Kaponga

Infobox Settlement
name = Kaponga
population_total = 372
population_as_of = 2006
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = New Zealand
subdivision_type1= Region
subdivision_name1= Taranaki
subdivision_type2= District
subdivision_name2= South Taranaki District
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = left
latd = 39
latm = 25
lats = 46
latNS = S
longd = 174
longm = 8
longs = 58
longEW = E

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. Auroa lies to the south-east. Manaia is 15 km south of Kaponga. [cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7900-0952-8|author=Peter Dowling (editor)|publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 34] [cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|id=ISBN 1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 96]

The population was 372 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 21 from 2001. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/2006-census-data/final-counts/tarankai-region.htm|title=Final counts – census night and census usually resident populations, and occupied dwellings - South Taranaki District|publisher=Statistics New Zealand]

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 [ For the history of this society, see citation |first1 = Theresa |last1 = Gut |first2 = Werner |last2 = Gut |title = Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga |place = Eltham, [N.Z.] |publisher = Taylormade Productions |year = 2006 .]

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 [See citation |title = Hollard gardens, Kaponga, Taranaki |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (N.Z.) |year = 1985 ] .

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.

Education

Kaponga School is a school with a decile rating of 4 and a roll of 135. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=2095|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Kaponga School|publisher=Ministry of Education] The school was founded in 1891. [cite book |url=http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-ArnSett-b6.html |title = Kaponga School centenary, 1891-1991 |author = Kaponga School Centennial Committee |year = 1991 |ISBN = 0-473-01432-7 ] In 2005, Kapuni and Mahoe schools closed and merged into Kaponga School. [cite web|url=http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/schooling/directories/?a=7772|title=Mergers, Closures and New Schools, January 2005 - December 2005|publisher=Education Counts|format=XLS]

St Patrick's School is a state integrated Catholic school with a decile rating of 5 and a roll of 41. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=2240|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - St Patrick's School, Kaponga|St Patrick's School|publisher=Ministry of Education] St Patrick's started in 1921 with lessons held in the local church. It moved into its own building in February 1922. [cite web|url=http://www.stpatskaponga.school.nz/history.php|title=Our History|publisher=St Patrick's School]

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

References

External links

* [http://www.stpatskaponga.school.nz St Patrick's School website]

Further reading

General historical works

:*citation |title = Kaponga heritage inventory |place = Hawera, [N.Z.] |publisher = South Taranaki District Council |year = 2000 :*citation |title = Kaponga heritage inventory |place = Hawera, [N.Z.] |publisher = South Taranaki District Council |year = 2003 :*citation |title = Welcome to Kaponga: district centennial [and] Rugby Club 75th : 5-6-7 March 1982: souvenir programme |place = Kaponga, [N.Z.] |publisher = n.p. |year = 1982 :*citation |first = Elizabeth (Betty) |last = Arnold |title = Kaponga people, 1881-c.1920: a finding aid |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = E. Arnold |year = 1997 :*citation |first1 = Rollo |last1 = Arnold |first2 = Elizabeth (Betty) |last2 = Arnold |title = Settler Kaponga, 1881-1914: a frontier fragment of the western world |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Victoria University Press |year = 1997 |ISBN = 0-864-73329-1 |URL = http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-ArnSett.html Available online at http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-005082.html:*citation |first1 = Theresa |last1 = Gut |first2 = Werner |last2 = Gut |title = Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga |place = Eltham, [N.Z.] |publisher = Taylormade Productions |year = 2006 :*citation |first = Geoffrey J. et al. |last = Harding |title = The Kaponga story |place = Kaponga, [N.Z.] ; Stratford, [N.Z.] |publisher = Kaponga Centennial Steering Committee ; Stratford Press & Printing |year = 1982 :*citation |first = O.M. |last = Stent |title = Memories of Kaponga: Memories of S. Mark's Church, Kaponga |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Carman |year = 1916

