Kokatahi is a locality on the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Hokitika Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of . ...

is about 15 km to the north-west. The Kokatahi River flows through the area and into the

Hokitika River The Hokitika River is in the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is about long, beginning in the Southern Alps, emerging from the narrow Hokitika Gorge after merging with the Whitcombe River, and flowing into the Tasman Sea just ...

to the north-west. Farming in the area started in the late 1860s to produce oats and vegetables to feed the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

miners and their horses. Dairy farming makes up a large percentage of the farms in and around Kokatahi. In 1900-1901 a dairy factory opened at Kokatahi.

Education

Kokatahi-Kowhitirangi School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of as of

Police shootings

On 4 October 1941, Stanley Graham went on a shooting rampage after a neighbour of Graham's, Anker Madsen, complained to Constable Edward Best, stationed in nearby

Kaniere Kaniere is a small town in the Westland District of the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. Hokitika lies to the north-west, and the Hokitika River flows past to the south-west. The locality began about 1865 as one of the main all ...

, that Graham was accusing him of poisoning his

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

. Best decided not to respond in order to give Graham time to calm himself. Best later returned with additional policeman and tried to disarm Graham. In the process Graham then shot and killed four policeman. Graham was later shot dead on 17 October 1941 after a massive police manhunt lead by Commissioner of Police Denis Cummings.

Notes

Westland District Populated places in the West Coast, New Zealand {{WestCoastNZ-geo-stub