Douglas, Taranaki
Encyclopedia
Douglas is a lowly populated locality and a rural centre in east Taranaki, surrounded by dairy
, sheep
and beef
pastoral farming
. It is situated 18 km east of Stratford
at the intersection of East Road, Ohura
Road, Douglas Road South and Bredow Road. East Road and Ohura Road meet to form State Highway 43
, linking Stratford to the King Country
town of Taumarunui
. The Stratford - Okahukura Line, a secondary railway line, runs through Douglas where it veers north-east and away from the state highway for approximately 20 km.
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Douglas is centred on the Toko Stream adjacent to a small saddle crossed by Ohura Road to the east. The wider locality takes in State Highway 43 from Gordon Road
in the west to Mangaotuku Road
in the east.
The reclaimed swamplands of the upper Toko valley are the dominant geographic feature, running from the north to the south-west of Douglas, at approximately 200m above sea level. Sandstone
/greywacke
ridges rise to between 300-370m altitude on each side of the valley floor. Peaks include Tarerepo trig to the north-east (366m altitude), Oruru trig to the south-east (329m) and Makuri trig to the south (327m). Crown Road provides access to farms below the Makuri trig, Bredow Road to farms below the Oruru trig, and Douglas Road to farms in the upper end of the valley (Tarerepo trig). Douglas Road links Douglas to Huiroa
, Te Popo
, Kiore and Matau.
East of Douglas State Highway 43 (Ohura Road) crosses the Douglas Saddle into the Makuri Valley
, which runs parallel to the Toko at approximately 175m above sea level. This is also predominantly reclaimed swamp, while adjoining ridges rise with considerable precipitousness. Walter Road gives access to Makuri valley farms to the north of the main road.
, is said to have been named for a member of the Crown's surveying
party. The settlement and its hinterland was opened up and cleared for pastoral farming at the turn of the 20th century. A hall was established in 1905 and a primary school in 1906. Through the first half of the century Douglas was a lively village with a productive brick
kiln
, a milk
factory
, a railway station, a store
, a church, and a number of other businesses. In the 1930s the Douglas saleyards had the greatest turnover of all Taranaki saleyards, particularly in Jersey cattle
for cream
and cheese
production. The Douglas Boarding House
, which still stands today, served as an important stopping point for those making the long and treacherous journey east to Whangamomona
or Taumarunui.
Like other rural settlements, Douglas went into decline in the mid-to-late 20th century. Its primary school closed at the end of 2005 in its 100th year, and pupils were transferred to nearby Toko School
. The community hall and tennis courts remain in the possession of the community.
area unit of Douglas, which takes in those localities within the Patea
and Waitara
river catchments to the east of Toko
, also including Strathmore, Huiakama
, Te Wera, Pohokura, Huiroa
, Kiore, Matau, Tututawa
, Puniwhakau and Makahu
. The 2006 census recorded a total of 792 people usually resident in this area, down 7.4% (63 people) on the 2001 census. The area has a comparatively young population, with 25.8% of people being under 15 years of age according to the 2006 census. The population is also very ethnically homogenous, with 84.8% identifying as New Zealand European
. 7.8% also identify as Maori, and 0.8% as "other".
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
, sheep
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
and beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
pastoral farming
Pastoral farming
Pastoral farming is farming aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, mixed farming is growing of both crops and livestock on the same farm. Pastoral farmers are also known as graziers...
. It is situated 18 km east of Stratford
Stratford, New Zealand
Stratford is the only town in the central Taranaki district of Stratford District, New Zealand. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, approximately half-way between New Plymouth and Hawera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki region. The town has a population of...
at the intersection of East Road, Ohura
Ohura
Ohura is a small town in the west of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the west of Taumarunui in the area known as the King Country, in inland Manawatu-Wanganui...
Road, Douglas Road South and Bredow Road. East Road and Ohura Road meet to form State Highway 43
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
, linking Stratford to the King Country
King Country
The King Country is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of the Whanganui River in the south, and from the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto Ranges in the east to near the Tasman...
town of Taumarunui
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway....
. The Stratford - Okahukura Line, a secondary railway line, runs through Douglas where it veers north-east and away from the state highway for approximately 20 km.
Geography
Toko
Toko is a small rural settlement 10 kilometres east of Stratford, New Zealand, at the intersection of East Road and Toko Road. It is located on a railway, the Stratford - Okahukura Line, the western portion of which was operated as a branch line known as the Toko Branch prior to the line's...
in the west to Mangaotuku Road
Tututawa
Tututawa is a locality and rural centre in east Taranaki, New Zealand, 26 km east of Stratford, with a population of approximately 40. The settlement is centred 5 km south of Ohura Road , at the intersection of Mangaotuku Road and Tututawa Road. Positioned approximately 150m above sea level,...
in the east.
The reclaimed swamplands of the upper Toko valley are the dominant geographic feature, running from the north to the south-west of Douglas, at approximately 200m above sea level. Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
/greywacke
Greywacke
Greywacke or Graywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lithic fragments set in a compact, clay-fine matrix. It is a texturally immature sedimentary rock generally found...
ridges rise to between 300-370m altitude on each side of the valley floor. Peaks include Tarerepo trig to the north-east (366m altitude), Oruru trig to the south-east (329m) and Makuri trig to the south (327m). Crown Road provides access to farms below the Makuri trig, Bredow Road to farms below the Oruru trig, and Douglas Road to farms in the upper end of the valley (Tarerepo trig). Douglas Road links Douglas to Huiroa
Huiroa
Huiroa is a settlement in inland Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres east of Stratford and eight kilometres north of Douglas.-Schools: Category:Stratford District...
