Feilding

For other places with a similar name, see Fielding.

Feilding
Town
Manchester Square
Manchester Square
Nickname: 
'Friendly' Feilding
Map
Interactive map of Feilding
Coordinates: 40°13′S 175°34′E / 40.217°S 175.567°E / -40.217; 175.567
CountryNew Zealand
RegionManawatū-Whanganui
DistrictManawatū District
Ward
  • Feilding General Ward
  • Ngā Tapuae o Matangi Māori Ward
Established1871
Named afterColonel William Henry Adelbert Feilding
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityManawatū District Council
 • Regional councilHorizons Regional Council
 • Mayor of ManawatuMichael Ford[1]
 • Rangitīkei MPSuze Redmayne[2]
 • Te Tai Hauāuru MPDebbie Ngarewa-Packer[3]
Area
[4]
 • Total
23.59 km2 (9.11 sq mi)
Elevation
[5]
70 m (230 ft)
Population
 (June 2025)[6]
 • Total
17,650
 • Density748.2/km2 (1,938/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode
4702
Telephone06
Websitewww.feilding.co.nz

Feilding is a town in the Manawatū District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 54, 20 kilometres north of Palmerston North. The town is the seat of the Manawatū District Council.

Feilding has won the annual New Zealand's Most Beautiful Town award 16 times.[7] It is an Edwardian-themed town, with the district plan encouraging buildings in the CBD to be built in that style.

Feilding is a service town for the surrounding farming district. The Feilding Saleyards has been a vital part of the wider Manawatū community for over 125 years. As transport systems improved and farming practices changed, the need for small, local saleyards all but disappeared, leaving few major selling complexes in New Zealand. Manawatū is a diverse and fertile farming area with high production, high stock-carrying capacity, and a stable climate. These factors make Feilding Saleyards a popular medium for many farmers. A unique aspect of Feilding Saleyards is their location in the centre of town.[8]

The Manawatū Plains, on which the town is sited, are very fertile land, and as such it is a prosperous agricultural area. Being located on the floodplain of a major river has its problems, however, and in February 2004 the town suffered extensive flooding. In 2009 the Horizons Regional Council commissioned a new flood protection scheme to prevent extensive flooding in the future.[9]

History

European settlement

The town was named after Colonel William H. A. Feilding, a director of the Emigrants and Colonists Aid Corporation Ltd. who negotiated the purchase of a 100,000 acre (400 km²) block of land from the Wellington provincial government in 1871. The first European settlers arrived from Great Britain on 22 January 1874.[10]

The Feilding Edwardian Project Inc. was established in September 1993 by local businesses with the aim of revitalising the central business area of Feilding. Many of the commercial buildings were built in the 1900s (Edwardian era) and have been restored and preserved over time. Feilding is home to a number of historic collections, buildings, monuments, and museums, including Archives Central, The Coach House Museum, St Johns Church, Feilding Club, Feilding Hotel, and Feilding & Districts Steam Rail Society.[11]

House at 11 Beattie Street; NZ Heritage list 2831

Marae

Feilding has two marae, connected to the iwi of Ngāti Kauwhata: Aorangi Marae and its Maniaihu meeting house; and Kauwhata Marae or Kai Iwi Pā and its Kauwhata meeting house.[12][13]

In October 2020, the Government committed $1,248,067 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Kauwhata Marae and 5 others, creating 69 jobs.[14]

Demographics

Feilding is described by Stats NZ as a medium urban area and covers 23.59 km2 (9.11 sq mi).[4]

Feilding had an estimated population of 17,650 as of June 2025,[6] with a population density of 748.2 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
200613,572—    
201314,469+0.92%
201815,990+2.02%
202316,929+1.15%
The 2006 population is for a larger area of 23.65 km2.
Source: [15][16]
Feilding Clocktower
View of Feilding facing south

