Putāruru is a small town in the

South Waikato District South Waikato District is a local government district in the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between the cities of Hamilton to the north, Rotorua to the east, Taupo to the south and Ruapehu District to the west. ...

and the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

region of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

. It lies on the western side of the

Mamaku Ranges The Mamaku Ranges are a mountain range in the North Island of New Zealand. Located to the west of Lake Rotorua and north of Lake Taupō, they lie to the immediate south of the Kaimai Range and can be thought of as an extension of it, in much the s ...

and in the upper basin of the

Waihou River The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook in November 1769, when he explored of the river from the mouth. An older Māori name was "Wai Kahou Roun ...

. It is on the Oraka Stream 65 kilometres south-east of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...

and the

Kinleith Branch The Kinleith Branch railway line is located in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The line was constructed by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company, Taupo Totara Timber Company and rebuilt by the Public Works Department primarily to ser ...

railway run through the town.

Name

The town gets its name from a historic event which occurred nearby. Korekore a granddaughter of Raukawa, the founder of the

Ngāti Raukawa Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupo and Manawatu/Horowhenua regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa. History Early history Ngāti Raukawa reco ...

iwi, was murdered by her husband Parahore. Her servant Ruru witnessed her murder and escaped into the forest where he hid and waited for Parahore and his men to give up their pursuit of him. The place where he exited the forest was named "Te Puta a Ruru" or "the exit of Ruru". This was eventually shorted to Putāruru.

History and culture

Pre-colonial history

There were several

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

settlements in the Putāruru district in pre-colonial times.

is the main tribe or

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

in the area and Ngāti Mahana is the

hapū In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally opera ...

(subtribe) within Putāruru. During

Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the original ...

's migration to the

Cook Strait Cook Strait ( mi, Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, A H, ...

area in the 1820s, many Ngāti Raukawa people moved from these settlements to Rangitikei and Manawatu localities, and others followed after the Siege of Ōrākau in 1864.

Te Kooti Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (c. 1832–1893) was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatū religion and guerrilla fighter. While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Cha ...

and his followers were pursued through the district early in 1870 by a force under Lt-Col. Thomas McDonnell.

European settlement

The Patetere Block, containing the future town site of Putāruru, was acquired from the

in the 1860s. In the early 1880s large areas in the Putāruru district came into the possession of the Patetere Land Company, and from 1883 much of this land passed into the hands of the Thames Valley Land Company. Roadmaking commenced in the late 1880s, but the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

, begun by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Co., was the most important factor in the progress of settlement in the area. The first

settler A settler is a person who has human migration, migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a ...

in the district bought his section in 1892. In the 1880s Putāruru consisted of little more than a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

and a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop. Exotic

afforestation Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees (forestation) in an area where there was no previous tree cover. Many government and non-governmental organizations directly engage in afforestation programs to create forests a ...

was begun in the district some time after 1910 by a land and

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

company with an outlet to the

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...

railway near Pinedale. Commercial tree planting with ''

Pinus radiata ''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico (Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in the fa ...

'' took place between 1924 and 1928 on the Pinedale Block. Milling began in 1940–41 and by 1951 the area had been cut out and replanted. Larger areas further south were planted in 1924 for future milling and to provide the raw material for

pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...

and paper manufacture. The town of Putāruru was surveyed in 1905 and on 18 December an area of 50,987 acres (206 km²), which had been acquired from the Thames Valley Land Co. by the Crown and included town allotments in Putāruru and Lichfield, was opened by ballot. The history of the local timber industry is preserved in the

New Zealand Timber Museum The New Zealand Timber Museum is located in Putaruru, New Zealand. Its main purpose is to celebrate and preserve the history of the timber industry in the South Waikato District with which it has had a connection dating back to the 1900s. Histo ...

. Much of the land in the Putāruru district suffered from a cobalt deficiency, which made

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

practically impossible, but since 1935 measures have been taken to restore fertility, and

has expanded. Putāruru was created a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

district in 1926, and on 1 July 1947 it was constituted a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

Railways

Putāruru railway station was near the junction of Arapuni and Princes Streets, north of the junction of the

with the now mothballed

Rotorua Branch The Rotorua Branch is a railway line from Putāruru to Rotorua, in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Construction of the line was commenced by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company and finished b ...

