Below is a small selection of photos depicting the history of Rangiwahia
Rangiwahia – how it began.
Rangiwahia means “piercing the sky”, “cloud piercer” or “opening in the heavens”. This is because the site of Rangiwahia was a natural clearing of about 100 acres in amongst the tall trees of the virgin bush.
The application for & future development of land in Pemberton-Rangiwahia began in 1885 after the surveyors had done their marathon work of surveying the land into 100 and 200 acre sections.
The men arrived first and began to clear the land. The women came later. Although there were one or two natural clearings, the pioneers faced a mammoth job of cutting down giant trees, which would be used for building houses and fences etc. There were terrible hardships to endure, such as in the summer of 1897, when raging fires swept over the country destroying homes, fences and stock. The fires did, however, rid the land of acres of valueless logs allowing room for more stock and cropping. Dairying and sheep farming would become the main source of income, with dairying becoming the hub of the economy of Rangiwahia for many decades. Rangiwahia was became an excellent potato growing area.
Over the following years, a bustling village emerged, with the addition of a Hotel, Post Office, saddlery, black smith, a butchery, a fine butter factory, sale yards, a hall, a school, boarding houses, a store and three churches – plus other key businesses. Because of the abundance of logs, saw mills also became established. The remoteness and difficult transportation links meant Rangiwahia was a community that was reliant on helping one another and working the land to the best of its potential.
Rangiwahia was the centre for the districts of Main South, Karewarewa, Ruahine, Mangarimu, Hinau and Peep O Day with a combined population of approximately 862 in the early 1900’s. Interestingly the population of Rangiwahia Town at the 1911 census was 216.
Rangiwahia means “piercing the sky”, “cloud piercer” or “opening in the heavens”. This is because the site of Rangiwahia was a natural clearing of about 100 acres in amongst the tall trees of the virgin bush.
The application for & future development of land in Pemberton-Rangiwahia began in 1885 after the surveyors had done their marathon work of surveying the land into 100 and 200 acre sections.
The men arrived first and began to clear the land. The women came later. Although there were one or two natural clearings, the pioneers faced a mammoth job of cutting down giant trees, which would be used for building houses and fences etc. There were terrible hardships to endure, such as in the summer of 1897, when raging fires swept over the country destroying homes, fences and stock. The fires did, however, rid the land of acres of valueless logs allowing room for more stock and cropping. Dairying and sheep farming would become the main source of income, with dairying becoming the hub of the economy of Rangiwahia for many decades. Rangiwahia was became an excellent potato growing area.
Over the following years, a bustling village emerged, with the addition of a Hotel, Post Office, saddlery, black smith, a butchery, a fine butter factory, sale yards, a hall, a school, boarding houses, a store and three churches – plus other key businesses. Because of the abundance of logs, saw mills also became established. The remoteness and difficult transportation links meant Rangiwahia was a community that was reliant on helping one another and working the land to the best of its potential.
Rangiwahia was the centre for the districts of Main South, Karewarewa, Ruahine, Mangarimu, Hinau and Peep O Day with a combined population of approximately 862 in the early 1900’s. Interestingly the population of Rangiwahia Town at the 1911 census was 216.
