Waipukurau
Encyclopedia
Waipukurau , also known as Ypuk, is the largest town in the Central Hawke's Bay District on the east coast of the North Island
of New Zealand
. It is located 50 kilometres southwest of Hastings
on the banks of the Tukituki River
.
The town is close to the site of a Māori pa
, from which it gets its name. The pa was situated on the town's main hill, named Pukekaihau. The name is said to mean water of pukerau, pukerau being a type of fungus
. The town was the site of the first church in inland Hawke's Bay, built in 1847. Much of the town dates from a model village built by local land-owner H.R.Russell in 1867.
At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 4,008 compared with 4,002 in 1996
The town is a farming based community and provides dairy, fruit, vegetable and meat exports.
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
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 is located 50 kilometres southwest of Hastings
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
on the banks of the Tukituki River
Tukituki River
The Tukituki River is found in the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It flows from the Ruahine Ranges to the Pacific Ocean at the southern end of Hawke's Bay....
.
The town is close to the site of a Māori pa
Pa (Maori)
The word pā can refer to any Māori village or settlement, but in traditional use it referred to hillforts fortified with palisades and defensive terraces and also to fortified villages. They first came into being about 1450. They are located mainly in the North Island north of lake Taupo...
, from which it gets its name. The pa was situated on the town's main hill, named Pukekaihau. The name is said to mean water of pukerau, pukerau being a type of fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
. The town was the site of the first church in inland Hawke's Bay, built in 1847. Much of the town dates from a model village built by local land-owner H.R.Russell in 1867.
At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 4,008 compared with 4,002 in 1996
Employment
Most employment is seasonal related and is dependent on either the local meat processing plant owned by Bernard Matthew's New Zealand Limited or surrounding local agricultural and horticultural industries.The town is a farming based community and provides dairy, fruit, vegetable and meat exports.
Notable residents
- Errol BrathwaiteErrol BrathwaiteErrol Brathwaite was a New Zealand author. He was born and grew up in Waipukurau, Hawke's Bay. He experienced the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake first-hand....
- author - Andrew WilliamsAndrew Williams (New Zealand)Andrew Williams is a New Zealand politician. In 2007 he was elected as Mayor of North Shore City, New Zealand's fourth largest city. Williams served on a community board during 2004-07, and was a councillor in the term before that in 2001-04. North Shore City Council was abolished in October...
- Former North Shore mayor - Matt BerquistMatt BerquistMatt Berquist is a rugby union player who plays at fly-half for Leinster Rugby in the Rabo Direct Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.-Provincial Rugby:...
- professional rugby player - Brendan Popplewell - Television Presenter - Trackside