. The Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway line reached Oxford (

Tīrau Tīrau is a small town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 50 kilometres southeast of Hamilton. The town has a population of 804 (2018 census). In the Māori language, "Tīrau" means "place of many cabbage trees." Tīrau ...

) on 8 March 1886 and Putāruru and

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

, further south-east, on Monday 21 June 1886.

New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...

(NZR) took over the line on 1 April 1886. In August 1886 the station had a by shelter shed, three cottages, a by goods shed and an incomplete station master's house. Putāruru was still a

flag station In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, s ...

in 1890, when the daily train took about 3 hours to cover the between Putāruru and Frankton (Hamilton). In March 1887 the contract for the Putāruru- Ngātira section of the line to

was let to Daniel Fallon, work had begun by April 1887 and the whole branch opened on 8 December 1894. Putāruru was then served by the

Rotorua Express The ''Rotorua Express'' was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government depart ...

. About that time station was rebuilt and extended to about long. It had a refreshment room and a bookstall and, from 1907, the railway yard had a turntable and handled much livestock, as well as timber. The refreshment room, run by the hotel until 1919, burnt down in 1925 and was replaced by a room to the south of the main building, which closed in 1968. In the 1920s a Railway Board investigated the feasibility of a line of about to Arapuni and

Te Awamutu Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipa District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some south of Hamilt ...

. The station closed to passengers on 12 November 1968 and freight on 10 December 2002, though it was served by the

Geyserland Express The ''Geyserland Express'' was a long distance passenger train operated by the Tranz Scenic division of Tranz Rail (previously the New Zealand Rail Limited division InterCity Rail) between Auckland and Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island. It ...

from 1991 to 2001. The station was demolished during March and April 2013. Only a signals equipment shelter and a

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

now remain on the station site. In the early 1900s the

Taupo Totara Timber Company The Mokai Tramway was a bush tramway constructed by the Taupo Totara Timber Company (TTT Co) to link their milling centre at Mokai with the New Zealand Railways Department, New Zealand Government Railways line (NZR) at Putāruru in the Waikato ...

acquired bush blocks north and north-west of

Lake Taupō Lake Taupō (also spelled Taupo; mi, Taupō-nui-a-Tia or ) is a large crater lake in New Zealand's North Island, located in the caldera of the Taupō Volcano. The lake is the namesake of the town of Taupō, which sits on a bay in the lake's nor ...

and erected a mill at Kopokorahi, near the present Kinleith (Tokoroa). A bush tramway was constructed linking that mill with the Mokai Mill, 51 miles (82 km) south-east of Putāruru. By 1905 logs were transported to Putāruru via this line, and by 1908 passengers and goods. The dismantling of this line began in 1944 but in 1946 the Ministry of Works purchased it and in 1948 it began rebuilding the 18 miles (29 km) between Putāruru and Kinleith as a

New Zealand Government Railways The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...

branch line to serve the new

Kinleith Mill The Kinleith Mill is a pulp and paper plant located at Kinleith, Tokoroa, New Zealand. It is one of eight mills operating in the New Zealand pulp and paper industry. It is currently operated by Oji Fibre Solutions, formerly Carter Holt Harvey K ...

for

and

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

production. This was completed on 6 October 1952.

= Taumangi railway station

= Taumangi (or Taumanga) was a

north of Putāruru and south of

. It was just south of Taumangi Road. In 1923 Taumangi Road was diverted north, when a bridge replaced the former level crossing. Taumangi opened on the same day as Putāruru, 8 March 1886. By August 1886 there was a by shelter shed and two cottages and by 1896 there was also a platform and cart approach. In 1925 it was noted that inwards traffic was of timber, shingle, gravel, coal, 13 loads of manure, a wagon of lime, hardware and small goods. The public siding closed on 8 September 1941, as it was in a poor condition, but the station remained open for passengers until 22 November 1948, and for parcels, and roadside traffic until 30 July 1951. There is now only a single line through the station site.

