Whataroa

Whataroa is a small township in southern Westland on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the western bank of the Whataroa River, with the village of Te Taho on the other side. State Highway 6 passes through Whataroa on its route from Ross to the Franz Josef Glacier. Hari Hari is 31 kilometres (19 mi) to the north-east, and Franz Josef is 32 km to the south-west.[1][2]

Whataroa
State Highway 6 running through Whataroa, with Mount Adams in the background
Whataroa
Coordinates: 43°15′42″S 170°21′32″E
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWest Coast
DistrictWestland District
ElectoratesWest Coast-Tasman
Te Tai Tonga
Population
 (2013)
 • Total288
Local iwiNgāi Tahu

The population of Whataroa and its surrounding area was 288 in the 2013 census, a decrease of 117 from 2006.[3]

Whataroa is located in an agricultural area where dairying is the primary activity. The town contains establishments such as a school, two churches, and a dairy and tearooms. It is also a staging base for trips to a white heron sanctuary that is the only breeding location of white heron in New Zealand,[4][5] and for trips to the natural exposure of the Alpine Fault at Gaunt Creek.[6]

Te Taho, a small farming community, is located north of Whataroa on State Highway 6. It once included a maternity hospital and a number of schools.[7]

Attractions

Whataroa hosts the South Westland A&P Show annually in February. Founded in 1951, events include equestrian competitions, dairy cattle judging, dog trials, trade displays and various family entertainment.

The Woodham Shield is an annual rugby competition in which Whataroa and neighboring towns, Franz- Fox- Haast, Hari Hari and Ross, compete against each other for possession of the shield.[8]

History

Whataroa was the site of cattle sales twice a year from 1875, serving farmers from around South Westland.[9] The last mob of cattle was driven to Whataroa in 1961.[10]

A dairy factory was established at Whataroa before World War I.[11]

Churches

Our Lady of the Woods
Our Lady of the Woods in 2020

Our Lady of the Woods is a Catholic church located at 7 Whataroa Flat Road, Whataroa, within the South Westland parish of Our Lady of the Woods.[12]

The 0.8-hectare (2-acre) site for the church and presbytery was donated by Mrs Butler, whose husband had gifted the site for the previous Catholic church in Whataroa.[13] The Bishop of Christchurch, Matthew Brodie, laid the foundation stone on 22 April 1934,[14] and the church was blessed and dedicated later that year, on 30 September, by Bishop Brodie.[15]

Mass is held at Our Lady of the Snows twice monthly, on the first and third Sundays.[12]

St Luke's

St Luke's Church is an Anglican church in the parish of Ross and South Westland, 0.85 kilometres (0.53 mi) north of Our Lady of the Woods on Whataroa Flat Road.[16] The church was dedicated by Bishop Julius on 10 July 1919, during his annual visit to the West Coast.[17][18] The church includes a three-light memorial stained-glass window behind the altar, donated by the Burrough family in memory of Joseph Burrough who died while serving in France during World War I.[18]

Education

Whataroa School is a coeducational full primary school (years 1–8), with a decile rating of 7[19] and a roll of 30[20] as at March 2020. The school was established in 1879[21] and celebrated its 125th jubilee in 2004.[22]

Hydrothermal activity

Whataroa sits on the Alpine Fault, a seismically active area. In 2017 scientists reported they had discovered beneath Whataroa "extreme" hydrothermal activity which "could be commercially very significant".[23][24]

References
  1. Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. map 74. ISBN 978-0-7900-0952-0.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  2. Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. map 173. ISBN 978-1-877333-20-0.
  3. 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Whataroa
  4. "Whataroa - Westland District Council". Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  5. "White Heron Sanctury Tours". whiteherontours.co.nz. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  6. "Alpine Fault Tours". www.alpinefaulttours.co.nz. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
  7. McCormack, Trish. "Gunn, Mabel Winifred". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  8. Shield stays in Whataroa Archived 2013-11-06 at the Wayback Machine. Greymouth Star
  9. Rogers, Anna (2005). Illustrated History of the West Coast. Auckland: Reed Books. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-7900-1022-9.
  10. "Historic Haast to Paringa Cattle Track". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  11. Rogers, p. 100.
  12. "South Westland – Our Lady of the Woods Parish – Our Lady of the Woods (Whataroa)". Catholic Diocese of Christchurch. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  13. "West Coast notes". The Press. 26 April 1934. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  14. "Church opened". Hokitika Guardian. 17 September 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  15. "West Coast notes". The Press. 3 October 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  16. "St Luke's – Whataroa – Ross and South Westland Parish". Anglican Life. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. "The West Coast: impressions of Bishop Julius". Lyttelton Times. 18 July 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  18. Ringer, Bruce (19 May 2017). "St Luke memorial window, Whataroa". New Zealand History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  19. Education Counts: Whataroa School
  20. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  21. "About our school". Whataroa School. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  22. "Whataroa District Schools 125th Reunion". Education Gazette New Zealand. 83 (3). 23 February 2004.
  23. Sutherland, R., Townend, J., Toy, V., Upton, P., Coussens, J., and 61 other (2017) "Extreme hydrothermal conditions at an active plate-bounding fault". Letter to Nature. doi:10.1038/nature22355
  24. Geothermal discovery on West Coast Otago Daily Times, 18 May 2017.
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