Hunterville
Hunterville is a small community on State Highway 1, in the Rangitikei district of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located half way between Taupo and Wellington and has a population (2013 census) of 429.[1]
The township was founded in 1884 by a merchant named George Hunter. It straddles the state highway as well as the main trunk railway in the foothills forming the gateway to the Central Plateau.
Kiwiburn, the New Zealand Burning Man regional burn, has been held here since 2014.
The closest airport or airfield to Hunterville is Ohakea Aerodrome, an important Air Force base, which is sited 33 km to the south west. 6 km north of Hunterville is Vinegar Hill.
The Hunterville railway station on the North Island Main Trunk line opened in 1887 and closed in 1988.
Hunterville is well known for its statue of the huntaway, a specialised herding dog that uses its voice to drive the sheep. The town festival and market held on the first Saturday after Labour Day has a "Shepherds Shemozzle" - a race with man and dog with shepherds travelling from all over New Zealand to compete for the top prize.[2]
Notable people
- William Meldrum (1865–1964), solicitor in Hunterville and chairman of the Hunterville Town Board prior to WWI[3]
References
- ↑ Quickstats about Hunterville
- ↑ "Hunterville's 'Shepherds' Shemozzle'". Radio.co.nz. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- ↑ Grover, Ray. "William Meldrum". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
Coordinates: 39°56′S 175°34′E / 39.933°S 175.567°E
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