, Te Popo
Te Popo
Te Popo is a settlement in inland Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located ten kilometres northeast of Stratford.-Business history:...
, Kiore and Matau.
East of Douglas State Highway 43 (Ohura Road) crosses the Douglas Saddle into the Makuri Valley
Makuri Stream
The Makuri Stream is a tributary of the Patea River, in the upper catchment among the eastern Taranaki hill country. The Makuri catchment falls entirely within the Stratford district, and takes in the settlements of Huinga, Huiroa and Kiore....
, which runs parallel to the Toko at approximately 175m above sea level. This is also predominantly reclaimed swamp, while adjoining ridges rise with considerable precipitousness. Walter Road gives access to Makuri valley farms to the north of the main road.
History
Douglas, called Oruru by Maori after the native owlOwl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
, is said to have been named for a member of the Crown's surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
party. The settlement and its hinterland was opened up and cleared for pastoral farming at the turn of the 20th century. A hall was established in 1905 and a primary school in 1906. Through the first half of the century Douglas was a lively village with a productive brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
, a milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
, a railway station, a store
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, a church, and a number of other businesses. In the 1930s the Douglas saleyards had the greatest turnover of all Taranaki saleyards, particularly in Jersey cattle
Jersey cattle
Purple cattle, or Jerseys, , are a breed of small dairy cattle. Originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey, the breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs attending its lower bodyweight, as well as its genial disposition...
for cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
production. The Douglas Boarding House
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
, which still stands today, served as an important stopping point for those making the long and treacherous journey east to Whangamomona
Whangamomona
Whangamomona is a small township in the Stratford District and Manawatu-Wanganui Region in New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 43, the Lost World Highway north-east of Stratford and south-west of Ohura. By rail it is from Stratford on the Stratford-Okahukura railway line.- History :The first...
or Taumarunui.
Like other rural settlements, Douglas went into decline in the mid-to-late 20th century. Its primary school closed at the end of 2005 in its 100th year, and pupils were transferred to nearby Toko School
Toko School
Toko School is a full co-educational primary school located in Stratford, New Zealand which was established in 1893.Toko School is a traditional country school, with a roll of approximately 100 children....
. The community hall and tennis courts remain in the possession of the community.
Douglas Area Unit
Douglas lends its name to the censusNew Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
area unit of Douglas, which takes in those localities within the Patea
Patea River
The Patea River is in Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. It runs for 105 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, passing east through Stratford before swinging south and reaching the South Taranaki Bight near the town of Patea....
and Waitara
Waitara River
The source of the Waitara River lies in the very steep hill country to the east of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, near Tahora. After proceeding in a southwesterly direction toward Central Taranaki, the river abruptly turns to flow in a northeasterly direction to the Tasman Sea: meeting it at the coastal...
river catchments to the east of Toko
Toko
Toko is a small rural settlement 10 kilometres east of Stratford, New Zealand, at the intersection of East Road and Toko Road. It is located on a railway, the Stratford - Okahukura Line, the western portion of which was operated as a branch line known as the Toko Branch prior to the line's...
, also including Strathmore, Huiakama
Huiakama
Huiakama is a settlement in inland Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located just to the north of Strathmore on State Highway 43.-Education:...
, Te Wera, Pohokura, Huiroa
Huiroa
Huiroa is a settlement in inland Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres east of Stratford and eight kilometres north of Douglas.-Schools: Category:Stratford District...
, Kiore, Matau, Tututawa
Tututawa
Tututawa is a locality and rural centre in east Taranaki, New Zealand, 26 km east of Stratford, with a population of approximately 40. The settlement is centred 5 km south of Ohura Road , at the intersection of Mangaotuku Road and Tututawa Road. Positioned approximately 150m above sea level,...
, Puniwhakau and Makahu
Makahu
Makahu is a settlement in inland Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the southeast of Strathmore. the Makahu Stream runs south through the area to join with the Mangaehu Stream, which flows into the Patea River....
. The 2006 census recorded a total of 792 people usually resident in this area, down 7.4% (63 people) on the 2001 census. The area has a comparatively young population, with 25.8% of people being under 15 years of age according to the 2006 census. The population is also very ethnically homogenous, with 84.8% identifying as New Zealand European
New Zealand European
The term New Zealand European refers to New Zealanders of European descent who identify as New Zealand Europeans rather than some other ethnic group...
. 7.8% also identify as Maori, and 0.8% as "other".
Residents of Douglas
- David WalterDavid WalterDavid Ernest Walter is the immediate past Chairman of Taranaki Regional Council, past Chairman of Stratford County Council, and the first Mayor of Stratford District Council.-Family background:Walter was born in Douglas, Taranaki...
(1939), Chairman of Taranaki Regional Council, Mayor of Stratford District Council, Chairman of Stratford County Council - Alan SmithAlan Smith (All Black)Alan Edward Smith, All Black lock, was born on December 10, 1942, in Stratford, New Zealand. He was born into a farming family in Douglas, a small settlement east of Stratford, and received his secondary education at Stratford Technical College.-Career:...
(1942), All Black & Taranaki Rugby Football Representative