Kaponga

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Kaponga
Kaponga
Coordinates: 39°25′46″S 174°8′58″E / -39.42944, 174.14944
Country	New Zealand
Region	Taranaki
District	South Taranaki District
Population (2006)
- Total	372

Kaponga is a small town in southern Taranaki. It is known as "The Gateway to Dawson's Falls" on Mount Egmont. Kaponga is located inland from Manaia and Eltham, and is on the main road connecting Eltham to Opunake. Opunaki is 26 km to the west and Eltham is 13 km to the east. Manaia is 15 km south of Kaponga.^[1][2]

The population was 372 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 21 from 2001.^[3]

The small town of Kaponga was settled in 1882, and has strong Swiss connections. Some of the first settlers in the area were Swiss, and in 1952, the Taranaki Swiss Club was formed^[4]

The town was once a much larger town than it is today: with many stores. There are only a few shops now, including the Kaponga Dairy, the 4 Square (supermarket), Taranaki Farmers (a rural supply business), a bed-and-breakfast (Constable Cottage), veterinary services (Coastal Veterinary Services Ltd), RD 1 (another rural supply business) and the local pub (bar). It is also home to a garden of national significance, Hollard Gardens ^[5].

There are many other businesses working in and around the village, mainly relying on the booming dairy industry. The Kaponga and surrounding community enjoys a full library service, and a South Taranaki District Council office.

Contents 1 Education 2 References 3 External links 4 Further reading 4.1 General historical works 4.2 Business history 4.3 Churches 4.3.1 Anglican 4.3.2 Catholic 4.4 Clubs and organisations 4.5 Maps 4.6 Schools 5 External links

[edit] Education

Kaponga School is a school with a decile rating of 4 and a roll of 135.^[6] The school was founded in 1891.^[7]

St Patrick's School is a state integrated Catholic school with a decile rating of 5 and a roll of 41.^[8] St Patrick's started in 1921 with lessons held in the local church. It moved into its own building in February 1922.^[9]

Both are coeducational full primary schools covering years 1-8.

[edit] References

1. ^ Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books, map 34. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8. 
2. ^ Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton, map 96. ISBN 1-877333-20-4. 
3. ^ Final counts – census night and census usually resident populations, and occupied dwellings - South Taranaki District. Statistics New Zealand.
4. ^ For the history of this society, see Gut, Theresa & Gut, Werner (2006), Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga, Eltham, [N.Z.]: Taylormade Productions .
5. ^ See Hollard gardens, Kaponga, Taranaki, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (N.Z.), 1985 
6. ^ Te Kete Ipurangi - Kaponga School. Ministry of Education.
7. ^ Kaponga School Centennial Committee (1991). Kaponga School centenary, 1891-1991. 
8. ^ Te Kete Ipurangi - St Patrick's School, Kaponga. Ministry of Education.
9. ^ Our History. St Patrick's School.

[edit] External links

• St Patrick's School website

[edit] Further reading

[edit] General historical works

• Kaponga heritage inventory, Hawera, [N.Z.]: South Taranaki District Council, 2000 
• Kaponga heritage inventory, Hawera, [N.Z.]: South Taranaki District Council, 2003 
• Welcome to Kaponga: district centennial [and] Rugby Club 75th : 5-6-7 March 1982: souvenir programme, Kaponga, [N.Z.]: n.p., 1982 
• Arnold, Elizabeth (Betty) (1997), Kaponga people, 1881-c.1920: a finding aid, Wellington, [N.Z.]: E. Arnold 
• Arnold, Rollo & Arnold, Elizabeth (Betty) (1997), Settler Kaponga, 1881-1914: a frontier fragment of the western world, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Victoria University Press, ISBN 0-864-73329-1 
• Gut, Theresa & Gut, Werner (2006), Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga, Eltham, [N.Z.]: Taylormade Productions 
• Harding, Geoffrey J. et al. (1982), The Kaponga story, Kaponga, [N.Z.] ; Stratford, [N.Z.]: Kaponga Centennial Steering Committee ; Stratford Press & Printing 
• Stent, O.M. (1916), Memories of Kaponga: Memories of S. Mark's Church, Kaponga, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Wright & Carman 

[edit] Business history

Some of Kaponga's banking history is publicly accessible, but none of it is held in Taranaki.

