In my "spare" time, I've started a little research project into the history of the area south of Piopio where Struan Farm is located, which is called Paemako.
Here's a teaser:
From what I've been able to read so far from newspapers articles in the National Library archive Papers Past, the area was opened to European settlement in 1896 under the "Improved Farm Settlement Scheme." A block of approximately 1400 acres was subdivided into twelve holdings ranging from 100-200 acres each. Every section was taken up and resided upon by owners in the midst of thousands of acres of protected (the article in 1911 referred to these as "locked up") Maori lands. Settlers had no means of communication, and most worked on the formation work of the main Te Kuiti-Awakino Road (now SH3) in addition to farming, at least until dairying grew in the district. Paemako settlers were the main supporters of the construction of the Piopio Dairy Factory when it was built in 1911.
The little school above, long abandoned, pre-dated that built in Piopio, which still operates. It was eventually amalgamated into Piopio in 1924 along with a number of other smaller area schools as part of a national consolidation effort (school consolidations continue here in New Zealand, and were as controversial then as they are now!).
I've been having fun reading through news articles in the archives about settler socials, school fund raisers and various community events and issues. It's interesting to see that some issues today (roading and rural broadband) were far bigger issues then (neither roads nor telephones existed initially, this area was isolated for years).
Will share more once I know more.
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