The History of the Horowhenua District.
The De Molen Windmill
The Ngati Toa people migrated south from the Waikato in the early 1820s and their famous Chief Te Rauparaha established his first pa in the district at Waikawa in 1844.
In 1848, Rev James Duncan established his Presbyterian Mission at what was later to become the town of Foxton. French missionaries and priests were also active in Horowhenua, setting up many practical forms of help for Maori such as flour mills.
After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, land was subdivided by the government for settlement and an overland route, making use of the beaches, was established between Wellington and Wanganui.
In 1869, the first flaxmill was opened in Foxton by James Pownall. The surrounding swamplands were harvested for their flax and a new wharf was built at Foxton's deep water port in 1871 to handle the trade. A wooden tramway was built in 1873 to Palmerston North and in 1876 this was converted into a railway.
In the south of the district, Swainson and Bevan established an engineering, blacksmith and coach-building industry at Manakau, employing over 100 people in the 1890s. Other industry in the area at the turn of the century included sawmills, flaxmills, and dairy factories.
The depression of the 1930s almost killed off the flax industry in the Horowhenua but the government stepped in and established the New Zealand Woolpack and Textiles Company in Foxton to produce woolpacks from the flax fibre. During W W II gun mats were made and then after the war the factory diversified into floor mats. In 1973 the woolpacks plant was sold to Stevens-Bremner and is now part of the Feltex Carpet Group and produces tufted carpets.
This information is courtesy of the Horowhenua District Council. For more click here
The History of the Kapiti Coast District
Otaki River
The following timeline of the history of the Kapiti District is compiled with significant assistance from historian Anthony Dreaver:
| Pre 1822 | Muaupoko iwi lived well on rich marine, coastal, wetland and forest resources. |
| 1822-24 | Te Rauparaha led Ngati Toa iwi from Kawhia to escape danger of musket wars in the Waikato/King Country region. When Muaupoko tried to assassinate him, he took terrible revenge on them and established Kapiti Island as his fortress. |
| 1820s-1830s 1825-28 |
In the 1820-1830s the tangata whenua of the district were firmly established in the district and were signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi at the following locations: on board the ship "The Ariel" at Port Nicholson in Wellington (29 April 1840), Queen Charlotte Sounds (4 May 1840), Rangitoto (d'Urville Island), (11 May 1840), Kapiti Island (14 May 1840), Waikanae (16 May 1840), Otaki (19 May 1840), Manawatu (26 May 1840), Motungarara Island (4 June 1840), Guards Bay and Cloudy Bay (Te Koko-a-Kupe) in Te Hau Ihu (17 June 1840), Mana Island (19 June 1840), and again on Kapiti Island (19 June 1840). Te Rauparaha's allies migrated to the region: Ngati Raukawa of Waikato moved to Manawatu/Horowhenua and Te Ati Awa of Taranaki to south of Otaki River. Traders from Australia exchanged muskets for dressed flax from Maori. |
| 1829-32 | Ngati Toa and their allies invaded and subdued the northern half of Te Wai Pounamu (South Island), as well as the southern North Island. |
| 1833-47 | Shore whalers set up stations along the coast and offshore islands, often intermarrying with Maori. After 1842, Wellington merchants controlled the trade in oil and bone until it collapsed around 1847. |
| 1834-40 | The tribal alliance was twice broken-up by the battles of Haowhenua (1834, Te Horo area) and Kuititanga (1839, around the mouth of Waikanae River), but was then patched up again. From mid-30s, a Christian teacher, Ripahau, had growing influence in the area. |
| 1839 | Te Rauparaha's son and nephew travelled to the Bay of Islands, to request a missionary teacher. Octavius Hadfield set up a mission station at Kenakena Pa near the Waikanae river mouth. The New Zealand Company's leader, William Wakefield, landed at Paraparaumu Beach seeking land for settlement. |
| 1840 | Hobson annexed New Zealand. Maori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Kapiti island, Waikanae and Otaki. British settlers arrived at Wellington and Wanganui.840s Christianity, literacy and farming spread rapidly among Maori of the region. Hadfield built churches at Waikanae (1843) and Otaki (Rangiatea, 1849); Father Comte set up a Roman Catholic mission at Otaki (1844), where St Mary's Church was built (1859). |
| 1842 | A Wellington-Wanganui overland mail service was established, linking the few European settlers and missionaries. |
| 1846-48 | Disputes over land sales in Hutt Valley led to brief war. Police were stationed at Waikanae (Major Durie) and Paekakariki Hill road built by troops. Ferry inns were built at the mouths of the Waikanae and Otaki rivers. An earthquake damaged Kenakena Pa and Church. Many Te Ati Awa returned to Taranaki. |
