Murupara is a town located in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. The town is situated in an isolated part of the region between the Kaingaroa Forest and Te Urewera protected area, on the banks of the Rangitaiki River, 65 kilometres southeast of Rotorua. Indigenous Māori also make up over 90% of the total population. It is located on SH38 and is the terminus of the Murupara Railway Branch. The town's principal industries are all related to forestry. Murupara is in the rohe (tribal area) of the Ngāti Manawa iwi. The Māori language name means "to wipe off mud". History and culture History Murupara was previously a staging post on the road between Rotorua and Napier. In the early 1900s, the planting of exotic trees began on the surrounding scrubland. This area is now known as the Kaingaroa Forest, with 1,400 square kilometres of planted pines. As the main service centre for the many forestry workers and their families, Murupara grew to a population of over 3,000. Recent changes to the forestry contracting system have brought about a decrease in the number of permanent residents. The settlements of Galatea, Horomanga, Kopuriki, Aniwhenua, Waiohau and Murupara lie between the boundary of the Kaingaroa Forest, the popular Te Urewera and Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Earlier history is also evident around Murupara. In a rock shelter approximately eight kilometres west of the town centre are a number of ancient cave drawings. Murupara was regarded as being a "gang town" but local iwi have placed a (ban) on gang patches from being worn at the local marae and school. Marae Murupara has four marae, which are meeting places for Ngāti Manawa hapū: Moewhare or Karangaranga marae and Moewhare meeting house are affiliated with Moewhare. Painoaiho marae and Ruatapu meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Koro. Rangitahi marae and Apa Hapai Taketake meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Hui. Tīpapa marae and Tangiharuru meeting house are affiliated with Ngāi Tokowaru. In October 2020, the Government committed $1,327,283 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the four marae, creating 12 jobs. Demographics Murupara covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Murupara had a population of 1,815 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 144 people (8.6%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 57 people