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Dargaville ( mi, Takiwira) is a town located in the North Island of
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 ...
. It is situated on the bank of the Northern Wairoa River in the
Kaipara District The Kaipara District is located in the Northland Region in northern New Zealand. History Kaipara District was formed through the 1989 New Zealand local government reforms and was constituted on 1 November 1989. It was made up of five former bo ...
of the
Northland region The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...
. The town is located 55 kilometres southwest of
Whangārei Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. It is part of the Whangārei District, a local body created in 1989 from the former Whangārei City, Whangārei County and Hikurangi Town coun ...
. Dargaville is 174 kilometres north of
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
. It is noted for the high proportion of residents of Croatian descent. The area around it is one of the chief regions in the country for cultivating kumara ( sweet potato) and so Dargaville is known by many locals as the Kumara Capital of New Zealand.


History and culture

The town was named after timber merchant and politician Joseph Dargaville (1837–1896). Dargaville was founded in 1872, during the 19th-century
kauri gum Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...
and
timber trade There are multiple market layers for wood products. Each country has its own domestic market that may be connected to a regional or global market. Timber supply to domestic markets in many tropical forest countries is largely provided by informal lo ...
, it briefly had New Zealand's largest population. Dargarville was made 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 A ...
in 1908. The area became known for a thriving industry that included gum digging and
kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...
logging, which was based mainly at
Te Kōpuru Te Kōpuru is the largest community on the Pouto Peninsula in Northland, New Zealand. The Wairoa River separates the peninsula at this point from the main North Auckland Peninsula to the east. Dargaville is to the north. History and culture ...
, several kilometres south of Dargaville on the banks of the Northern Wairoa river. The river was used to transport the huge logs downstream to shipbuilders and as a primary means of transport to Auckland. Dalmatian migrants were particularly prominent in the kauri gum extraction. After the gum and forestry industries started to decline after 1920, farming, especially dairy became a significant contributor to the economy. The Wairoa river was the main method of transport around Dargaville until the 1940s. Horses last raced at the Dargaville racecourse in 2016. A proposal in 2022 was submitted to redevelop the racecourse into 450 homes. This private plan change was accepted by the Kaipara Council and released for public consultation in July 2022. The Bank of New Zealand closed its Dargaville branch in 2020.


Demographics

Statistics New Zealand describes Dargaville as a small urban centre. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Dargaville had a population of 4,794 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 543 people (12.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 339 people (7.6%) 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 1,812 households, comprising 2,325 males and 2,469 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female. The median age was 44.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 936 people (19.5%) aged under 15 years, 840 (17.5%) aged 15 to 29, 1,785 (37.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,233 (25.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 70.7% European/Pākehā, 35.7% Māori, 7.4% Pacific peoples, 4.4% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 41.1% had no religion, 43.9% were Christian, 3.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.1% were Buddhist and 1.1% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 282 (7.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,161 (30.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 267 people (6.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,440 (37.3%) people were employed full-time, 549 (14.2%) were part-time, and 171 (4.4%) were unemployed.


Geography

The nearby
Ripiro Beach Ripiro Beach is a sandy stretch on the west coast of Northland, New Zealand, extending from Pouto Peninsula in the south to Maunganui Bluff in the north. At 66 miles (107km) long it is the longest driveable beach in New Zealand, longer than the ...
has the longest unbroken stretches of sand beach in New Zealand, and is largely drivable from one end to the other. This beach is home of the famous local shellfish delicacy called the
toheroa ''Paphies ventricosa'', or toheroa (a Māori word meaning "long tongue"), is a large bivalve mollusc of the family Mesodesmatidae, endemic to New Zealand. Distribution It is found in both the North and South Islands, but the main habitat is ...
. Overexploitation in the 1950s and 1960s caused the population of the shellfish to decline enough that public gathering of the shellfish is now prohibited. Dargaville is also the gateway to the
Waipoua Forest Waipoua Forest is a forest, on the west coast of the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It preserves some of the best examples of kauri forest remaining in New Zealand. It is notable for having two of the largest living kauri t ...
, a protected national park and home of the biggest specimens of Kauri tree in New Zealand,
Tāne Mahuta Tāne Mahuta, also called "God of the Forest", is a giant kauri tree (''Agathis australis'') in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand. Its age is unknown but is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years. It is the largest livin ...
(Māori, meaning "Lord of the Forest") being chief amongst them. Dargaville is situated by the Wairoa River, with boat moorings adjacent to the town centre. The river is tidal when it passes through Dargaville.


Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as
oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
(Cfb) with warm summers and mild winters.


