Tararua Community Profile

IWI AFFILIATIONS

Māori settlement of the Tararua District dates back several hundred years with the Rangitāne iwi occupying the seventy-mile bush they knew as Te Tapere nui o Whatonga and generally inhabiting the whole of the area which was Tamaki nui a Rua. Rangitāne still live in the area today and hold manawhenua status over the whole of the Tararua District.

Early Māori called the district of Tararua - Te Tapere nui o Whatonga (or the great foodbasket of Whatonga). The early settlers called it "the seventy-mile bush" and they called the section from Woodville south to the National Wildlife Centre at Pukaha/Mount Bruce, "the forty-mile bush". The first written description of Tararua was by Joseph Banks in 1769, when he viewed it from off Cape Turnagain. He wrote "the country appeared pleasant, with low, smooth hills like downs". However, scientists and naturalists later described inland Tararua as a North Island hotspot of biodiversity of both fl ora and fauna in a podocarp rainforest ecosystem found nowhere else in the world. The dense bush had been home to several varieties of moa, abundant kiwi, kakapo, wood pigeon, weka and many other "Children of Tane", including the huia, the most royal of all Tane's children. The early European settlers came to the district from a range of countries, to develop grasslands and to create a railway through the region. Scandinavians were the most prominent group and together with Māori have a proud cultural heritage which remains today.

Today, the Tararua community views itself as a practical, down to earth rural-based community where small town values are celebrated. The people of Tararua actively contribute to community activities and respond to community needs with pragmatism and resourcefulness. The locals appreciate and enjoy the outdoors and are proud of the beautiful natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities available in the area.

Sheep, cattle and dairy farming is the backbone of the local economy with several large industries providing employment.  Geographically, the Tararua District is characterised by a relatively small population spread over many towns and settlements. In recent years, this spread and the resulting lack of economies of scale has created challenges to maintain and keep local services and infrastructure standards.