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Kurow Te Kohurau
Rural centre
Bledisloe St (State Highway 83) in Kurow
Coordinates: 44°44′S 170°28′E / 44.733°S 170.467°E / -44.733; 170.467
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
Territorial authority	Waitaki District
Ward	Ahuriri Ward
Community	Ahuriri Community
Electorates	Waitaki Te Tai Tonga (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Waitaki District Council
• Regional council	Environment Canterbury
• Mayor of Waitaki	Gary Kircher
• Waitaki MP	Miles Anderson
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area
• Total	2.44 km (0.94 sq mi)
Population
• Total	390
• Density	160/km (410/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (New Zealand Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Postcode	9435
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

Kurow is a small town in the Waitaki District, New Zealand. It is located on the south bank of the Waitaki River, 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of Oamaru. The name is an Anglicised form of the Māori name of the nearby mountain, Te Kohurau.

History

The town was the terminus of the Kurow Branch railway, opened in 1881 to Hakataramea, across the Waitaki River, but cut back to Kurow in 1930. It closed in 1983: the line can be traced on the ground, and the station building still stands on Liverpool St. From 1928 until 1937, a line owned by the Public Works Department ran from Kurow to the hydroelectric project 6.4 km to the west.

In the 1920s, the town was the base for the building of the nearby Waitaki Dam and forming Lake Waitaki in the first of a series of hydroelectric projects on the Waitaki River. Further hydroelectricity development on the lower Waitaki River was proposed by Project Aqua and the North Bank Tunnel, however neither of these proceeded past the planning stage.

The first social security scheme for New Zealand workers was designed in the town, arising from Presbyterian Minister of Kurow Arnold Nordmeyer's experience of working with families of workers on the Waitaki hydro-electric project.

The land around the town includes summerfruit orchards, and increasing amounts of Pinot noir are being planted in the limestone soils. In 2021, there were 13 wineries and vineyards in operation in the Waitaki valley.

Kurow had been trying to fund a statue of Richie McCaw since 2016 but has struggled to raise the required money. A seven metre tall statue was being considered at one stage.

Demographics

Kurow is described as a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand, and covers 2.44 km (0.94 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 390 as of June 2024, with a population density of 160 people per km. It is part of the larger Danseys Pass statistical area.

Before the 2023 census, Kurow had a larger boundary, covering 4.91 km (1.90 sq mi). Using that boundary, Kurow had a population of 372 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 51 people (15.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 24 people (6.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 165 households, comprising 192 males and 180 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female, with 54 people (14.5%) aged under 15 years, 30 (8.1%) aged 15 to 29, 144 (38.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 147 (39.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 91.9% European/Pākehā, 12.9% Māori, 4.0% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 36.3% had no religion, 50.0% were Christian, 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% were Muslim and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 27 (8.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 108 (34.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 30 people (9.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 126 (39.6%) people were employed full-time, 51 (16.0%) were part-time, and 6 (1.9%) were unemployed.

Danseys Pass statistical area

The Danseys Pass statistical area, which also includes Duntroon, covers 711.49 km (274.71 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,090 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1.5 people per km.

Danseys Pass had a population of 987 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 72 people (7.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 123 people (14.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 399 households, comprising 504 males and 483 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 45.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 189 people (19.1%) aged under 15 years, 141 (14.3%) aged 15 to 29, 438 (44.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 219 (22.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 88.1% European/Pākehā, 9.7% Māori, 8.2% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 16.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 43.5% had no religion, 42.2% were Christian, 0.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.2% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 1.2% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 90 (11.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 213 (26.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. 90 people (11.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 399 (50.0%) people were employed full-time, 132 (16.5%) were part-time, and 12 (1.5%) were unemployed.

Hotels

Kurow Hotel

Christian Hille opened an accommodation house in Kurow in the 1860s. In the 1880s William Goddard took over the business and built a hotel with 24 rooms, a billiard room and stables for horses. The building was designed by Oamaru architect John Megget Forrester, who also reinstated the hotel after it was damaged by fire in 1892. The new building, constructed of Oamaru stone, had 18 bedrooms, five sitting rooms and a dining room which could seat 30. There was also a billiard room and large stables. In 1905 the hotel suffered another serious fire and the hotel moved into the adjoining hall while the building was repaired and rebuilt.

In 1986, the Kurow Hotel was listed as a Category 2 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand. It is located at 55 Bledisloe Street.

Waitaki Hotel

Waitaki Hotel was built in 1940 in the Art Deco style, as a replacement for the Bridge Hotel (1860 - 1908). It is located at 37 Bledisloe Street.

Kurow Museum

The Kurow Museum is located at 57 Bledisloe Street. It showcases early settlers in the area and the development of the social security scheme to help families in need.

Awakino Ski Area

Kurow is the closest town to Awakino Ski Area which is 15 kilometres away, accessed through Awakino Station.

Education

Waitaki Valley School is a full primary school catering for years 1 to 8, with a roll of 111 students as of August 2024. The school was created from the merger in 2004 of Kurow Area, Otematata, Cattle Creek and Hakataramea schools. It moved to its present site in 2012.

Notable people

Notable people with connections to Kurow include:

• Steve Hotton, Otago rugby player
• Roy Kerr, mathematician
• Richie McCaw, All Black captain
• Dr Gervan McMillan and his wife Ethel, residents of Kurow from 1929 to 1934; Dr McMillan ran a medical practice there.
• Arnold Nordmeyer, minister of finance and Labour Party politician
• Charles Saxton. All Black and rugby administrator

Climate

References

Media related to Kurow at Wikimedia Commons

1. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
2. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
3. Which means 'a thousand mists'.Otago places
4. Taylor, Nick; Harris, Simon; McClintock, Wayne; Mackay, Mike (May 2015). "Upper Waitaki Limit Setting Process: Social-economic Profile of the Waitaki Catchment". Ecan. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
5. Clark, Helen (12 August 2008). "PM commemorates world-first social security system". beehive.govt.nz.
6. Yardley, Mike. "Mike Yardley: Drifting through Waitaki's Lakes District". ZB. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
7. "Kurow considers 7m Richie McCaw industrial-style statue". Stuff. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
8. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7027651 and 7027652.
9. "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
10. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Danseys Pass (343300). 2018 Census place summary: Danseys Pass
11. "Welcome to Heritage New Zealand". Welcome to Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
12. "Welcome to Heritage New Zealand". Welcome to Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
13. ^ "ABOUT". Waitaki Hotel. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
14. "Bridge Hotel, Kurow. J O'Neill, proprietor". Culture Waitaki Collection Online. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
15. "Kurow Museum". Kurow. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
16. "Kurow Museum – Waitaki, New Zealand". waitakinz.com. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
17. "Awakino Ski Area". skiawakino.com. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
18. Education Counts: Waitaki Valley School
19. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
20. "Our School". Waitaki Valley School. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
21. Cogle, Fleur (26 February 2013). "Valley's 21st century school". Timaru Herald.
22. Eunson, Keith. "McMillan, Ethel Emma - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
23. Heydon, Susan. "McMillan, David Gervan - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
24. "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Kurow Area School". NIWA. Retrieved 10 May 2024.

• Waitaki District
• Populated places in the Canterbury Region
• Wine regions of New Zealand