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The end of this month, June 29, is the 160th anniversary of Puhoi Village being settled by the Bohemians from Europe, and activities are planned to mark the occasion. They include a lunch on June 29 at Puhoi Hall, catering for 140 people, and a St Peter and Paul’s Feastday Mass at the church.
On Saturday, July 1 there will be a dance featuring Shane and the Shazam Band at Puhoi Hall and the following day a thanksgiving wreath will be laid at Puhoi church. Info and tickets: email puhoibohemianmuseum@gmail.com or phone 027 211 0316. Puhoi has a rich history.
The first Bohemian immigrants arrived there on June 29, 1863, settling there under the terms of the 1858 Auckland Waste Lands Act. The Puhoi River provided the only means of access at that time. Bridge building and road forming in the area from 1869, improved communications between the settlement and nearby areas.
From 1871 to 1876 was a period of considerable growth in the township, including the establishment of a hotel. A post office was established by 1870 with a telephone installed in 1884 linking Puhoi with Waiwera. The Puhoi Road Board first met in 1873, and the first general store opened for business in 1876 along with a Hotel-Boarding House and Store opened by Vincent and John Schischka.