• The history of the ANZ bank is held in the ANZ National Bank Ltd. Archives in Wellington. For a summary of the type of records held, see ANZ Bank (New Zealand) Ltd. (X295). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
• There are duplicate sets of records for the Kaponga branch of the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac). The first is held in the J.C.Beaglehole Room, Victoria University of Wellington Library.. A summary of this holding, and of the second one (held at the Westpac Archive, P.O. Box 691, Wellington) can be found at Bank of New South Wales (Y3515). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

• Kaponga Co-operative Dairy Company report and balance sheet for the year ended 30th June 1948 and historical review: Golden Jubilee 1898 - 1948, Hawera, [N.Z.]: J.C. Ekdahl, 1948 

• Some of the records of the Kaponga Dairy Co. Ltd. (from 1898-1961) are held at Puke Ariki. in New Plymouth. The company had creameries at Mangawhare, Opunake, Riverlea, and Rowan (where there was a cheese factory as well). See Kaponga Dairy Co. Ltd (B882). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

[edit] Churches

[edit] Anglican

• Stent, O.M. (1916), Memories of Kaponga: Memories of S. Mark's Church, Kaponga, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Wright & Carman 

[edit] Catholic

• Crowley, Patrick Sarsfield (1971), St. Patrick's Convent jubilee, 1921-1971, Eltham, [N.Z.]: Rosen-Argus 

[edit] Clubs and organisations

• Hollard gardens, Kaponga, Taranaki, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (N.Z.), 1985 
• Welcome to Kaponga: district centennial [and] Rugby Club 75th : 5-6-7 March 1982: souvenir programme, Kaponga, [N.Z.]: n.p., 1982 
• Collins, Fiona (1991), A brief history of Kaponga C.W.I., Kaponga, [N.Z.]: F. Collins 
• Gut, Theresa & Gut, Werner (2006), Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga, Eltham, [N.Z.]: Taylormade Productions 
• Harding, Geoffrey J. et al. (1982), The Kaponga story, Kaponga, [N.Z.] ; Stratford, [N.Z.]: Kaponga Centennial Steering Committee ; Stratford Press & Printing  Note: Contains the history of the Kaponga Rugby Club, 1907-1982.

[edit] Maps

• New Zealand Department of Lands & Survey (1907), Kaponga town district, Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Department of Lands & Survey 
  

Scale: 1: 3 168 (i.e. 1/20 in. to the mile) NZMS 16

• Brookes, Edwin Stanley (1882), Kaponga village settlement, Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand General Survey Office  Scale: 1: 4 752 (i.e. 1/13.3 in. to the mile)

[edit] Schools

• Kaponga Public School: diamond jubilee: 12th, 13th and 14th May, 1951, Kaponga, [N.Z.]: Kaponga Public School, 1951 
• Kaponga Public School: 75th jubilee, 1891-1966, Kaponga, [N.Z.] ; Hawera, [N.Z.]: Jubilee Executive Committee ; Hawera Star Print, 1966 
• Kaponga School centenary, 1891-1991, Kaponga, [N.Z.] ; New Plymouth, [N.Z.]: The School ; TNL Print, 1991, ISBN 0-473-01432-7 
• Crowley, Patrick Sarsfield (1971), St. Patrick's Convent jubilee, 1921-1971, Eltham, [N.Z.]: Rosen-Argus 

[edit] External links

• Constable Cottage
• Coastal Veterinary Services
• Mt Taranaki Adventures
• Taranaki Swiss Club
• Settler Kaponga by R. Arnold, eText
• Photo of a Kaponga settler's home, 1900 (from Arnold)

Coordinates: 39°25′S, 174°08′E