Masterton has no natural lake nearby and for many years its citizens and politicians looked for ways to create ‘ornamental waters’. A water supply dam on Lansdowne Hill, behind the Hansells factory, was a popular site from the 1890s until 1924 when it was destroyed in...

The area now occupied by ‘Middle Run’ farm was owned by Wellington-based businessman and farmer, and Carterton benefactor, Charles Rooking Carter, the central part of his extensive land holdings in the area. In 1889 it was purchased by Alfred Booth, the son of William...

Lighting The Way Castlepoint is a picturesque spot but the coast nearby could be treacherous until it was lit up. Wairarapa's east coast is a dangerous place for ships. Over time reefs, winds and dangerous currents have conspired to wreck a large number of vessels....

When the large Tauherenikau block was bought by the Government in the early 1850s, a block was set aside for the creation of a church village at Papawai just south of the Waiohine River, adjoining the land granted to the Small Farm Association for their settlement of...

Maori have lived in the Masterton district for over 600 years. Until the time of pakeha settlement the majority of tangata whenua lived primarily in coastal areas, although some kainga were to be found in the interior, usually near rivers and lakes. One of the closest...

Visitors to Martinborough might not notice something unique about the way the streets are laid out but anyone flying over the township would realise instantly – the streets are in the shape of the Union Jack, and it is all thanks to founder John Martin. There had long...

Nestled under the Rimutaka Range, Featherston, the southern gateway to Wairarapa, is a town crammed with historic interest. The first settlers to live on the site were the redoubtable Henry Burling (who lived to well over 100) and his family, who operated a hotel at...

Greytown was the first of the Wairarapa towns to be settled, in March 1854. It was formed under the aegis of the Small Farms Association, a group of Wellington and Hutt Valley settlers of small means who were worried that the wealthy were in a position to buy the...

Carterton, the daffodil capital of New Zealand, is Wairarapa’s second largest town. Originally known as Three Mile Bush, it was established in 1857 on the road between Greytown and Masterton. Its name was changed to commemorate Charles Rooking Carter, a local...

Masterton is the largest town in Wairarapa, its 19,500 accounting for nearly half the population of the region. It is situated on the banks of the Waingawa and Waipoua Rivers, and serves as the region’s unofficial capital providing most government services. It is also...