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www.putaruru.co.nz
HERITAGE TRAIL
1. STONE HOUSE
56 Arapuni Street, Putaruru
Built 1935-1936 for Mr PL Guillard, of stone from his Ngutuwera (Lichfield) quarry, the house remained in his family until 1996. The stone is believed by many to be the best building material in the country and has been subjected to many severe tests, including being boiled in Sulphuric and Hydrochloric Acid for three hours, immersed in Sulphuric Acid at 240 degrees Fahrenheit for four weeks and was heated to white hot for fifteen minutes, then plunged into ice cold water. The stone showed little or no sign of deterioration. Other buildings of the same stone include other houses in Putaruru and the Carillon Tower and Dominion Museum (Wellington), St Luke’s Church (Remuera), and Dunedin Post Office.
2. TE WAOTU SCHOOL
The original Te Waotu Native School was opened in 1886
due to the efforts of Maori Chief Rongowhitiao Te Puni.
Rongowhitiao gifted the land for the school and sought
the support of families from outside the area to make it
viable, providing food, shelter and education to students from outside the school’s area.
The school’s first teacher was Clara Haszard, who had been teaching at Wairoa School on the shores of Lake Tarawera.
Clara lost her father, two sisters, and a brother in the
Tarawera eruption on 10 June 1886. Having applied for
a school of her own prior to the eruption, Clara opened
the Te Waotu Native School on 1 November 1886. The
original school building was moved from its original site in
1969 and is still in use today as the home of the Te Waotu-Puketurua Playcentre.
Heteri Hill – There are two parts to the Heteri Hill site. One is the location of the old Hotel and the second, the monument in memory of the Maori Chief, Rongowhitiao Te Puni.
Hotel – pre 1864 (date unknown) – These are the remains of the original Waotu Hotel, which opened in 1881 and served as a ‘first class’ overnight stop for passengers on the Cambridge to Atiamuri leg of the stagecoach journey from Auckland to Taupo, and the east. The Hotel licence was later transferred to a hotel nearby (now a private house) then later transferred to the Okoroire Hotel where it still remains.
Monument – Standing tall and erect, overlooking the Te Waotu School and surrounding district, is a marble monument with an inscription of lead lettering discernible only to a speaker or student of the Maori language. The memorial is in memory of Rongowhitiao Te Puni, initiator and benefactor of Te Waotu Native School. Erected and unveiled on the 16th and 17th March 1903, permission to close the school for those two days was granted by the Education Department in honour of such a highly respected chief.
3. JIM BARNETT RESERVE
4. JONES LANDING
Named after Gordon Jones’ father who had a boatshed there. Jones Landing is a picturesque place to enjoy boating, trout fishing, camping, picnic and swimming opportunities.
5. ARAPUNI HYDRO STATION
After the First World War demand for electricity had grown rapidly in New Zealand. Local resident Mr E J Darby believed that there should be a new hydro station and that it should be at Arapuni. A former schoolmaster, Edward Darby had settled at the Arapuni Gorge some years before and was convinced that it provided the answer to the country’s electricity needs.
Arapuni was the first of eight government built hydro-electric power stations on the Waikato River. Construction commenced in 1924 and the first power was supplied in 1929. Leakage from the headrace necessitated a shutdown in 1930 but by mid 1932 the problem was cured and Arapuni returned to service with four units generating electricity. The powerhouse was extended in 1934 to house four additional generators, two of which were commissioned in 1937 and 1938. The remaining two units were commissioned in 1945 and 1946.
Arapuni over the years has given long and faithful service and deservedly qualifies for the title ‘Old Workhorse of the Waikato’.
6. DUXFIELD RESERVE
This area was gifted to the people of Putaruru as a picnic area, by long time Matamata County Councillor John Edward (Jack) Duxfield, in 1968. A lovely location where you can picnic beside the waterfall on the Pokaiwhenua stream.
Heritage Trail Map
Pride in Putaruru
"Encouraging pride
in our community"
Pigeons in Barnetts Reserve
Arapuni Swing Bridge
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