Stratford
New Zealand
Stratford: clock tower
Stratford, town (“district”), Taranaki and Manawatu-Wanganui local government regions, west-central North Island, New Zealand. It is located on the Patea River just east of Mount Taranaki (Egmont).
Land was set aside in 1877 for the town, which was constituted five years later. Gazetted a borough in 1898, it was originally known as Stratford-on-Patea in honour of William Shakespeare. Many of the local streets bear names of characters from his plays.
Stratford is situated on the highway and rail line between New Plymouth and Wanganui and is a market for lambs and cattle from upland stations. It is also a tourist centre for the nearby Egmont National Park area, lies on the natural gas pipeline from the Kapuni fields to Auckland, and has various light industries. Pop. (2006) 8,892; (2012 est.) 9,220.
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