Mataura facts for kids

Mataura is a town in the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It has a large plant that processes meat. Until the year 2000, Mataura was also home to a big pulp and paper mill.

Geography of Mataura

Mataura is located on State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway. It sits on the eastern edge of the Southland Plain. The town is about 13 kilometers southwest of Gore. It is also 53 kilometers northeast of Invercargill.

South of Mataura, State Highway 96 splits off from State Highway 1. This road goes west through nearby towns like Te Tipua and Waitane. It ends in Ohai.

The town is built on both sides of the Mataura River. This river flows south through Mataura. It is a popular spot for catching brown trout. Just north of town, the river drops 6.1 meters (20 feet) over sandstone. This creates the Mataura Falls. Local Māori call these falls Te Aunui, which means "the great current."

The land rises to the Hokonui Hills about 13 kilometers to the northwest. To the east of Mataura, there is a series of smaller hills.

History and Culture of Mataura

Early Māori History

Before European settlers arrived, there was no permanent Māori village exactly where Mataura is today. However, Māori knew this area well. They came every October to harvest lamprey, which they called 'kana kana'. These fish would swim up the falls during their yearly journey.

The closest Māori village was Tūtūrau. This unfortified village was on the east bank of the Mataura River. It was about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) downstream from the current town. In 1836, this village was the site of the last Māori battle in the South Island. A war party of about 70 fighters attacked Tūtūrau. They were from the Ngāti Tama and Te Āti Awa tribes. Their leader was Te Pūoho-o-te-rangi. The local Ngāi Tahu tribe later took back the village. Their leaders were Hone Tūhawaiki and Te Matenga Taiaroa.

European Settlement Begins

In 1854, the Murihiku land block, which included Mataura, was bought from local Māori. The goal was to prepare the land for settlers from Great Britain. At that time, travelers between Southland and Otago used the Mataura area. They crossed the river at two main spots: the Tuturau ford downstream and another ford upstream.

By 1856, it was clear that a ferry was needed at the falls. This would allow direct land travel between Dunedin and Invercargill. The only other way was by sea, which was dangerous.

Building Bridges and Hotels

In 1859, the Otago Provincial Government built a wooden bridge. It rested on a large rock in the middle of the falls. This bridge was only for people walking. Large animals and vehicles still had to use the ferry. The bridge was often wet from the falls' spray. To fix this, dynamite was used to remove part of the falls. This damaged the natural look of the falls. Sadly, a big flood on April 22, 1861, completely destroyed the bridge.

To encourage people to use the bridge, the council also built the Mataura Ferry Hotel. It was on the west bank of the river. John MacGibbon and his family were the first people to live in the settlement. They leased the hotel and could charge a fee for crossing the river near the falls. After the bridge was destroyed, travelers went back to using the ferry north of the falls.

In 1866, James Pollack offered to build a new bridge. He wanted the right to charge tolls for 12 years. The government said no. Instead, they built a new suspension bridge. It opened on August 27, 1868. This stronger timber bridge crossed the gorge downstream from the falls. It had 16 supporting cables. A footbridge was added in 1898.

James Pollack then built the Bridge Hotel on the east bank near the new bridge. He also asked the government to survey the area. This area was then named the Town of Mataura Bridge.

Growth as a Hub

Mataura became a major stop for mail coaches traveling between Dunedin and Invercargill. Many businesses opened on the east bank around an area called Bridge Square. In December 1868, the first post and telegraph office in the Mataura Valley opened. This made Mataura an important place for transport and communication. More businesses came, and the town became a key service center. A school was built in 1870.

Later, Cameron's Hotel (the old Mataura Ferry Hotel) moved to the west bank. This helped development on that side of the river. In 1874, the west and north parts of Mataura were surveyed.

In 1875, a railway line was built from Gore to Mataura. This, along with the new Mataura Paper Mill, helped the town grow. Mataura became a major industrial center in Eastern Southland. The railway station built in 1921 is a historic building.

