Taumarunui
Encyclopedia
Taumarunui is a town
in the King Country
of the central North Island
of New Zealand
. It is on State Highway 4
and the North Island Main Trunk Railway.
It is on an alluvial plain
set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River
, 65 km south of Te Kuiti
and 55 km west of Turangi
. Its population is 5136 (2001 census), making it the largest centre for a considerable distance in any direction.
The name Taumarunui is reported to be the dying words of the Māori chief Pehi Turoa - taumaru meaning screen and nui big, literally translated as Big Screen, being built to shelter him from the sun. There are also references to Taumarunui being known as large sheltered location for growing kumara
.
In the 1980s publication Roll Back the Years there are some details on how Taumarunui got its name. Extract: "According to FRANK T BROWN, who wrote in the Taumarunui Press in 1926, the name Taumarunui is closely connected with the arrival of and conquering of that portion of the King Country by the Whanganui River natives during the 18th century . . . The war party that succeeded in capturing the principal pa and taking prisoner the chief of the district was headed by “Ki Maru”. His warriors, to show their appreciation of his prowess and the honour of the victory, acclaimed him “Tau-maru-nui”, which means “Maru the Great”, or “Maru the Conqueror”, that name was taken for the district and has been used ever since.".
is on Taumarunui Street.
On State Highway 4
south of Taumarunui are the villages of Manunui
, Piriaka, Kakahi, Owhango
, Raurimu and then National Park
. To the north are the school and truck stop of Mapiu.
Social Scene
Taumarunui is blessed with many societies and community organizations. It has a very good Cosmopolitan Club and RSA, a Lodge of the Freemasons as well as Taumarunui Lodge NZ No 12 of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Grand Council. This Lodge of the Buffaloes was established sometime in the mid-late 1920s and thus predates the introduction of the Mighty KA Class Steam Locomotives that became the Hallmark of NIMT Rail Transport of the forties, fifties and Sixties.
and Ngati Tuwharetoa
, who lived together in relative harmony.
Late in December 1843 Bishop Selwyn travelled from the district south of Taupo to a point on the Whanganui River about six miles downstream from Taumarunui and thence continued his journey to the coast by canoe. Towards the end of 1869 Te Kooti was at Taumarunui before his march through the western Taupo district to Tapapa. In the early 1880s the first surveys of the King Country commenced and by the early 1890s the Crown had begun the purchase of large areas of land.
In 1874 Alexander Bell set up a training post, and became the first European settler. The town has a road called Bell Road.
During the New Zealand Land Wars
a resident named William Moffatt manufactured and supplied Maori with a coarse kind of gunpowder. He was afterwards expelled from the district. Despite warnings he returned in 1880, ostensibly to prospect for gold, and was executed.
The Whanganui River long continued to be the principal route serving Taumarunui. Traffic was at first by Maori canoe, but by the late 1880s regular steamship communication was established. Taumarunui Landing (Image) was the last stop on Alexander Hatrick's steam boat service from Wanganui. The river vessels maintained the services between Wanganui and Taumarunui until the late 1920s, when the condition of the river deteriorated.
Later Taumarunui gained importance with the construction of the North Island Main Trunk Line in 1908 (celebrated in a ballad by Peter Cape
). The line south of Taumarunui caused considerable problems due to the terrain, and has several high viaducts and the famous Raurimu Spiral
. The Stratford - Okahukura Line to Stratford
connects just north of Taumarunui. In more recent times, the town's economy has been based on forestry
and farming. It has gained in importance as a tourism centre, especially as an entry point for voyagers down the scenic Wanganui River and as the possessor of a high quality golf course.
Town Mayors immediately prior to 1988 include: Charles Binzegger, Les Byars and Terry Podmore.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the King Country
King Country
The King Country is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of the Whanganui River in the south, and from the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto Ranges in the east to near the Tasman...
of the central North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is on State Highway 4
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
and the North Island Main Trunk Railway.
It is on an alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River
Whanganui River
The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand.Known for many years as the Wanganui River, the river's name reverted to Whanganui in 1991, according with the wishes of local iwi. Part of the reason was also to avoid confusion with the Wanganui River in the South Island...
, 65 km south of Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti is a small town in the south of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, 80 km south of Hamilton....
and 55 km west of Turangi
Turangi
Turangi is a small town on the west bank of the Tongariro River, 50 kilometres south-west of Taupo on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand. It was built to accommodate the workers associated with the Tongariro hydro-electric power development project and their families...
. Its population is 5136 (2001 census), making it the largest centre for a considerable distance in any direction.
