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 (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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