Feilding had a population of 16,929 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 939 people (5.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,460 people (17.0%) since the 2013 census. There were 8,184 males, 8,679 females, and 66 people of other genders in 6,534 dwellings.[17] 2.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 3,339 people (19.7%) aged under 15 years, 2,820 (16.7%) aged 15 to 29, 6,960 (41.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 3,813 (22.5%) aged 65 or older.[15]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 85.5% European (Pākehā); 20.6% Māori; 3.6% Pasifika; 4.1% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.1%, Māori by 4.7%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 5.3%. No language could be spoken by 2.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 1.1%. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.[15]

Religious affiliations were 31.7% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 1.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.3%, and 7.7% of people did not answer the census question.[15]

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,049 (15.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 7,797 (57.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 3,744 (27.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,400, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,038 people (7.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 6,510 (47.9%) full-time, 1,665 (12.3%) part-time, and 279 (2.1%) unemployed.[15]

Individual statistical areas
Name Area
(km2)		 Population Density
(per km2)		 Dwellings Median age Median
income
Feilding Central 6.66 996 150 423 42.7 years $34,300[18]
Kimbolton North 4.21 3,621 860 1,377 42.4 years $37,000[19]
Kimbolton South 1.35 2,208 1,636 801 38.4 years $36,700[20]
Kimbolton West 1.16 2,583 2,227 1,011 40.8 years $33,200[21]
Makino 1.71 3,078 1,800 1,101 34.8 years $39,400[22]
Mount Taylor 3.19 609 191 204 37.9 years $56,300[23]
Sandon 4.49 2,277 507 909 46.2 years $43,200[24]
Warwick 0.82 1,557 1,899 705 46.5 years $33,500[25]
New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500

Economy

Employing about 30 people with a payroll of $1.5m in 2015, Proliant, an Iowa based firm privately held by the father and son team of Wally and Nix Lauridsen, constructed a $24m factory on the outskirts of Feilding for the production of a byproduct from cattle blood plasma, bovine serum albumin (BSA), which is used in pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical research. Proliant produces about half of the world's BSA.[26][27][28][29]

In the Manawatū District of the people aged 15 years or over:

  • 40% earn $20,000 or less (NZ 38.8%)
  • 14% earn more than $50,000 (NZ 16.2%)
  • the unemployment rate is 3.8% (NZ 7.3%)
  • 73.4% of permanent private dwellings are owned with or without a mortgage by the occupant(s) (NZ 66.9%)[30]
    Cheltenham Co-Operative Dairy Factory, Makino, Feilding

Features

Education

All the schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of October 2025.[32]

Secondary schools

  • Feilding High School, commonly known as "FAHS" from the time when it was "Feilding Agricultural High School", is a state secondary (years 9–13) school with a roll of 1,597.[33] It was established in 1921 as Feilding Technical High School, replacing Feilding District High School (fl. 1903).[34][35] It later became Feilding Agricultural High School.[36] It was renamed FAHS - Feilding High School in 2001.[37]

Primary and intermediate schools

  • Feilding Intermediate School is a state intermediate (years 7–8) school with a roll of 337. It was established in 1964.[38]
  • Lytton Street School is a state contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 563.[39] It was established in 1901.[40] In 1937 Makino Road school closed and its 50 pupils were bussed to Lytton Street.[41] Makino had been established in 1886[42] and its building was moved to Bluff Road, Rangiwahia.[43]
  • Manchester Street School is a state contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 386.[44] It was established in 1874.[45]
  • North Street School is a state full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 382.[46] It opened in 1958.[47]
  • St Joseph's School is a Catholic integrated full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 80.[48] It opened in 1906.[49]
  • Taonui School, located south-east of the Feilding township, is a state full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 144.[50] It opened in 1879.[51]

Transport

Feilding is located on State Highway 54, which connects State Highway 1 at Vinegar Hill with State Highway 3 at Newbury, forming the primary route between Feilding and central Palmerston North. Other significant routes include Awahuri Road, which links Feilding with SH 3 at Awahuri and provides the most direct route to Sanson, Bulls, and Whanganui; Halcombe Road, which connects Feilding to SH 1 near Marton via Halcombe; and Waughs Road and Campbells Road, which together link Feilding to Bunnythorpe. From Bunnythorpe, traffic can continue via Ashhurst Road to SH 3 at Ashhurst, or via Railway Road to Palmerston North Airport and eastern Palmerston North.