Infrastructure


Hospital

Dargaville hospital is located at 77 Awakino Road. It provides a 12 bed general medical ward, a 4 bed post-natal maternity unit. It also provides emergency, radiology, laboratory, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work and district nursing services . An eight bed detoxification ward is also located on site. Doctors from
Whangārei Whangārei () is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. It is part of the Whangārei District, a local body created in 1989 from the former Whangārei City, Whangārei County and Hikurangi Town coun ...
Hospital also run outpatient clinics at Dargaville hospital.


Road

Dargaville is on the junction of State Highways 12 and 14.


Rail

North of the town, the
Donnellys Crossing Section The Donnellys Crossing Section (later the Donnellys Crossing Branch), also known as the Kaihu Valley Railway or Kaihu Branch, was a railway line in Northland, New Zealand. Initially an isolated line of , it became a branch line when the Darga ...
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 ...
was established to provide access to other logging activities. The first portion of this line was opened in 1889, it reached its greatest extent in 1923, and after operating isolated from the
national rail network In United States railroading, the term national rail network, sometimes termed "U.S. rail network", refers to the entire network of interconnected standard gauge rail lines in North America. It does not include most subway or light rail lines. F ...
for decades, it was connected with the
North Auckland Line The North Auckland Line (designation NAL) is a major section of New Zealand's national rail network, and is made up of the following parts: the portion of track that runs northward from Westfield Junction to Newmarket Station; from there, we ...
by the
Dargaville Branch The Dargaville Branch is a branch line railway that leaves the North Auckland Line not far south of Whangarei and runs westward to Dargaville. Construction of this relatively short line took approximately two decades, and when it was completed ...
in 1940. The Donnelly's Crossing Section closed in 1959, but the Dargaville Branch remains in use by a tourist venture, having had freight services withdrawn by
KiwiRail KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise responsible for rail operations in New Zealand, and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail ...
since October 2014.


Air

The
Dargaville aerodrome Dargaville Aerodrome is a small airport located 1 Nautical Mile (1.9 km) southeast of Dargaville township in Northland, New Zealand. The airfield has an active aero club that provides training in advanced microlights, and has a regular ...
is located on the banks of the Northern Wairoa River just south of the town of Dargaville.


Farming

The area around Dargaville is now predominantly a farming region and supports extensive dairy, beef, and sheep farms, as well as a thriving plantation forest industry. The Silver Fern Farms meat processing plant is located on Tuna Street. It employed 300 staff in 2021.


Amenities

The Kai Iwi lakes are 25 kilometres north of the town, and the
Pouto Peninsula The Pouto Peninsula is a landform on the northern Kaipara Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. The Peninsula runs in the north west to south east direction and is approximately 55 km long. The width varies from about 5.4 km to about 14& ...
is located to the south of Dargaville.


Beach

Baylys Beach is the local beach, just 13 kilometres from the township, and offers over 90 kilometres of rugged west coast surf.


Swimming pool

The Kauri Coast community swimming pool is located at 8 Onslow Street. The 50 metre outdoor swimming pool was built in 2010 at a cost of $6 million and was damaged in 2011 with a large bulge and crack in the middle of it as a result of removing the weight of the water.


Golf course

The Northern Wairoa Golf Club is located at 819 Baylys Coast Road. The golf course provides sea views throughout its 18 holes. The fairways are lined with
pohutakawa ''Metrosideros excelsa'', commonly known as pōhutukawa ( mi, pōhutukawa), New Zealand Christmas tree, New Zealand Christmas bush, and iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display ...
trees and there are no bunkers.


Government

The
Kaipara District Council Kaipara District Council ( mi, Kaunihera o Kaipara) is the territorial authority for the Kaipara District of New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main land ...
provides local government services for Dargaville. They are located at 32 Hokianga road. The
Northland Regional Council The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...
provides regional government services for Dargaville. They also operate out of the same building at 32 Hokianga road which cost $9.2 million and opened in 2022. Dargaville is part of the Northland electorate for the New Zealand parliament.


Culture


Dargaville museum

The Dargaville Museum Te Whare Taonga o Tunatahi is located in Harding Park (32 Mt Wesley Coast Road, Dargaville). The museum focuses on local history including exhibitions of Maori history, early European pioneers, industrial and maritime history. Exhibits include a 16 meter long Māori Waka and a display hall showcasing the history of the Gum diggers The museum also has a research library and archives. The former Aratapu public library building is part of the Dargaville museum exhibition space. This building is listed as a category 2 historic place with
Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
and was built in 1874. The building was relocated to Harding Park and restored by volunteers. It was built in a neo-classical style made from timber. It previously served as a school house, a library and a post office.


Dargaville library

The Dargaville library is located at 71 Normanby street.


Muddy Waters gallery

The Dargaville Arts Association repurposed the Dargaville Municipal Chambers as an art gallery called the Muddy Waters Gallery.


