Kaponga

Kaponga is a small town in the southern part of the Taranaki region of New Zealand. It is known as "The Gateway to Dawson's Falls" on Mount Taranaki/Egmont. Kaponga is located inland from Manaia and Eltham, and is on the main road connecting Eltham to Opunake. Opunake is 26 kilometres (16 mi) to the west and Eltham is 13 km to the east. Auroa lies to the south-east. Manaia is 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Kaponga.[1][2]

Kaponga
Kaponga
Coordinates: 39°25′46″S 174°8′58″E
CountryNew Zealand
RegionTaranaki
DistrictSouth Taranaki District
Population
 (2013)
 • Total303
The Kaponga Logo
Mount Egmont taken from a residential home in Kaponga

The population was 303 in the 2013 Census, a decrease of 69 from 2006.[3]

History

The small town of Kaponga was settled in 1882, and has strong Swiss connections.[4] Some of the first settlers in the area were Swiss, and in 1952, the Taranaki Swiss Club was formed.[5]

The town was once a much larger town than it is today: with many stores. There are only a few shops now, including the Fish n Chip Shop (Fern's Takeaways), the 4 Square (supermarket), a bed-and-breakfast (Constable Cottage), veterinary services (Coastal Veterinary Services Ltd), RD 1 (another rural supply business), a cafe (Drift Inn Cafe) and the Kaponga Hotel (bar). It is also home to a garden of national significance, Hollard Gardens.[6]

There are many other businesses working in and around the village, mainly relying on the booming dairy industry. The Kaponga and surrounding community has a South Taranaki District Council LibraryPlus, which provides a full library service and Council related services. These services include being able to register your dog, pay your rates or inquire about obtaining a building permit. The LibraryPlus also has two APN computers, offering free internet and Skype to the public.

Education

Kaponga School

Kaponga School is a school with a roll of 97 students.[7][8] The school was founded in 1891.[9] In 2005, Kapuni and Mahoe schools closed and merged into Kaponga School.[10]

St Patrick's School

St Patrick's School is a state integrated Catholic school with a roll of 18 students.[7][11] St Patrick's started in 1921 with lessons held in the local church. It moved into its own building in February 1922.[12]

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

Association Football

The Kaponga Soccer Club[13] was formed in 1906 and is one of the oldest football clubs in Taranaki.[14] The club has won the Taranaki Championship three times, in 1909[15]1912 and 1924.[16] In 1926 the club won the Manaia Hibernian Society 7-a-side cup before disbanding for a time. A new club emerged in the area under the name Egmont United in 1929, made from Kaponga, Auroa, Eltham and Stratford players before dissolving in 1931.

References
  1. Peter Dowling (editor) (2004), Reed New Zealand Atlas, Reed Books, map 34, ISBN 0-7900-0952-8CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link).
  2. Roger Smith, GeographX (2005), The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand, Robbie Burton, map 96, ISBN 1-877333-20-4.
  3. 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Kaponga
  4. "Kaponga Travel Guide". Jasons Travel Media.
  5. For the history of this society, see Gut, Theresa; Gut, Werner (2006), Made in Switzerland - for Kaponga, Eltham, [N.Z.]: Taylormade Productions.
  6. See Hollard gardens, Kaponga, Taranaki, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (N.Z.), 1985.
  7. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. Education Counts: Kaponga School
  9. Kaponga School Centennial Committee (1991), Kaponga School centenary, 1891-1991, Kaponga, N.Z.: The School?, ISBN 0-473-01432-7
  10. "Mergers, Closures and New Schools, January 2005 - December 2005" (XLS). Education Counts.
  11. Education Counts: St Patrick's School
  12. "Our History". St Patrick's School.
  13. "Kaponga Soccer Club - Home". www.sporty.co.nz. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  14. "Sport 1900–08 | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  15. specified, Not. "Group portrait of a male soccer team from Kaponga". Group portrait of a male soccer team ... | Items | National Library of New Zealand | National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  16. "New Zealand - List of Champions". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 2020-06-10.

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