The name Taumarunui is reported to be the dying words of the Māori chief Pehi Turoa - taumaru meaning screen and nui big, literally translated as Big Screen, being built to shelter him from the sun. There are also references to Taumarunui being known as large sheltered location for growing kumara
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
.
In the 1980s publication Roll Back the Years there are some details on how Taumarunui got its name. Extract: "According to FRANK T BROWN, who wrote in the Taumarunui Press in 1926, the name Taumarunui is closely connected with the arrival of and conquering of that portion of the King Country by the Whanganui River natives during the 18th century . . . The war party that succeeded in capturing the principal pa and taking prisoner the chief of the district was headed by “Ki Maru”. His warriors, to show their appreciation of his prowess and the honour of the victory, acclaimed him “Tau-maru-nui”, which means “Maru the Great”, or “Maru the Conqueror”, that name was taken for the district and has been used ever since.".
Locality
Ngapuwaiwaha MaraeMarae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
is on Taumarunui Street.
On State Highway 4
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
south of Taumarunui are the villages of Manunui
Manunui
Manunui is a small settlement in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located in the King Country region, about 4 km east of Taumarunui. Manunui is where State Highway 41 to Lake Taupo branches off from State Highway 4...
, Piriaka, Kakahi, Owhango
Owhango
right|200px|thumb|Owhango schoolOwhango is a small town in New Zealand situated about 20km south of Taumarunui on State Highway 4 .Formerly Owhango was a Mill Town, milling native timbers from around the local area. The mill burned to the ground in the 1970s...
, Raurimu and then National Park
National Park, New Zealand
National Park is a small town on the central plateau of the North Island of New Zealand. Also known as National Park Village it is the highest urban township in New Zealand at 825 metres. As the name suggests, it borders the World Heritage Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's first national...
. To the north are the school and truck stop of Mapiu.
Social Scene
Taumarunui is blessed with many societies and community organizations. It has a very good Cosmopolitan Club and RSA, a Lodge of the Freemasons as well as Taumarunui Lodge NZ No 12 of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Grand Council. This Lodge of the Buffaloes was established sometime in the mid-late 1920s and thus predates the introduction of the Mighty KA Class Steam Locomotives that became the Hallmark of NIMT Rail Transport of the forties, fifties and Sixties.
History
Taumarunui was originally a Maori settlement at the confluence of the Ongarue River with the Whanganui, important canoe routes linking the interior of the island with the lower Whanganui River settlements. Some places, notably the valley of the Pungapunga Stream, which joins the upper Wanganui near Manunui, were celebrated for the size and quality of totara, and large canoes were built there. The area is a border area between a number of iwi including Whanganui, Ngāti ManiapotoNgati Maniapoto
Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka Tainui...
and Ngati Tuwharetoa
Ngati Tuwharetoa
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua at Matata across the central plateau of the North Island to the lands around Mount Tongariro and Lake Taupo.The iwi is identified...
, who lived together in relative harmony.
Late in December 1843 Bishop Selwyn travelled from the district south of Taupo to a point on the Whanganui River about six miles downstream from Taumarunui and thence continued his journey to the coast by canoe. Towards the end of 1869 Te Kooti was at Taumarunui before his march through the western Taupo district to Tapapa. In the early 1880s the first surveys of the King Country commenced and by the early 1890s the Crown had begun the purchase of large areas of land.
In 1874 Alexander Bell set up a training post, and became the first European settler. The town has a road called Bell Road.
During the New Zealand Land Wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
a resident named William Moffatt manufactured and supplied Maori with a coarse kind of gunpowder. He was afterwards expelled from the district. Despite warnings he returned in 1880, ostensibly to prospect for gold, and was executed.
The Whanganui River long continued to be the principal route serving Taumarunui. Traffic was at first by Maori canoe, but by the late 1880s regular steamship communication was established. Taumarunui Landing (Image) was the last stop on Alexander Hatrick's steam boat service from Wanganui. The river vessels maintained the services between Wanganui and Taumarunui until the late 1920s, when the condition of the river deteriorated.
Later Taumarunui gained importance with the construction of the North Island Main Trunk Line in 1908 (celebrated in a ballad by Peter Cape
Peter Cape
Peter Cape was a singer and song writer born in Helensville, New Zealand.He is best remember for his songs "Taumarunui On The Main Trunk Line" and "She'll Be Right Mate"....
). The line south of Taumarunui caused considerable problems due to the terrain, and has several high viaducts and the famous Raurimu Spiral
Raurimu Spiral
The Raurimu Spiral is a single-track railway spiral, starting with a horseshoe curve, overcoming a 132 m height difference, in the central North Island of New Zealand, on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. It is a notable feat of civil engineering, having been called an 'engineering masterpiece'...
