Heritage Talk - Te Repo o Hikurangi - Hikurangi Swamp

Different Layers of Place

Hikurangi just north of Whangārei is a fascinating place. The area used to be one of Aotearoa’s biggest wetlands before it was mostly drained during the 20th century.

For Māori , Te Repo o Hikurangi (the Hikurangi Swamp) was and still is a rich resource for kai (food) and materials, such as tuna (eels), manu (birds) and kōrari (flax). When Europeans settled in this area, they started to clear the bush. The timber trade and the discovery of coal at the end of the 19th century were responsible for the initial growth and prosperity of Hikurangi township.

In the early 20th century, drainage schemes to convert wetlands into pasture for farmland meant the Hikurangi Swamp began to be drained in earnest - increasing milk production for the local dairy factory. As a result of these industries, Hikurangi developed into a thriving little town with its own council, shops and places for entertainment.

Lisa Clunie and Thorsten Hoppe will talk about the history of the Hikurangi Swamp accompanied by some information about Hikurangi’s wider industrial and social history. They will discuss some of the numerous aspects that make the area so interesting.

Free entry.

No booking is required. Seating is strictly limited on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event is in the Cafler Suite, Forum North.

Photo above of the Hikurangi Swamp taken by Lisa Clunie, 2020.

Please visit our website for more information.