Paroa, West Coast

Paroa
Paroa
Coordinates:
Country New Zealand
Region West Coast
District Grey District

Paroa is a settlement on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, just south of Greymouth. State Highway 6 and the Hokitika Branch railway both run through Paroa.[1][2] This railway was originally a bush tramway that opened to Paroa from Greymouth in 1867 and was extended to Kumara in 1877.[3] It was converted into a railway in 1893, and this time, ran from Paroa to Hokitika rather than Kumara.[4]

Shantytown, to the south-east of Paroa, is a recreation of a typical 1880s West Coast gold mining town, built in 1971 and operating as a commercial tourist attraction.[5]

Education

Paroa School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 172.[6] The school originally accepted year 1-6 pupils only, but changed to include year 7 and 8 students in 2001.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 69. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8. 
  2. ^ Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. pp. map 156. ISBN 1-877333-20-4. 
  3. ^ "Kumara, Westland". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966). http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/K/KumaraWestland/KumaraWestland/en. 
  4. ^ "Hokitika-Grey railway". West Coast Times. 25 May 1893. p. 2. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=WCT18930525.2.10. 
  5. ^ "History of Shantytown". http://shantytown.co.nz/Shantytown/HISTORY_OF_SHANTYTOWN_IDL=11_IDT=1492_ID=9045_.html. Retrieved 2008-07-29. 
  6. ^ "Te Kete Ipurangi - Paroa School, Greymouth". Ministry of Education. http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=3472. 
  7. ^ "Education Review Report - Paroa School". Education Review Office. June 2004. http://www.ero.govt.nz/ERO\reppub.nsf/Institution/291E233B4F60F92ECC256ED10016960C/$File/3472.htm. 

External links