Opoutere
locality in Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato Region, New Zealand
Opoutere is a locality and beach on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand. It lies to the east of State Highway 25, south of Pauanui and north of Whangamatā. The Wharekawa Harbour lies to the south east.
The name "Opoutere" means "place of floating posts".
History
The first known settlers of the area were the Ngāti Hei. They were supplanted by the Ngāti Hako in the mid 17th century, who were replaced through conquest by Ngāti Hikairo. Marutuāhu granted Hikairo possession of lands won in conquest as part of the confederation, and so Hikairo from his Pa at Turuakange (Turua) extended his mana whenua in a straight line Pakirarahi, Wharekawa, Tairua, Pauanui, Opoutere
In the 1870s and 1880s, gold prospectors staked claims on quartz outcrops around the Wharekewa Harbour, resulting in half a dozen major gold strikes, and several mines being established in the 1890s. Kauri logging was underway in the 1890s too, and as it petered out, gum-diggers moved in. At the start of the 20th century, there was a settlement of about 50 people near the mouth of the harbour, with a store, a bakery and a post office. An Anglican church was built but was taken over by Ringatū worshippers.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Opoutere” as locality in Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato Region, New Zealand. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as locality in Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato Region, New Zealand. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 18, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q7098528. Authority coordinates are -37.111, 175.873. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Opoutere”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Opoutere primary sources, Opoutere archive and Opoutere research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Opoutere”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Opoutere” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.