Replacing the Bridge Again

Mataura road bridge (2023)

By the 1930s, the old bridge was too narrow and weak for the growing traffic. A new, stronger bridge was built by the Ministry of Works. It was placed just upstream from the old suspension bridge, which was then taken down. The new bridge opened in July 1939. It is a single concrete arch bridge, 53.8 meters (176 feet 6 inches) long.

Cleaning Up Toxic Waste

From 2015 to 2021, a material called aluminium dross was stored at the old paper mill in Mataura. This material, also known as ouvea premix, came from the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter. It was moved into the unused mill without proper permission by a company that no longer exists. There were about 8,000 tonnes of it. If this material mixed with water, it could release clouds of ammonia gas. The paper mill site could flood from the Mataura River. In August 2020, firefighters had to put out a fire that got very close to the ouvea premix. The New Zealand government and New Zealand Aluminium Smelters shared the cost of removing this waste. It was all cleaned up by July 2021.

Mataura Marae

A marae is a special meeting place for Māori people. Mataura Marae started being built in Mataura in the 1980s. Work began again in 2017. This included turning an old dairy factory into a wharekai (dining hall). The beautiful carvings on the wharenui (meeting house) were made by Te Puia in Rotorua.

In October 2020, the government gave $294,009 to help fund the marae's development. This project also created 17 jobs.

Mataura's Population

Mataura covers an area of 5.32 km² (2.05 sq mi). As of June 2023, , it had an estimated population of 1,740. This means there are about 327 people living in each square kilometer.

At the 2018 New Zealand census, Mataura had 1,629 people. This was an increase of 120 people (8.0%) since the 2013 census. It was also an increase of 69 people (4.4%) since the 2006 census.

There were 660 households in Mataura. The population included 813 males and 816 females. This means there was about 1 male for every female. The average age was 39.6 years. About 21.4% of the people were under 15 years old. About 15.8% were 65 or older.

Most people (75.5%) identified as European/Pākehā. A significant number (31.5%) identified as Māori. Other groups included Pasifika (2.8%) and Asian (2.2%). Some people identified with more than one ethnic group.

About 6.1% of people were born overseas. This is lower than the national average of 27.1%.

When asked about religion, 56.4% said they had no religion. About 32.4% were Christian. Some people had Māori religious beliefs (2.0%) or other religions.

For those aged 15 and older, 4.0% had a university degree or higher. About 36.3% had no formal qualifications. The average income was $26,600. About 50.6% of people aged 15 and over worked full-time.

Education in Mataura

Mataura School teaches students from years 1 to 6. It has a roll of 90 students as of February 2024. . The school first opened in 1878.

Older children who are in intermediate or secondary school travel by bus to Gore for their education.

Town Facilities

Mataura had a public swimming pool that opened in 1956. However, it closed down in 2017.

Electricity Supply

From 1905, the local freezing works (meat processing plant) had extra electricity. They supplied power to the nearby town of Gore. But Mataura residents still used candles and kerosene lamps. This was because of the town's financial situation.

It wasn't until 1911 that the Mataura Borough Council agreed with the freezing works. The works would increase their power generation to supply Mataura. The town took out a loan to pay for this. On October 5, 1912, Mataura finally got electricity.

Mataura kept its own power system until 1932. Then, the freezing works could no longer supply the town. The council sold its power system to the Southland Electric Power Board. This board then took over supplying electricity to Mataura.

Mataura's Industries

Mataura Dairy Factory

In January 1887, a company was formed to build and run a dairy factory. They bought land and built the factory, which started operating in November of that year. Water for making milk and cheese came from a private spring. A steam engine, powered by local coal, provided energy.

It wasn't until 1917 that the factory switched to electric power. By the early 1970s, the company was having money problems. It closed in May 1980. After that, dairy processing in the area was done at the Edendale Dairy Factory.

Mataura Paper Mill

Mataura's large paper mill in 1982, a former cornerstone of the local industry.

In the mid-1870s, a company led by James Bain wanted to build a pulp and paper mill. It was planned for the east bank of the Mataura River, downstream from the falls. The government helped by giving the company land on both sides of the river. They also gave them rights to use the water from the falls. This would provide cheap power for the paper-making machines. However, the company installed old, used machinery. This made the mill unprofitable.

