Kopuarahi is a rural settlement and farming community in the Hauraki District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island.[1]

The settlement is located on the outskirts of Thames, between Pipiroa and Kopu, on State Highway 25. It is situated at the north-eastern corner of the Hauraki Plains, just south of the Firth of Thames, just east of the Piako River, and west of the Waihou River.[1]

History

Early history

The Ngāti Hako people traditionally had a pā (defensive settlement) in the area. The pā site was discovered in a swampy area in 1920 and many rare artefacts were discovered, but the site was not fully excavated until 1956.[2]

The Kopuarahi District was established in 1911.[3]

Modern history

The Kopuarahi Cheese Factory was built in 1916 to produce cheese from the milk of local dairy farms. When milk tankers began transporting milk to a dairy factory in Kerepehi in 1956, the building was converted into a community hall.[1] The hall is available for hire for private events.[4]

The Kopuarahi School Second World War Memorial flagstaff was erected in April 1947 to commemorate two local men, who were killed in World War II.[5]

A woman was critically injured, when her car was struck by a road sweeping truck in Kopuarahi in January 2012.[6]

A 4.3 magnitude quake was felt in Kopuarahi in September 2020.[7]

In 2021, Kopuarahi School reported increasing poverty among students.[8] The principal said a lack of food and basic supplies had affected student learning.[9]

Education

Kopuarahi School is a co-educational state primary school,[10] with a roll of 14 as of April 2023.[11][12]

The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1967,[13] and marked its centenary in 2017.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kopuarahi". haurakiplains.co.nz. Hauraki Plains Tourism.
  2. ↑ Murdock, Robert (April 1965). "Oterewa Pa, Kopuarahi". Ohinemuri Regional History Journal. 2 (1): 31–32.
  3. ↑ Kopuarahi School 70th and Kopuerahi District 77th Jubilee. Pāeroa: Kopuarahi School Jubilee Board. 1988.
  4. ↑ "Halls". hauraki-dc.govt.nz. Hauraki District Council.
  5. ↑ "Kopuarahi School memorial flagstaff". nzhistory.govt.nz. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  6. ↑ Wade, Amelia (23 January 2012). "Woman critically injured in truck collision". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
  7. ↑ "'The painting on the wall was jumping': Coromandel rocked by 4.3 magnitude quake". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald. 15 September 2020.
  8. ↑ Quinlivan, Mark (9 February 2021). "New year sees Kiwi children still arriving at school hungry, without basics - principal". Discovery, Inc. Newshub.
  9. ↑ Franks, Josephine (27 January 2021). "Schools prepare for children in 'survival mode' as term starts". stuff.co.nz. Waikato Times.
  10. ↑ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  11. ↑ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  13. ↑ Kopuarahi School Golden Jubilee, 1917-1967. Thames: Kopuarahi School Golden Jubilee Board. 1967.
  14. ↑ Ramsey, Teresa (7 February 2017). "New staff for Kopurahi School's 100th year". stuff.co.nz. Hauraki Herald.

37°13′12″S 175°30′14″E / 37.220°S 175.504°E / -37.220; 175.504

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