| 1850s to 1870s | Some sheep farms, both Maori and Pakeha, were established from Paekakariki to Manawatu. Maori traded produce to Wellington. The beach was the highway, with a regular coach service from 1866. Otaki and Paekakariki were centres for inns, trade and mail. Otaki school founded 1880. |
| 1876 | Provincial system of government replaced by local bodies. Waikanae River was the boundary of Hutt and Manawatu counties until 1885, when the Horowhenua Riding of Manawatu became a separate county. |
| 1880s | The Government had bought much Maori land along a proposed railway route, but handed it over to a Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company which built the line (opened 1886). |
| 1886-1906 | Wiremu Parata gave land for the railway and moved the Te Ati Awa village to the Township of Parata (modern Waikanae). The adjacent Maori land (Ngarara Block) was opened for sale as village and farmland. |
| 1886 | Otaki Maori Racing Club established. |
| 1887-96 | Sales of railway company land at Shannon and Tokomaru (1887), Paraparaumu, Otaki, Te Horo and Levin (1888), and Ohau and Manakau (1889). Sawmillers and farmers cleared bush and villages were established. 1886-96 schools opened at Paekakariki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Reikorangi. Transmission Gully road route mooted (1888). |
| 1897 | Kapiti Island Reserve Act reserved all Crown-owned portions of the island, which became New Zealand's leading bird sanctuary. Pests remained a problem until eradicated during the 1990s. |
| 1900-1906 | Through road was completed, with bridges over the Waikanae (1901) and Otaki (1902) Rivers. |
| 1890-1930 | Sawmillers cut forests on the lowlands (to 1900), the foothills (to 1920) and the mountain valleys (to 1970s). Dairying became dominant, with factories at Paraparaumu, Te Horo and Otaki. Horticulture flourished around Otaki. |
| From 1906 | Railway excursions brought city holiday-makers to the coast. Boarding houses and hotels flourished. Entrepreneurs laid out seaside resorts at Rangiuru (1896), Raumati Beach (1908) and Paraparaumu Beach, Raumati South and Otaki Beach (1920s). |
| 1939-50 | The area supplied the US Marine camp at McKay's Crossing, and grew vegetables for the armed services. Centennial Highway (Pukerua/Paekakariki) and Paraparaumu airfield were both opened in 1940. Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club was established in 1949. (NZ Golf Open first hosted 1959). |
| 1950s | Paraparaumu airfield handled passengers and freight for Wellington. Otaki Borough (1921-89) encouraged secondary industry. Paraparaumu acquired basic professional, commercial and service occupations. The Kapiti District Trust, a Rotary intiative, was established to care for the needs of local elderly people without significant personal resources. |
| 1960-75 | Rapid economic and population growth. Commuters took a bus to Paekakariki and electric train unit to Wellington. Farms were broken up for housing in Paraparaumu township, Paraparaumu Beach and North Beach. Building and related trades flourished. Coastlands shopping centre and Te Roto industrial park were developed. From 1953 to 1983, 12 schools opened, including two colleges. Kapiti District Trust opened Marire Home (1962) and Sevenoaks retirement comunities. |
| 1960-89 | Local bodies proliferated:
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| 1975-89 | Slower growth in late 1970s was tackled:
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| 1970's | Southward's Car Museum established in 1979. Nga Manu Nature Reserve established 1974. |
| 1975 | Raukawa Trustees established Generation 2000, an education and development programme for the region's three iwi. Amongst a number of projects, they have established kohanga reo, schools and Te Wananga o Raukawa (the Maori University at Otaki). |
| 1975-1999 | Growth of tourist facilities such as Steam Incorporated, Paekakariki (1972); Southward's Car Museum (1979); Lindale Centre; Otaki Gorge outdoor recreation; Paekakariki Station Museum (1995), Fly By Wire (1997), Kapiti Four x 4 Adventures (1999). |
| 1984 | Kapiti Cheeses Ltd., currently the District's largest exporter of food products, established. The annual Kapiti Women's Triathlon was first run. |
| 1989 | Kapiti Coast District Council established, incorporating Waikanae and Otaki. A District Plan was drawn up to guide rural and urban growth. |
| 1990s | Population growth was amongst highest in New Zealand. Several retirement villages were built. New library opened at Otaki (1998). Pak 'n Save Kapiti, currently the district's largest employer was established in 1991. Matta Products Ltd., currently the District's largest exporter of manufactured goods, was established in 1993. Retail sales in the district exceed $100 million for the quarter ended December 1995. The Kapiti Community Health Group Trust formed with a focus on providing support and advocacy on health matters. |
| 2000s | Capital value of the Kapiti Coast District exceeds $4,000 million in 2003. New library at Paraparaumu opened 2002. Midlands Gardens retirement community opened by the Kapiti District Trust. |
This information is courtsey of the Kapiti Coast District Council. For more information on the council, click here