Anakiwa

History

Anakiwa had long been a Māori settlement, most recently occupied by members of the Ngāti Rāhiri hapū of Te Āti Awa iwi until 1859 when they returned to Taranaki, at least in part to fight in the First Taranaki War. In earlier centuries, the Ngai Tara iwi had influence over the area. It was included in the New Zealand Company's deed of purchase in 1839, though there is doubt that the chiefs of the region understood the document or that it was correctly translated. In 1864, the New Zealand Government granted land to the Beauchamp family for farming in Anakiwa. In 1928 the family built a guesthouse on the site, which was purchased with donated funds by Hamish Thomas as the site for Outward Bound New Zealand. It was opened as "The Cobham Outward Bound School" in 1962 by Governor-General Lord Cobham. Anakiwa School was extant between 1910 and 1934. It closed in 1936. The Cobham Outward Bound School is sometimes called Anakiwa School. Tirimoana is a settlement within Anakiwa which was originally known as the Tirimoana Subdivision of the farm lands that once occupied the area to the south and west of Outward Bound School. It contains Tirimoana Reserve. Boundary Gate Corner which is 3.25 kilometres from the Queen Charlotte Drive intersection, marked the boundary between the two farms in the early 1900s, and a gate once stood here across the access road. Today, there is a sign and bench seat which marks this location.