Oratia is a suburb of West Auckland, New Zealand, situated in the former Waitakere City. It is situated at the eastern edge of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area, approximately 16 km southwest of Auckland Central Business District.
Oratia is a fairly quiet community, bridging metropolitan Auckland with the wild forests and beaches of western Auckland. Located in the suburb, the popular Oratia Native Plant Nursery is known for plant conservation and is one of the first native nurseries in New Zealand.
At the 2018 New Zealand census, Oratia had a population of 3,801 with 1,137 households
History
Oratia was first settled in the 1860s, with 40 acres of land given to new settlers. Cochrane’s orchard may have been the first orchard in the region to date back to this period, but it no longer exists. Some of the original orchards have now vanished.
Sunnydale in Parker Road is the oldest remaining residence in West Auckland, constructed about 1860 from Kauri woods milled on the site.
While still relatively sparsely populated compared to most of the Auckland metropolitan area, Oratia has grown into a community with many businesses and homes.