. The Stratford - Okahukura Line to Stratford
Stratford, New Zealand
Stratford is the only town in the central Taranaki district of Stratford District, New Zealand. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, approximately half-way between New Plymouth and Hawera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki region. The town has a population of...
connects just north of Taumarunui. In more recent times, the town's economy has been based on forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and farming. It has gained in importance as a tourism centre, especially as an entry point for voyagers down the scenic Wanganui River and as the possessor of a high quality golf course.
Timeline
- 1869 - Te KootiTe KootiTe Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatu religion and guerrilla.While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Chatham Islands without trial along with captured Hauhau, he experienced visions and...
in Taumarunui - 1885 December 10 - First Post Office opens, closes 1887
- 1900 - town-to-be reportedly held only 13 European males.
- 1903 - Railway line passes through Taumarunui.
- 1904 - £10,000 houseboat built then floated to OhuraOhuraOhura is a small town in the west of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the west of Taumarunui in the area known as the King Country, in inland Manawatu-Wanganui...
river junction. In 1927 this is transferred down river to Retaruke RiverRetaruke RiverThe Retaruke River is a river on the North Island of New Zealand. It joins with the Whanganui River just above Wade's Landing and downstream from Taumarunui. The river flows through the farming communities of Upper and then Lower Retaruke Valley...
junction where it was destroyed by fire in 1933. - 1906 - Native town council set up.
- 1906, September 14 - First issue of the Taumarunui Press.
- 1907 - First hospital erected, 5 beds.
- 1910 - George Henry Thompson defeated Rev John E. Ward (166 to 143 votes) to become the first borough council mayor.
- 1915 - Taumarunui Hospital Board formed, 30 beds.
- 1915 - Only a single car in town.
- 1915-1917 - Mayor: G.S. Steadman.
- 1916 - Census: 3,021 (Taumarunui & Manunui) http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/influenza-pandemic/north-island-death-rates#king
- 1917-1919 - Mayor: A.S. Laird.
- 1919-1923 - Mayor: G.S. Steadman.
- 1923-1925 - Mayor: C.C. Marsack.
- 1924 Piriaka Power Scheme was built to supply electricity to Taumarunui.http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/kcenergy/generation5.html
- 1925-1929 - Mayor: G.E. Manson.
- 1928 - Four thousand bales of wool shipped down river
- 1929-1944 - Mayor: Crawford Boles.
- 1932 Stratford - Okahukura Line completed.
- 1939 - Hatricks's steamer ceased running, final section of the journey having been done by coach from Kirikau landing since 1927.
- 1944-1947 - W.S.N. Campbell.
- 1947-1953 - Mayor: D.H. Hall.
- 1951 - Census: 3,220
- 1952 - Kaitieke County and OhuraOhuraOhura is a small town in the west of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the west of Taumarunui in the area known as the King Country, in inland Manawatu-Wanganui...
County amalgamated with Taumarunui County. - 1953-1956 - Mayor: David C. Seath - later Member of Parliament for the King CountryKing CountryThe King Country is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of the Whanganui River in the south, and from the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto Ranges in the east to near the Tasman...
- 1956 - Mayor: Frank D. House - later Taumarunui High SchoolTaumarunui High SchoolTaumarunui High School is a high school in Taumarunui, New Zealand. About half the students are Māori.The school currently caters for 582 students in years 9 to 13, including 46 boarders....
governor. - 1956 - Census: 3,341
- 1961 - Census: 4,961
- 1966 - King Country RadioKing Country RadioKing Country Radio was a radio station in Taumarunui broadcasting on 1512AM. The station was first started in 1966 broadcasting 1520AM with the call sign 1ZU. The station moved to 1512AM in 1978 after the AM frequency spacing in New Zealand was adjusted from 10khz to 9khz...
1520AM with the call sign 1ZU first broadcasts from Taumarunui. - 1968 - N.Z. Sportsmen's dinnerQueen CarnivalThe first provincial Queen Carnival in New Zealand was held in Dunedin on 27 August 1915. The next year it was held in Auckland on Queens Wharf. During the 1900s period Australia had its own Queen Carnivals in various towns and cities around the country...
- attended by Fred AllenFred Allen (rugby player)Sir Frederick "Fred" Richard Allen, KNZM, OBE is a former captain and coach of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching....
