WAIPUKURAU also known as 'Ypuk', is the largest town in the Central Hawke's Bay District on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 50km southwest of Hastings on the banks of the Tukituki River.

The town is close to the site of a Maori pa, from which it gets its name. The pa was situated on the town's main hill, named Pukekaihau. The name is said to mean water of pukerau, pukerau being a type of fungus. The town was the site of the first church in inland Hawke's Bay, built in 1847. Much of the town dates from a model village built by local land-owner H.R.Russell in 1867.

At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 4,008 compared with 4,002 in 1996



From the NZETC WAIPUKURAU written about 1906:

Waipukurau, the centre of a large sheep-raising country, is a township situated on the main line of railway, five miles south from Waipawa, and forty-four miles south by rail from Napier, in the county of Waipawa. The site of the township was originally held by Maoris, and there are still to be seen relics of the settlement, including an old pa.

The first settlers were Messrs PURVIS and H. R. RUSSELL, who arrived in the early ?fifties,? and they were followed by Messrs John HARDING, Captain NEWMAN, Donald GOLLAN, James EVISON, James MAIN, George WINLOVE, John SHARPIN, John EVANS, Hugh ROBERTS, A. JONES, Peter GOW, and John PALMER.

Mr. H. R. Russell took up a large area of virgin country, which he successfully farmed for many years. He laid out the township, and built a hotel, and he gave land for many public purposes. In the early days, when wheat was grown more largely, flour-milling was carried on in the locality, and, subsequently, saw-milling and flax-milling flourished for a time. Boiling down works were originally conducted in conjunction with sheep grazing, but, later, Messrs NELSON Brothers established a branch freezing establishment, which, however, was afterwards closed down.

The opening up of large estates from time to time, including the Mount Vernon and Hatuma estates, has greatly assisted settlement. The country is chiefly undulating, of fine farming quality, the roads are excellent, and the climate is good. Waipukurau has post, telegraph, money order, savings bank, and other Government offices, a branch of the Bank of New Zealand, and a hospital. There are also churches, a library, a large public school, and a fine hotel. A newspaper is published in the township, and there are extensive saleyards. There is fine scenery in the neighbourhood, good shooting is obtained on Lake Hatuma, and there is abundance of fish in the river. In the vicinity of the lake there is a large racecourse, with a fine grand stand

short biographies on the above site include (with photos):

* Mr.William Ashton CHAMBERS, Chairman of the Waipukurau Town Board, was born in Cheshire, England, on the 22nd of June, 1865 ...

* Mr.Cecil Whiting SEYMOUR, member of the Waipukurau Town Board, was born on the 28th of January, 1869, in Oxfordshire, England ...

* Mr. Thomas William Le COCQ formerly Postmaster at Waipukurau, was born at Alderney, Channel Islands, in the year 1856 ...

* Mr. G. W. L. MacKAY, sole proprietor of the business, was born in Nelson in the year 1869, and is a son of a well-known sheep farmer of the Nelson province ...

* Tipping, Samuel Kenning Steele, Land and Estate Agent, Ruataniwha Street, Waipukurau. This business was established in 1906, by Mr. TIPPING, who does a considerable business as a licensed land broker ...

* WINLOVE, John, Builder and Contractor, Waipukurau. This business was established many years ago by the late Mr. George Winlove, and at his death was taken over by his son ...

* SAMPSON, Percy Wallace, Coal, Firewood and Timber Merchant, and Machinery Agent, Waipukurau. This business was established by Mr. C. W. MITCHELL in the year 1896, and was acquired by the present proprietor in 1906 ...

* The Tavistock Hotel (Robert CONEYS, proprietor), Waipukurau. This hotel is situated about half a mile from the Waipukurau railway station, and was first erected in the late ?fifties,? by Mr. H. R. RUSSELL, as a small accommodation house; the first license being granted to Mr. George LLOYD, about the year 1860 ...

* BOOTH, William Herbert, Engineer, Wheelwright, Coach-builder, Farrier, Blacksmith, and Ironmonger, Ruataniwha Street, Waipukurau. This business was established by Messrs A. JONES and Sons, in the year 1865 ...

* MITCHELL, Charles William, Storekeeper and General Provision Merchant, Waipukurau. Agent for the National Fire Insurance and Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Companies. Mr. Mitchell's husiness was one of the first established at Waipukurau, and is conducted in a wooden building, well-stocked with merchandise ...

* Blackhead Station (McHARDY Brothers, proprietors), Waipukurau. This valuable property consists of about 22,000 acres of first-class grazing country, and is situated sixty miles south from Napier. There is a permanent ewe flock of 30,000, and about 3,000 head of cattle are also depastured. The run is well-watered and sub-divided, and equipped with all necessary buildings ...

* Mr. Leslie Harding McHARDY, of Blackhead station, was born in Napier on the 20th of June, 1863, and is the eldest son of the late Mr. Alexander McHardy ...

* Mangatarata Estate (Spencer Herbert GOLLAN, proprietor), Waipukurau. This estate consists of 30,000 acres of first-class grazing land, and is situated about four miles from Waipukurau. The property carries 45,000 sheep and about 750 head of cattle, and employs a permanent staff of twenty-five men ...

* Mr. L. De PELICHET, manager of the Mangatarata Estate, was born in Taranaki, and was educated in Napier and Wellington Colleges. He has had considerable experience on various stations in Hawke's Bay, and was appointed ...

* Mr. Peter GOW was born in the year 1838, at John o' Groat's, Scotland, and came to New Zealand in 1862, by the ship ?Royal Charlie.? ...

* Mr. Alexander JONES, formerly senior partner in the firm of Messrs A. Jones and Sons, Coach-builders, etc., was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, and learned his trade in the neighbourhood of Dundee ...

* Mr. George WINLOVE, who for many years resided at Waipukurau, and who was one of the oldest residents of the district, was born in Snettisham, Norfolk, England, and was brought up to the building trade. He came to New Zealand in 1858, for some time worked at his trade in Auckland, and in the early ?sixties? removed to Waipukurau, where he conducted a successful business as a builder until his death in February, 1906. Mr. Winlove was married, and left a family of one son and three daughters

the Tavistock Hotel with stables