Douglas, Taranaki

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This article is about the locality in Taranaki. For the other locality in New Zealand called Douglas, see Douglas, Canterbury.

Douglas is a lowly populated locality^[1] and a rural centre in east Taranaki, surrounded by dairy, sheep and beef pastoral farming. It is situated 18 km east of Stratford at the intersection of East Road, Ohura Road, Douglas Road South and Bredow Road. East Road and Ohura Road meet to form State Highway 43, linking Stratford to the King Country town of Taumarunui. The Stratford - Okahukura Line, a secondary railway line, runs through Douglas where it veers north-east and away from the state highway for approximately 20 km.

1 History
2 Born in Douglas
3 Residents of Douglas
4 References

[edit] History

Douglas, called Oruru by Maori after the native owl, is said to have been named for a member of the Crown's surveying party. The settlement and its hinterland was opened up and cleared for pastoral farming at the turn of the 20th century. A hall being established in 1905 and a primary school in 1906. Through the first half of the century Douglas was a lively village with a productive brick kiln, a milk factory, a railway station, a store, a church, and a number of other businesses. In the 1930s the Douglas saleyards had the greatest turnover of all Taranaki saleyards, particularly in Jersey cattle for cream and cheese production. The Douglas Boarding House, which still stands today, served as an important stopping point for those making the long and treacherous journey east to Whangamomona or Taumarunui.

Like other rural settlements, though, Douglas went into decline in the mid-to-late 20th century. Its primary school closed at the end of 2005 in its 100th year, and pupils were transferred to nearby Toko School. The community hall and tennis courts remain in the posession of the community.