≥ 2$, one has

 * $$\Phi_n(0) =1,$$
 * $$\Phi_n(1) =1$$ if $n$ is not a prime power,
 * $$\Phi_n(1) =p$$ if $$n=p^k$$ is a prime power with $k ≥ 1$.

The values that a cyclotomic polynomial $$\Phi_n(x)$$ may take for other integer values of $x$ is strongly related with the multiplicative order modulo a prime number.

More precisely, given a prime number $p$ and an integer $b$ coprime with $p$, the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$, is the smallest positive integer $n$ such that $p$ is a divisor of $$b^n-1.$$ For $b > 1$, the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$ is also the shortest period of the representation of $1/p$ in the numeral base $b$ (see Unique prime; this explains the notation choice).

The definition of the multiplicative order implies that, if $n$ is the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$, then $p$ is a divisor of $$\Phi_n(b).$$ The converse is not true, but one has the following.

If $n > 0$ is a positive integer and $b > 1$ is an integer, then (see below for a proof)
 * $$\Phi_n(b)=2^kgh,$$

where
 * $k$ is a non-negative integer, always equal to 0 when $b$ is even. (In fact, if $n$ is neither 1 nor 2, then $k$ is either 0 or 1. Besides, if $n$ is not a power of 2, then $k$ is always equal to 0)
 * $g$ is 1 or the largest odd prime factor of $n$.
 * $h$ is odd, coprime with $n$, and its prime factors are exactly the odd primes $p$ such that $n$ is the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$.

This implies that, if $p$ is an odd prime divisor of $$\Phi_n(b),$$ then either $n$ is a divisor of $p − 1$ or $p$ is a divisor of $n$. In the latter case, $$p^2$$ does not divide $$\Phi_n(b).$$

Zsigmondy's theorem implies that the only cases where $b > 1$ and $h = 1$ are

 * $$\begin{align}

\Phi_1(2) &=1 \\ \Phi_2 \left (2^k-1 \right ) & =2^k && k >0 \\ \Phi_6(2) &=3 \end{align}$$

It follows from above factorization that the odd prime factors of

 * $$\frac{\Phi_n(b)}{\gcd(n,\Phi_n(b))}$$

are exactly the odd primes $p$ such that $n$ is the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$. This fraction may be even only when $b$ is odd. In this case, the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $2$ is always $1$.

There are many pairs $(n, b)$ with $b > 1$ such that $$\Phi_n(b)$$ is prime. In fact, Bunyakovsky conjecture implies that, for every $n$, there are infinitely many $b > 1$ such that $$\Phi_n(b)$$ is prime. See for the list of the smallest $b > 1$ such that $$\Phi_n(b)$$ is prime (the smallest $b > 1$ such that $$\Phi_n(b)$$ is prime is about $$\lambda \cdot \varphi(n)$$, where $$\lambda$$ is Euler–Mascheroni constant, and $$\varphi$$ is Euler's totient function). See also for the list of the smallest primes of the form $$\Phi_n(b)$$ with $n > 2$ and $b > 1$, and, more generally,, for the smallest positive integers of this form.

 * Values of $$\Phi_n(1).$$ If $$n=p^{k+1}$$ is a prime power, then
 * $$\Phi_n(x)=1+x^{p^k}+x^{2p^{k}}+\cdots+x^{(p-1)p^k} \qquad \text{and} \qquad \Phi_n(1)=p.$$
 * If $n$ is not a prime power, let $$P(x)=1+x+\cdots+x^{n-1},$$ we have $$P(1)=n,$$ and $P$ is the product of the $$\Phi_k(x)$$ for $k$ dividing $n$ and different of $1$. If $p$ is a prime divisor of multiplicity $m$ in $n$, then $$\Phi_p(x), \Phi_{p^2}(x), \cdots, \Phi_{p^m}(x)$$ divide $P(x)$, and their values at $1$ are $m$ factors equal to $p$ of $$n=P(1).$$ As $m$ is the multiplicity of $p$ in $n$, $p$ cannot divide the value at $1$ of the other factors of $$P(x).$$ Thus there is no prime that divides $$\Phi_n(1).$$

 * If $n$ is the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$, then $$p \mid \Phi_n(b).$$ By definition, $$p \mid b^n-1.$$ If $$p \nmid \Phi_n(b),$$ then $p$ would divide another factor $$\Phi_k(b)$$ of $$b^n-1,$$ and would thus divide $$b^k-1,$$ showing that, if there would be the case, $n$ would not be the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$.