Marae

Te Houhanga Marae and Rāhiri meeting house is a traditional meeting place for
Te Roroa Te Roroa is a Māori iwi from the region between the Kaipara Harbour and the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. They are part of the Ngāti Whātua confederation of tribes. In the early 19th century Te Roroa fought a series of wars wi ...
and the
Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, ...
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 op ...
of Te Kuihi and
Te Roroa Te Roroa is a Māori iwi from the region between the Kaipara Harbour and the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. They are part of the Ngāti Whātua confederation of tribes. In the early 19th century Te Roroa fought a series of wars wi ...
.


Theatre

The Dargaville Little Theatre is an amateur theatre company located at 241 Victoria Street. Many shows have been put on at the theatre.


Cinema

The ANZAC Theatre is located at 37 Hokianga Road. It opened in 2013. Prior to 2013, Dargaville did not have a cinema for more than 30 years. The cinema is based in the library space in the former War Memorial Town Hall.


Notable buildings


Holy Trinity church

The Holy Trinity church is an Anglican church that was built around 1878. It was designed by Edward Mahoney & Sons architectural practice. The church is a listed with
Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...
as a category two historic place.


River road historic area

Nine houses (7 to 27 River road) are listed with Heritage New Zealand as a historic area. Marriner house (61 River road) is also listed as a category two historic place being built in 1845. The Commercial Hotel (73-77 River road) and cottages at 143 River road and 145 River road are also category two historic places.


Education

Dargaville High School is a secondary (years 9–13) school with a roll of students. The school opened in 1921, but was destroyed by fire in 1937 and rebuilt the following year. Dargaville Intermediate is an intermediate (years 7–8) school with a roll of students. Dargaville Primary School and Selwyn Park School are contributing primary (years 1–6) schools with rolls of students and students respectively. Dargaville Primary was established by 1877. In 1879, it had a roll of 16, which grew to 155 in 1899. Selwyn Park celebrated its 50th Jubilee in 2008. St Joseph's School is a full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of students. It is a state integrated Catholic school. All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of
NorthTec NorthTec (Tai Tokerau Wānanga) is a tertiary education provider in northern New Zealand, with its main campus in Raumanga, Whangarei. NorthTec provides programmes ranging from foundation, certificate, diploma and degree levels. The degrees are ...
polytechnic also has a campus in Dargaville.


Notable people

*
Amelia Batistich Amelia Batistich (née Barbarich; 11 March 1915 – 21 August 2004) was a New Zealand fiction writer of Croatian descent. Life Batistich was born in Dargaville to John Barbarich and Milka Matutinovich, settlers from Dalmatia. Her parents ran a ...
, writer, was born here in 1905 *
Joey Carbery Joseph Carbery (born 1 November 1995) is an Irish rugby union player who plays for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup and for the Ireland national team. He plays primarily as a fly-half, but can also p ...
, Irish international
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
player * Robert Hornblow (1861–1937), the town's mayor from 1919 to 1925 *
Dion Nash Dion Joseph Nash (born 20 November 1971) is a New Zealand entrepreneur and former cricketer. He played for the New Zealand cricket team, captaining the team in 1999 with the injury of regular captain Stephen Fleming. Nash was a right-arm fast ...
, New Zealand cricketer, attended Dargaville High School *
Mike Perjanik Mike Perjanik is a New Zealand-born musician, record producer, composer, arranger and bandleader who became well known in Australia from the late 1960s for his work on pop and rock recordings, and as a composer, arranger, bandleader and produ ...
, musician, record producer and composer *
Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...
, New Zealand politician and leader of the New Zealand First party, attended Dargaville High School *
Lana Searle Lana may refer to: *Lana (given name) *Francesco Lana de Terzi (1631–1687), Italian Jesuit priest and scientist *Lana (wrestler), professional wrestler and pro wrestling manager *''Wild Energy. Lana'', a 2006 Ukrainian fantasy novel Sciences *L ...
, New Zealand radio & television host, attended Dargaville High School * Mark Taylor, All Black * Frank Watkins, World War II RNZAF pilot * Mark Williams, singer and recording artist * Brian Froggatt, New Zealand Paralympian athlete and powerlifter * Richard Hammond, musician, bass player.


See also

*
Croatian New Zealanders Croatian New Zealanders refers to New Zealand citizens of Croatian descent. It is estimated that over 100,000 New Zealanders have Croatian ancestry. There are 2,550 people who declared their nationality as Croats in the 2006 New Zealand census. T ...


Notes


External links


Dargaville online portal
{{Kaipara District Kaipara District Populated places in the Northland Region Croatian-New Zealand culture Croatian diaspora