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Katikati has a rich and varied history. The town is located between Tauranga and Waihi on the Uretara Stream. The land on which the town was established was obtained as part of an 'enforced sale' after the Battle of Te Ranga in 1864.
In 1875 settlers from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland arrived in Katikati. The settlement, known as the ‘Ulster Plantation’, was the brainchild of Katikati’s founder George Vesey Stewart (1831-1920). Stewart had arrived in New Zealand in 1874 searching for land on which to establish a new settlement. He applied for the Katikati block, which he was granted. The land was later awarded as land grants in farm lots. Upon his return to Ireland he recruited settlers through lectures, circulars and the Orange Lodge. The main ships that the first settlers arrived on were:
- 1875 Carisbrook Castle
- 1878 Lady Jocelyn
Today, Katikati is also known for the many murals painted on walls around the town, a project which started in the 1990s as a way to attract tourists to the area and revitalize the town. There is also the Haiku Pathway which opened in 2000 beside the Uretara River adorned with poem engraved boulders. Source: Debbie McCauley.
Notable people
- George Thomas McCauley: World Champion Axeman.
- Alan Edward Mulgan: Journalist, writer, and broadcaster.
- Richard O'Brien: Actor, director, and producer.
- George Vesey Stewart: The 'father' of Katikati.
- Bunny Walters: Singer