 * The other prime divisors of $$\Phi_n(b)$$ are divisors of $n$. Let $p$ be a prime divisor of $$\Phi_n(b)$$ such that $n$ is not be the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$. If $k$ is the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$, then $p$ divides both $$\Phi_n(b)$$ and $$\Phi_k(b).$$ The resultant of $$\Phi_n(x)$$ and $$\Phi_k(x)$$ may be written $$P\Phi_k+Q\Phi_n,$$ where $P$ and $Q$ are polynomials. Thus $p$ divides this resultant. As $k$ divides $n$, and the resultant of two polynomials divides the discriminant of any common multiple of these polynomials, $p$ divides also the discriminant $$n^n$$ of $$x^n-1.$$ Thus $p$ divides $n$.

 * $g$ and $h$ are coprime. In other words, if $p$ is a prime common divisor of $n$ and $$\Phi_n(b),$$ then $n$ is not the multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$. By Fermat's little theorem, the multiplicative order of $b$ is a divisor of $p − 1$, and thus smaller than $n$.

 * $g$ is square-free. In other words, if $p$ is a prime common divisor of $n$ and $$\Phi_n(b),$$ then $$p^2$$ does not divide $$\Phi_n(b).$$ Let $n = pm$. It suffices to prove that $$p^2$$ does not divide $S(b)$ for some polynomial $S(x)$, which is a multiple of $$\Phi_n(x).$$ We take
 * $$S(x)=\frac{x^n-1}{x^m-1} = 1 + x^m + x^{2m} + \cdots + x^{(p-1)m}.$$
 * The multiplicative order of $b$ modulo $p$ divides $gcd(n, p − 1)$, which is a divisor of $m = n/p$. Thus $c = b^{m} − 1$ is a multiple of $p$. Now,
 * $$S(b) = \frac{(1+c)^p-1}{c} = p+ \binom{p}{2}c + \cdots + \binom{p}{p}c^{p-1}.$$
 * As $p$ is prime and greater than 2, all the terms but the first one are multiples of $$p^2.$$ This proves that $$p^2 \nmid \Phi_n(b).$$

Applications
Using $$\Phi_n$$, one can give an elementary proof for the infinitude of primes congruent to 1 modulo n, which is a special case of Dirichlet's theorem on arithmetic progressions.

Suppose $$p_1, p_2, \ldots, p_k$$ is a finite list of primes congruent to $$1$$ modulo $$n.$$ Let $$N = np_1p_2\cdots p_k$$ and consider $$\Phi_n(N)$$. Let $$q$$ be a prime factor of $$\Phi_n(N)$$ (to see that $$\Phi_n(N) \neq \pm 1$$ decompose it into linear factors and note that 1 is the closest root of unity to $$N$$). Since $$\Phi_n(x) \equiv \pm 1 \pmod x,$$ we know that $$q$$ is a new prime not in the list. We will show that $$q \equiv 1 \pmod n.$$

Let $$m$$ be the order of $$N$$ modulo $$q.$$ Since $$\Phi_n(N) \mid N^n - 1$$ we have $$N^n -1 \equiv 0 \pmod{q}$$. Thus $$m \mid n$$. We will show that $$m = n$$.

Assume for contradiction that $$m < n$$. Since

 * $$\prod_{d \mid m} \Phi_d(N) = N^m - 1 \equiv 0 \pmod q$$

we have

 * $$\Phi_d(N) \equiv 0 \pmod q,$$

for some $$d < n$$. Then $$N$$ is a double root of

 * $$\prod_{d \mid n} \Phi_d(x) \equiv x^n -1 \pmod q.$$

Thus $$N$$ must be a root of the derivative so

 * $$\left.\frac{d(x^n -1)}{dx}\right|_N \equiv nN^{n-1} \equiv 0 \pmod q.$$

But $$q \nmid N$$ and therefore $$q \nmid n.$$ This is a contradiction so $$m = n$$. The order of $$N \pmod q,$$ which is $$n$$, must divide $$q-1$$. Thus $$q \equiv 1 \pmod n.$$

title: Cyclotomic polynomial