In 1884, the mill was sold to new owners. Under Thomas Culling's leadership, new paper-making machines were installed by 1888. They also added two hydro generators, which used water power. In 1891, the paper mill and the freezing works built a weir together. This improved the water supply for their generators. By 1892, the mill started making a profit. By 1895, it employed 54 people.

In 1904, the Mataura Falls Paper Mill joined with other paper companies. They formed a new company called New Zealand Paper Mills. This helped end a price war between them.

By 1905, the mill had machines for making and printing paper bags. In 1913, a big flood badly damaged the mill. It took a month to repair. More paper-making machines were added in the 1920s.

In 1936, a new paper-making machine, called No.5, was installed.

In 1960, Fletchers Ltd bought a share in the company. Their investment helped modernize the mill completely. In 1970, NZ Forest Products took full ownership of New Zealand Paper Mills. The mill celebrated its 100th year in 1976.

By 1990, the mill was owned by NZ Forest Products, then by Elder Resources, and finally by Carter Holt Harvey in 1991. Between 1984 and 1991, the mill became much more efficient. Its production increased by 25%. By 1993, 230 people worked there, including twenty women. The mill operated 24 hours a day, except for two days at Christmas. Workers had eight-hour shifts, working six days on and two days off.

By 1997, the mill produced about 25,000 tonnes of paper products each year. The mill's machines used power from a mix of sources. These included on-site hydro power, steam boilers fueled by local coal, and electricity from the local grid.

By the late 1990s, the mill faced strong competition from Asian companies. This lowered paper prices around the world. The mill was losing about NZ$1 million a year. Because of these losses, Carter Holt Harvey closed the mill on August 18, 2000. This meant 155 staff lost their jobs.

Mataura Flour Mill

Local people were worried that the new paper mill would get all the rights to the falls' power. To gain their support, the paper mill owners built a flour mill on the west bank. This mill used a water wheel to power its three grinding stones.

The flour mill was taken down in 1893. This was to make space for the freezing works.

Mataura Freezing Works

The Southland Frozen Meat And Produce Export Company bought land on the west bank of the river. They built and opened the second freezing (meat processing) works in Southland. This plant opened on April 21, 1893. Freezing began four days later. The plant's machines were powered by electricity from a hydro generator. It used water diverted from the falls. A steam engine provided backup power.

By early May, the plant was processing 300 animal carcasses a day. When it opened, it had three freezing chambers. Each could hold 600 carcasses. The storage rooms could hold 16,000 carcasses. By 1897, this increased to 24,000. By 1905, 40 to 50 people worked at the plant.

In the 1947 to 1948 season, the slaughterhouse changed its method. It switched from individual butchering to a chain system. Before, one person did all the steps to butcher an animal. With the chain system, each worker did only one specific task. This change led to more seasonal workers. These workers lived in Mataura only during the killing season.

In 1982, a methane plant was installed. This allowed the complex to produce more of its own power.

After several company takeovers, the Mataura works became part of Alliance Group Limited in 1989. Today, the plant processes lamb, sheep, cattle, and bobby calves.

The plant has grown a lot over the years. It stretches a long way along the river bank. It is located between the river and State Highway 1.

Fibreboard Manufacturing

In 1997, Rayonier NZ Limited opened a new factory at Brydone. This is 8 kilometers south of Mataura. The factory makes medium-density fibreboard (MDF). This is a type of engineered wood product. Dongwha bought the facility in 2005. It was renamed the Patinna mill. It specializes in thin and high-density fibreboard products. About 90% of what it makes is exported. The mill was bought by the Japanese company Daiken in 2018.

Notable People from Mataura

• Justin Marshall – A famous All Black halfback in rugby.
• Jimmy Cowan – Another All Black halfback.
• Dame Lois Muir – A well-known coach for the New Zealand national netball team.

Cardigan Bay, the Famous Horse

Mataura is the birthplace of Cardigan Bay. He was a very famous New Zealand pacer (a type of racehorse). Cardigan Bay was the first standardbred horse in the world to win $1,000,000 in prize money.