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 web cite |title = ANZ Bank (New Zealand) Ltd. (X295) |url = http://www.nram.org.nz/record.php?id=5346&parent=searchresults&match=Phrase&format=Long&sort=title&words=Eltham
accessdate = 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 web cite |title = J.C.Beaglehole Room, Victoria University of Wellington Library |url = http://www.vuw.ac.nz/collections/jcbr/index.aspx. A summary of this holding, and of the second one (held at the Westpac Archive, P.O. Box 691, Wellington) can be found at web cite |title = Bank of New South Wales (Y3515) |url = http://www.nram.org.nz/record.php?id=12285&parent=searchresults&match=Phrase&format=Long&sort=title&words=Eltham
accessdate = 2008-01-10

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

*Some of the records of the Kaponga Dairy Co. Ltd. "(from 1898-1961)" are held at web cite |title = Puke Ariki |url = http://www.pukeariki.com/en/resources/collections.htm in New Plymouth. The company had creameries at Mangawhare, Opunake, Riverlea, and Rowan (where there was a cheese factory as well). See web cite |title = Kaponga Dairy Co. Ltd (B882) |url = http://www.nram.org.nz/record.php?id=7008&parent=searchresults&match=Phrase&format=Long&sort=title&words=Kaponga+Dairy |accessdate = 2008-01-10

Churches

Anglican

:*citation |first = O.M. |last = Stent |title = Memories of Kaponga: Memories of S. Mark's Church, Kaponga |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Wright & Carman |year = 1916

Catholic

:*citation |first = Patrick Sarsfield |last = Crowley |title = St. Patrick's Convent jubilee, 1921-1971 |place = Eltham, [N.Z.] |publisher = Rosen-Argus |year = 1971

Clubs and organisations

:*citation |title = Hollard gardens, Kaponga, Taranaki |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (N.Z.) |year = 1985 :*citation |title = Welcome to Kaponga: district centennial [and] Rugby Club 75th : 5-6-7 March 1982: souvenir programme |place = Kaponga, [N.Z.] |publisher = n.p. |year = 1982 :*citation |first = Fiona |last = Collins |title = A brief history of Kaponga C.W.I. |place = Kaponga, [N.Z.] |publisher = F. Collins |year = 1991 :*citation |first1 = Theresa |last1 = Gut |first2 = Werner |last2 = Gut |title = Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga |place = Eltham, [N.Z.] |publisher = Taylormade Productions |year = 2006 :*citation |first = Geoffrey J. et al. |last = Harding |title = The Kaponga story |place = Kaponga, [N.Z.] ; Stratford, [N.Z.] |publisher = Kaponga Centennial Steering Committee ; Stratford Press & Printing |year = 1982 Note: Contains the history of the Kaponga Rugby Club, 1907-1982.

Maps

:*citation |author = New Zealand Department of Lands & Survey |title = Kaponga town district |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = New Zealand Department of Lands & Survey |year = 1907
Scale: 1: 3 168 (i.e. 1/20 in. to the mile) NZMS 16:*citation |first = Edwin Stanley |last = Brookes |title = Kaponga village settlement |place = Wellington, [N.Z.] |publisher = New Zealand General Survey Office |year = 1882 Scale: 1: 4 752 (i.e. 1/13.3 in. to the mile)

chools

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

External links

* [http://www.constablecottage.co.nz Constable Cottage ]
* [http://www.vetservice.co.nz/coastal/ Coastal Veterinary Services ]
* [http://www.totaltravel.co.nz/travel/new-zealand/taranaki/taranaki/activities/adventuresport/mt-taranaki-adventures/ Mt Taranaki Adventures ]
* [http://www.swiss.org.nz/home.php?ID=38 Taranaki Swiss Club ]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-ArnSett.html Settler Kaponga by R. Arnold, eText]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/ArnSett-fig-ArnSett016a.html Photo of a Kaponga settler's home, 1900 (from Arnold)]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/ArnSett-fig-ArnSett232a.html Photo of a wagon in Kaponga c1911 (from Arnold)]