Pahiatua (Māori: Pahīatua)[3] is a rural service town in the south-eastern North Island of New Zealand with a population of 2,860.

For local government purposes, since 1989 it has been in the Tararua District, which encompasses Eketāhuna, Pahiatua, Woodvillle, Dannevirke, Norsewood and the far east of the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

Several subdivisions were established by private landholders including W. W. McCardle, H. Manns, A. W. and Henry Sedcole, and W. Wakeman.

Development of the land quickly produced results, and by August 1883, 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) had been cleared, several hundred heads of cattle were being grazed, and the population stood at 150.

They later changed their minds and postponed any decision, citing the need to wait for the final determination of the route of the railway.

The settlers, also desirous of being close to the railway to improve land values, made strenuous efforts to have the line run through the town, but like their southern counterparts in Greytown, were ultimately unsuccessful.

The legacy of this plan can be seen today in the unusual width of Pahiatua's Main Street, which was designed to accommodate the railway down the centre.

In 1981, Pahiatua celebrated its centennial with a weekend full of historical events, and in 2006 its 125th anniversary with a grand parade of 125 floats, vehicles and horses.

The explanation accompanying this translation is that a chief fleeing from his enemies was led by his war god to this hill to seek refuge.

Pahiatua was the location of one of New Zealand's most powerful earthquakes when on 5 March 1934 a magnitude 7.6 quake struck at Horoeka.

[9] The settlement was expected to be a temporary measure, but with the occupation of Central Europe, including Poland, by the Soviet Union and its subsequent imposition of communist regimes after the end of the war, the refugees stayed on at the camp until 1949 at which point they were naturalised.

[16] The residents of Pahiatua were politically active from early on, advocating for their own Roads Board around June 1883.

Improvements made to the region's road network in the latter half of the 20th century led to a decline in the popularity of rail for public transport.

The service was finally withdrawn in 1988 when the last passenger train between Palmerston North and Masterton stopped at Pahiatua on Friday, 29 July.

The closure date was set at 30 June 1998, by which time the only services offered by the hospital were an x-ray department, maternity, a general ward, and geriatric, palliative, convalescent, and rehabilitation care.

However, part of the complex remained open until the last patients could be relocated to a new facility at Waireka Home that was still under construction.

[32] The old Pahiatua hospital complex has been refurbished and converted into a private conference and accommodation business called Masters Hall.

[33] The area code for Pahiatua is 06 as for telecommunications purposes it is part of the Manawatu-Wairarapa-Hawkes Bay region in the lower North Island.

The channel began in a studio at Tararua College in 2004 and officially opened by Martin Matthews, CEO of Culture and Heritage.

The studio then moved to Pahiatua Christian Fellowship, where they produced their first live program, celebrating their first birthday.

A local fund-raising effort enabled the station to increase its coverage to Palmerston North, Foxton, Bulls, Marton, Feilding and Ashhurst and a ceremony to mark the occasion was held on 1 May 2008.

[37] With the switch off of analogue television services within the Manawatu-Whanganui Region on 29 September 2013 and to ensure business continuity, Tararua Television has secured resource consent and licensing to broadcast on DTV27 via Freeview from its own stand-alone transmission site on Wharite capturing a potential primary audience exceeding 133,000 throughout the Manawatu-Whanganui Region predominantly in the Manawatu, Horowhenua, Rangitikei and Tararua districts.

However, Kiwibank operates a banking agency at the NZ Post Shop at 91 Main Street, Pahiatua.

The town is also served by a public swimming pool, an extensive sports complex, a supermarket, a Kohanga Reo, two kindergartens, an Early Childhood Centre, two primary schools, a secondary school,[50] a volunteer fire brigade,[51] and a public library.