Opoutere
Encyclopedia
Opoutere is a locality and beach on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula
of New Zealand
. It lies to the east of State Highway 25, south of Pauanui
and north of Whangamata
. The Wharekawa Harbour lies to the south east.
The name means "place of floating posts".
. They were supplanted by the Ngāti Hako in the mid 17th century, but Ngā Puhi raids during the Musket Wars
of the early 19th century left the area without a permanent population.
In the 1870s and 1880s, gold prospectors staked claims on quartz outcrops around the Wharekewa Harbour, resulting in half a dozen major gold strikes, and several mines being established in the 1890s. Kauri
logging was underway in the 1890s too, and as it petered out, gum-digger
s moved in. At the start of the 20th century, there was a settlement of about 50 people near the mouth of the harbour, with a store, a bakery and a post office. An Anglican church was built but was taken over by Ringatu
worshippers. As the forest disappeared and the gum industry declined in the 1920s, the village also declined. By the late 1930s the shops had closed and the church had been abandoned. Farming and the planting of pines for the Tairua State Forest gradually healed the land.
After World War II
, a few families from Auckland
and Hamilton
built bach
es beside the harbour, and in the 1950s a holiday store and a camping ground opened. Three small subdivisions were established in the late 1960s and 1970s but the local community resisted further development during the 1980s.
of 4 and a roll of 103. A native school was first built in 1908, but the original school building later became a youth hostel.
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It lies to the east of State Highway 25, south of Pauanui
Pauanui
The town of Pauanui meaning Big Paua in Maori is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Tairua River on its south bank, directly opposite the larger town of Tairua. The population was 741 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 42...
and north of Whangamata
Whangamata
The town of Whangamata is sited on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres north of Waihi, to the north of the western extremity of the Bay of Plenty....
. The Wharekawa Harbour lies to the south east.
The name means "place of floating posts".
History
The first known settlers of the area were the Ngāti HeiNgati Hei
Ngāti Hei is a Māori iwi of New Zealand.Ngati Hei is generally recognised as the dominant tribe of the Mercury Bay area. Iwi spokes person Joe Davis is a well known local identity and Rangitira of Ngati Hei. He and his family reside Wharekaho on iwi ancestral land on the shores of Mercury BayThere...
. They were supplanted by the Ngāti Hako in the mid 17th century, but Ngā Puhi raids during the Musket Wars
Musket Wars
The Musket Wars were a series of five hundred or more battles mainly fought between various hapū , sometimes alliances of pan-hapū groups and less often larger iwi of Māori between 1807 and 1842, in New Zealand.Northern tribes such as the rivals Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua were the first to obtain...
of the early 19th century left the area without a permanent population.
In the 1870s and 1880s, gold prospectors staked claims on quartz outcrops around the Wharekewa Harbour, resulting in half a dozen major gold strikes, and several mines being established in the 1890s. Kauri
Agathis australis
Agathis australis, commonly known as the kauri, is a coniferous tree found north of 38°S in the northern districts of New Zealand's North Island. It is the largest but not tallest species of tree in New Zealand, standing up to 50 m tall in the emergent layer above the forest's main canopy. The...
logging was underway in the 1890s too, and as it petered out, gum-digger
Gum-digger
Kauri gum, a fossilized resin detracted from kauri trees, is used for chewing or tattooing, and often is made into jewellery. The gum comes from kauri trees found in Agathis australis forests. The trees once covered much of the New Zealand North Island, before Māori and European settlers caused...
s moved in. At the start of the 20th century, there was a settlement of about 50 people near the mouth of the harbour, with a store, a bakery and a post office. An Anglican church was built but was taken over by Ringatu
Ringatu
The Ringatū church was founded in 1868 by Te Kooti Rikirangi. The symbol for the movement is an upraised hand, or "Ringa Tū" in Māori.Te Kooti was one of a number of Māori detained at the Chatham Islands without trial in relation to the East Coast disturbances of the 1860s...
worshippers. As the forest disappeared and the gum industry declined in the 1920s, the village also declined. By the late 1930s the shops had closed and the church had been abandoned. Farming and the planting of pines for the Tairua State Forest gradually healed the land.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a few families from Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
built bach
Bach (New Zealand)
A bach is a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house. Alternatively called a crib, they are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolized the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the...
es beside the harbour, and in the 1950s a holiday store and a camping ground opened. Three small subdivisions were established in the late 1960s and 1970s but the local community resisted further development during the 1980s.
Education
Opoutere School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile ratingSocio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
of 4 and a roll of 103. A native school was first built in 1908, but the original school building later became a youth hostel.