, Peter SnellPeter SnellSir Peter George Snell, KNZM, MBE is a former New Zealand athlete, now resident in Texas, United States. He had one of the shortest careers of world famous international sportsmen, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand’s "Sports Champion of the Century"...
, Waka NathanWaka NathanWaka Joseph Nathan is a New Zealand Rugby Union player.He was born in Auckland and was educated in Otahuhu College and was a member of the school's first fifteen....
, Colin MeadsColin MeadsSir Colin Earl Meads, KNZM, MBE , is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played 55 test matches , most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 1971.Meads is widely considered one of the greatest players in history...
, Bob SkeltonBob SkeltonRobert J. "Bob" Skelton was a top jockey in New Zealand and Australian Thoroughbred horse racing who competed from the 1950s through the 1980s. Among his many major race wins, Skelton rode Great Sensation to three victories in the Wellington Cup and won the Auckland Cup on Rose Mellay in 1974 and...
, Taini Jamieson, Tilley Vercoe, Ivan Grattan, Bill Wordley, Don Croot, Trevor Ormsby, Hine Peni and Sonny Bolstad. - 1971 Additional generator to the Piriaka Power Scheme http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/kcenergy/generation5.html
- 1976 October 4: Daniel Houpapa shot by Armed Offenders SquadArmed Offenders SquadThe Armed Offenders Squad is a specialist unit of the New Zealand Police designed to "cordon, contain and appeal to" armed and dangerous offenders. As the name explains, they are called upon when conflict with an armed offender has occurred or is considered imminent.The AOS draw upon a varied...
after he fires at an officer - 1981 - Census: 6,540, Full-time in labour force: 2,727
- 1986 - Census: 6,468, Full-time in labour force: 2,514
- 1988 - Taumarunui District Council formed.
Town Mayors immediately prior to 1988 include: Charles Binzegger, Les Byars and Terry Podmore.
- 1989 November 1 - Taumarunui District Council merged into Ruapehu DistrictRuapehu DistrictRuapehu District is a territorial authority near the centre of New Zealand's North Island.It has an area of 6,730.185 square kilometers and a population of 13,569 at the 2006 census .-Features:...
Council. - 1991 - Census: 6,141, Full-time in labour force: 1,935
- 1996 - Census: 5,835, Full-time in labour force: 1,438
- 1997/98 - AFFCO HoldingsAFFCO HoldingsAFFCO Holdings Limited, commonly referred to as AFFCO, is one of New Zealand's leading meat companies, having operated in this competitive and innovative sector of New Zealand’s primary sector since 1904....
freezing works closes. - 2001 - Census: 5,139
- 2006 - Census: 5,052
- 2009 November - Stratford - Okahukura Line mothballed.
- 2010 March 31 - King Country RadioKing Country RadioKing Country Radio was a radio station in Taumarunui broadcasting on 1512AM. The station was first started in 1966 broadcasting 1520AM with the call sign 1ZU. The station moved to 1512AM in 1978 after the AM frequency spacing in New Zealand was adjusted from 10khz to 9khz...
1512AM & 92.7FM with the call sign 1ZU goes off air.
Notable personalities
- T.J. Meredith - great-grandson of Theodore of Corsica, joined Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
age 14, CSS LouisianaCSS LouisianaCSS Louisiana was an ironclad ship of the Confederate States Navy built to aid in defending the lower Mississippi River from invasion by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She took part in one major action of the war, the Battle of Forts Jackson and St...
in 1862 American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, under General Cameron New Zealand land warsNew Zealand land warsThe New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
, Waikato Mounted RiflesWaikato Mounted RiflesThe Waikato Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the New Zealand Army, part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The unit is a single squadron within the Territorial Force that serves in the armoured reconnaissance role. Squadron Headquarters is located at 106 Rostrevor Street, PO Box 212,...
World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, before coming the proprietor of Taumarunui's Meredith House with wife Margaret Lovet.
Students of Taumarunui High School
- Prof. James L. Beck - Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyThe California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. - Prof. John C. ButcherJohn C. ButcherJohn Charles Butcher is a mathematician who specialises in numerical methods for the solution of ordinary differential equations. Butcher works on multistage methods for initial value problems, such as Runge-Kutta and general linear methods...
- Honorary Research Professor, Dept. of Mathematics, University of AucklandUniversity of AucklandThe University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. - Ben FouhyBen FouhyBen Fouhy is a New Zealand flatwater canoer who has been competing since the early 2000s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he won the silver in the K-1 1000 m event at Athens in 2004....
