Oruawharo Homestead

Oruawharo Homestead in 2009

Oruawharo Homestead is an historic homestead built in 1879 in Takapau, Central Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. It was designed by Wellington architect Charles Tringham in the Italianate style and built from native timbers for Sydney and Sophia Johnston by Sydney's father, the politician and merchant John Johnston. Johnston senior of Wellington was the original purchaser of the run in the 1850s. Sydney Johnston had the nearby Takapau township surveyed in 1876.[1]

Family members were patrons of Mother Suzanne Aubert and the homestead was given to the Catholic Church in 1965. It is currently run as a wedding venue.[2]

On 7 April 1983, was building was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now known as Heritage New Zealand) as a Category I heritage structure, with registration number 1048.[1]

The building has 21 rooms and uses rimu for many of its timber fittings.[3]

Railway station

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Oruawharo had a railway station from about 1882 to 1896. In 1874 Edmund Allan and Samuel[4] Kingstreet[5] won a £14,100 contract for the 14 mi (23 km) extension of the Napier to Waipukurau railway south to Takapau.[6] It opened on 12 March 1877.[7] Oruawharo seems to have first appeared in a timetable as a flag station in 1882.[8] It was about 1⁄4 mi (400 m) from the house and 5 mi 1 ch (8.1 km) to the south of Hatuma (or Woburn) railway station.[9] An application by Sydney Johnston for a private siding was mentioned on 19 March 1888. In 1896 and 1897 it was recorded as having a shelter shed and platform.[9] It seems to have last appeared in a railway timetable in 1896.[10]

In 1981, when the Silver Fern Farms slaughterhouse opened,[11] a new passing loop at Oruawharo replaced that at Takapau.[9] It is still in use.[12]

  Former adjoining stations  
Takapau
Line open, station closed
4.7 km (2.9 mi) 		  Palmerston North–Gisborne Line   Hatuma
Line open, station closed
8.1 km (5.0 mi)

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oruawharo Homestead.
  1. ^ a b "Oruawharo". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Welcome". Oruawharo. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  3. ^ "WAIPAWA MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 August 1879. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 – 1900). 16 May 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  5. ^ "OBITUARY. OAMARU MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 December 1909. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Telegraphic Intelligence. HAWKE'S BAY TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 April 1874. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  7. ^ "HAWKE'S BAY HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 8 March 1877. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  8. ^ "HAWKE'S BAY HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 March 1882. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Station Archive". NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. ^ "RAILWAY TIME-TABLE. HASTINGS STANDARD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 May 1896. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  11. ^ Pollock, Kerryn. "Takapau". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  12. ^ "465 Oruawharo Rd". Google Maps. December 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2021.

40°01′47″S 176°23′09″E / 40.0297°S 176.3859°E / -40.0297; 176.3859

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