History – Early settlements

The areas developed by European early settlers at Mangawhai and in the surrounding district include Te Arai, Hakaru, Tara, Molesworth, Oruawharu (North Albertland), Molesworth and Mangawai (spelled without an ‘h’ until 1951). Parishes that converge near the Cemetery Road turnoff are Mangawhai, Te Arai and Oruawharo.

There was never a village created by early settlers in the Oruawharo parish, but there was at Te Arai, Hakaru and Mangawhai. The Te Arai village complex served a wide area, and residents referred to the cluster of general store, post office, library, blacksmiths sheds, and schools (of which there were at least three, maybe four, sited about the large parish) as ‘The Arai’. A church was built in 1862 where followers of many different denominations enjoyed services on allotted Sundays.

Mangawai was known as ‘The Beach’ in the first years of settlement. This is substantiated by the name of the 1885 Education Department school being named Mangawai Beach School. The port was at the point, near where the Mangawhai Tavern is today, and where the hotel was built in the late 1850s. Large exports of kauri gum, logs and timber were regularly shipped through the port. A post office opened in Insley’s boarding house, in 1860, under the management of Mr Dennison. A substantial wharf was erected in 1880.

Mangawai Beach had stores dotted about the area at different times, but the official place named Mangawai was actually at Hakaru. All old paperwork of companies and officialdom bore the address – Hakaru, Mangawai. This area had the largest population in the first settlement years due to land being divided up for those who had served in the army and others deserving of land grants. Those folk supported a large general store, post office, hotel, blacksmith, St Michaels Church, a library and hall, and the first Education Department School that opened on Lawrence Road in 1872, named Mangawai School.

Molesworth is an area from the coast and beach and up river, including Moir’s Point. The latter was known as Molesworth suburbs. A town was surveyed in the main Molesworth area originally to cater for army personnel and others that chose to purchase sections that were up for sale in from 1856 to 1859.

Molesworth had a shipbuilding yard where many retired army men worked. The planned town never formed at Molesworth, but instead grew at the Beach, forming ‘The Village’.

Tara, known by most inhabitants as ‘The Tara’, was named by the first European purchaser of 3400 plus acres. Thomas Henry cultivated the rich volcanic land by growing potatoes and other crops for export.

He did plan to build a castle at Tara, but the insurance company foreclosed on the mortgage and he had to give up the land, although the name Tara remained. There were no stores set up in this area, but John Wharfe opened up a post office in his home, to create an occupation for his daughter, who had lost a leg in an accident some years prior.