Stratford is the main town of the central Taranaki region. Situated directly inland from Mount Taranaki, Stratford is a rural service centre with a 2001 population of 8715.

The Patea River flows through the town, and its supposed similarity to the River Avon in England led to the town's name. The William Shakespeare 'connection' is played upon by the naming of streets after Shakespearian characters, and the clocktower features a glockenspiel playing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet three times a day.

There are two secondary schools in the area, Stratford High School, a co-educational state school with a roll of 550, and St Mary's Diocesan School, a Anglican girls school with some boarding students. There are three primary schools: Avon School, St Josephs School and Stratford Primary School.

External links

http://www.stratford.govt.nz/ http://www.stratfordhigh.school.nz/