A regular public bus service, Route 311, operates from Monday to Saturday between Feilding and Palmerston North, travelling via Bunnythorpe and Palmerston North Airport. Additionally, a local loop service, Route 301, operates within Feilding on the same days.[52][53]

The North Island Main Trunk railway line runs through Feilding; however, the town has not been served by a regular passenger train service since 2012.[54]

Notable people

Notable people from Feilding include:

Groups

See also

References

  1. ^ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Rangitīkei - Official Result". electionresults. Electoral Commission. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Te Tai Hauāuru - Official Result". Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Urban Rural 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  5. ^ New Zealand Topo50 map BM34: [www.linz.govt.nz]
  6. ^ a b "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Feilding wins New Zealand's most beautiful town for the 16th time". Stuff. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Feilding Saleyards 125 Years of Success 1880–2005" (June 2005) Adapted by Foreword authored by Ian McKelvie.
  9. ^ "Flood protection scheme opens". infonews.co.nz. New Zealand. 25 March 2000. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  10. ^ "History". Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Feilding & Districts Steam Rail Society". Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
  13. ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
  14. ^ "Marae Announcements" (Excel). growregions.govt.nz. Provincial Growth Fund. 9 October 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Feilding (1357). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Feilding Central (228400), Kimbolton North (228100), Kimbolton South (228500), Kimbolton West (228300), Makino (227900), Mount Taylor (227700), Sandon (228000) and Warwick (228200).
  17. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Feilding Central. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kimbolton North. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kimbolton South. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kimbolton West. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Makino. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Mount Taylor. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Sandon. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Warwick. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  26. ^ Galuszka, Jono (10 May 2013). "US biofirm to build factory near Feilding". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  27. ^ Proliant Inc. website
  28. ^ Proliant Biologicals website
  29. ^ "Proliant Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) New Zealand Source". Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  30. ^ "Live – Feilding". www.feilding.co.nz. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  31. ^ "Feilding Saleyards Guided Tours". Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  32. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  33. ^ "Feilding High School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  34. ^ "Advertisements". Feilding Star. 28 January 1903.
  35. ^ "Technical Day School". Feilding Star. 29 July 1921.
  36. ^ "Feilding Technical High School Architectural Plans". archivescentral.org.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  37. ^ "Our History". Feilding High School. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  38. ^ "Feilding Intermediate - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  39. ^ "Lytton Street school - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  40. ^ "ABOUT". Lytton Street School. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  41. ^ "MAKINO ROAD SCHOOL. MANAWATU STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 September 1937. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  42. ^ "Makino". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  43. ^ "Primary Education MANAWATU TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 19 July 1944. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  44. ^ "Manchester Street school - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  45. ^ "History | Manchester Street School". www.manchesterstreet.school.nz. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  46. ^ "North Street school - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  47. ^ Astle, Alex M (1983). "North Street School : 25th jubilee, March 1958-1983". North Street School 25th Jubilee Committee.
  48. ^ "St Josephs (Feilding) - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  49. ^ "Nau Mai, Haere Mai – Welcome to St Joseph's School in Feilding, NZ". St Joseph's School. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  50. ^ "Taonui School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
  51. ^ Durie, M H (1979). "Learn by doing : a centennial history of the Taonui School and district, 1879-1979". Taonui Centennial Committee.
  52. ^ "Bus timetable - Aorangi/Feilding" (PDF). Horizons Regional Council. July 2024.
  53. ^ Rankin, Janine (18 July 2024). "Popular Feilding bus services could be enhanced". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  54. ^ "Dash to catch the last train". Stuff. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Joseph%27s_School_(Feilding)