The legend of Puhinui

A long time ago, there was a war between the Maori people of the Hauraki Gulf and the Waiohua people of Tamaki. There was a man from the Hauraki Gulf called Rau-tao, and he had a canoe which he named Puhinui, or plume of feathers. He used this canoe in the war, but it was difficult to navigate because he only had a few men with him.

One night he hid the canoe in a creek, which was then named the Puhinui creek. This happened many generations ago.

In the Howick Historic Village grounds, there is a big house called Puhinui. It used to be the farm house from the big farm in this area. One day it will be open to the public, and you will be able to see what the inside is like. This picture is of the Historic village, not the Puhinui Homestead.

The history of Puhinui School

Puhinui School was first built in 1953. It was quite small in those days, and only had the classrooms that today are called the Senior Block. Here is a photo of the staff in about 1956. You can see the dental nurse in the back, with her special uniform. Puhinui Road was just a rough metal road in those days, and there were no factories around the school, just paddocks.

 

The children at Puhinui School haven't changed very much. They still are happy and smiling, and enjoy being at school! The children in this photo will all be grown up now. Do you think they remember being at Puhinui School? Check here to see how Puhinui School has changed over the years.