Marae

The Putāruru area has two marae, affiliated with the hapū of

: * Mangakāretu Marae and Ngā Hau e Maha meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Ahuru * Whakaaratamaiti Marae and Korōria meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Ahuru and Ngāti Mahana In October 2020, the Government committed $1,259,392 from the

Provincial Growth Fund Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician. He served as a New Zealand First list MP from 2017 to 2020 and was previously a Labour list MP from 2005 to 2014. Jones was a cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Gove ...

to upgrade Mangakāretu Marae, Whakaaratamaiti Marae and 6 other Ngāti Raukawa marae, creating 18 jobs.

Bent St. Skate Park

One of Putaru's most prominent features is it historical skate-bowl park. It was built in the 1980s, as one of the first skate parks in the country, and was recently chosen for a major refurbishment project. This community-led project is set to receive $550,000 from the South Waikato District Council in order to facilitate its upgrade. Intended upgrades include additional skating features, court area, and seating area.

Demographics

Putāruru covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Putāraru had a population of 4,314 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 369 people (9.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 384 people (9.8%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 1,626 households, comprising 2,088 males and 2,229 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female. The median age was 44.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 888 people (20.6%) aged under 15 years, 684 (15.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,740 (40.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,005 (23.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 73.8% European/

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

, 34.8%

, 3.3% Pacific peoples, 4.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.0, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.5% had no religion, 36.2% were

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, 3.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% were

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, 0.5% were

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, 0.6% were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and 1.5% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 297 (8.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,041 (30.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $23,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 309 people (9.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,371 (40.0%) people were employed full-time, 450 (13.1%) were part-time, and 201 (5.9%) were unemployed.

Rural surrounds

Putāruru Rural statistical area, which includes Arapuni, Waotu and

, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Putāruru Rural had a population of 2,373 at the

, an increase of 150 people (6.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 135 people (6.0%) since the

. There were 840 households, comprising 1,173 males and 1,200 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 35.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 552 people (23.3%) aged under 15 years, 456 (19.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,092 (46.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 273 (11.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 87.6% European/

, 18.7%

, 2.1% Pacific peoples, 2.7%

, and 3.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.0% had no religion, 35.4% were

, 0.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were

, 0.3% were

and 1.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 243 (13.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 378 (20.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,300, compared with $31,800 nationally. 312 people (17.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 984 (54.0%) people were employed full-time, 333 (18.3%) were part-time, and 45 (2.5%) were unemployed.

Economy

Putāruru's economy is based on

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

production. The nearby Blue Spring is the current source of about 70% of New Zealand's

bottled water Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to large car ...

. Much of the town's water comes from the spring, which is on the

to the north east.

Education

Putāruru Primary School is a state primary school on the main street, established in 1901, with a roll of . Putāruru College is a state secondary school at the northern entrance of the town, by the Oraka River, with a roll of . Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere is a state primary school, with a roll of . St Mary's Catholic School is a state-integrated primary school, with a roll of . All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of

Notable people

Grant Fox Grant James Fox (born 16 June 1962) is a former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was a member of the All Blacks team that won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. He is also the father of professional golfer, Ryan Fox. Playing career ...

(born 1962), former All Black *

Honey Hireme Arneta Honey Hireme-Smiler (born 3 May 1981) is a New Zealand rugby football player who has represented her country in rugby league, rugby sevens and rugby union. Due to her multi-sport career, Hireme-Smiler has been referred to as Honey Bill W ...

(born 1981), former New Zealand rugby player * Glen Mitchell (born 1972), Olympic cyclist * Lorraine Moller (born 1955), Olympic athlete * Gareth Morgan (born 1953), economist, philanthropist * Jennifer Robyn (Jenny) Shattock, former

South Waikato South Waikato District is a local government district in the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between the cities of Hamilton to the north, Rotorua to the east, Taupo to the south and Ruapehu District to the west. ...

mayor * Wayne Smith (born 1957), former All Black and former All Black coach

References

External links

1914
an
2011
photos of railway station

* ttp://www.nztimbermuseum.co.nz/ New Zealand Timber Museum {{DEFAULTSORT:Putaruru Populated places in Waikato South Waikato District