, World Champion kayaker. - MarcMarc HunterMarc Alexander Hunter was a New Zealand rock and pop singer best known as the lead vocalist with Dragon, a band formed by his older brother Todd in Auckland in 1973....
and Todd HunterTodd HunterTodd Stuart Hunter is a New Zealand musician and composer known for his involvement in the band Dragon. Their best known songs are "April Sun in Cuba", "Are You Old Enough?", "Still in Love With You", and "Rain"...
from the band DragonDragon (band)Dragon is a popular New Zealand rock band, they were formed in Auckland, New Zealand in January 1972 and relocated to Sydney, Australia in May 1975. They were previously led by singer Marc Hunter and are currently led by his brother bass player Todd Hunter...
.
Born in Taumarunui
- Ian Ferguson, Olympic canoer
- Kyle ChapmanKyle ChapmanKyle Chapman is a former national director of the New Zealand National Front . He was also a candidate for Mayor of Christchurch, first for the National Front, and then for the National Democrats Party....
, former leader of the New Zealand National FrontNew Zealand National FrontThe New Zealand National Front is a small white nationalist political party in New Zealand.-First formation:Mirroring developments in the UK, a group called the National Front evolved out of the New Zealand branch of the League of Empire Loyalists in 1967... - Marc HunterMarc HunterMarc Alexander Hunter was a New Zealand rock and pop singer best known as the lead vocalist with Dragon, a band formed by his older brother Todd in Auckland in 1973....
, lead singer of DragonDragon (band)Dragon is a popular New Zealand rock band, they were formed in Auckland, New Zealand in January 1972 and relocated to Sydney, Australia in May 1975. They were previously led by singer Marc Hunter and are currently led by his brother bass player Todd Hunter... - Joe KaramJoe KaramJoseph Francis "Joe" Karam is a former New Zealand representative rugby footballer, an entrepreneur and a campaigner for acquitted murder accused David Bain.-Early life:...
, rugby union player, researcher and investigator for David BainDavid BainDavid Cullen Bain is a New Zealander who featured in one of the country's most notable murder cases. He was convicted in May 1995 of the murders of his parents and siblings in Dunedin on 20 June 1994...
's legal team. - Max Takuira Matthew Mariu SMMax MariuMax Takuira Matthew Mariu SM was the Auxiliary Bishop of Hamilton, New Zealand . He was the first Māori to be ordained a Catholic bishop.-Early life:...
(1952–2005), Auxiliary Catholic Bishop of Hamilton (1988–2005), first Māori to be ordained a Catholic bishop. - Ivan Mercep, 2008 recipient of the New Zealand Institute of ArchitectsNew Zealand Institute of ArchitectsThe New Zealand Institute of Architects is a membership based professional organisation. This body represents 90% of all registered architects in New Zealand and promotes architecture that enhances the New Zealand living environment....
Gold Medal. - Carmen Rupe (born Trevor Rupe) - WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
personality (mayoral candidate (2009), drag queen, cafe owner and brothel keeper) - Timothy J. SinclairTimothy J. SinclairTimothy J. Sinclair BA MA PhD DLitt FHEA is Associate Professor of International Political Economy in the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Warwick. Dr Sinclair is an internationally recognised International Relations/International Political Economy scholar...
, political scientist. - Jillian SmithJillian SmithJillian Clare Smith is a retired field hockey player from New Zealand, who was a member of the national team that finished sixth at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. She was born in Taumarunui, Manawatu-Wanganui....
, field hockey player. - Wiremu Hakopa Toa Te Awhitu SMWiremu Te AwhituWiremu Hakopa Toa Te Awhitu was the first Māori to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest.Born at Okahukura near Taumarunui, he was the third of 10 children of Tamakaitoa Te Awhitu and his wife Katarina Toia Bell. His family belonged to the Ngāti Hauaroa and Ngāti Maniapoto iwi. His early education...
(1914–1994) was the first Māori to be ordained a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest. - Mahinarangi TockerMahinarangi TockerMahinārangi Tocker, MNZM was a singer-songwriter from New Zealand.She wrote more than 600 songs in a 25-year career. Her vocal style has been compared to that of Joan Armatrading and Tracy Chapman...
, singer. - Len BrownLen BrownLen Brown is the Mayor of Auckland in New Zealand and the head of the Auckland Council. He won the 2010 Auckland mayoral election on 9 October 2010 and was sworn in as Mayor of Auckland on 1 November 2010, being the first to hold that title for the amalgamated Auckland 'Super City'...
Mayor of Auckland
External links
- The Business
- Local History
- Taumarunui High School
- River Boat Landings
- Peter Cape's song Taumarunui on the Main Trunk Line http://folksong.org.nz/taumarunui/index.html