Ohau Village

The streets of Ohau are in a neat grid bounded by State Highway 1 on the east and Muhunoa West Road on the south - (click on map to enlarge). The old roads of the village are:

• Muhunoa West Road
• Jervois Terrace
• Victoria Terrace
• Kebbell Terrace
• Wairiri Street
• State Highway 1

More recently Grand View Terrace (a continuation of Victoria Terrace) was opened up.

According to the plaque outside the old Ohau Post Office:

'The original name was Awa-iti but has since been known as Ohau - "The River of Hau", after the Tohunga, Haunui-a-Nania who travelled south to Wellington naming and renaming the rivers en route.

'Maori lived for centuries in the district, living on the abundant wild life that thrived in the rivers and bush, and there is evidence that moa were hunted in the area. For many years a narrow strip along the coast and including the beach was the only practical route for travellers linking the settlements of Wanganui and Taranaki with Wellington. Successive waves of conquering Maori tribes used this route to sweep through the area. The last being Te Rauparaha who seized the district in approx.1824. Later, the route was used by the Cobb & Co. Coach and an accommodation house was built on the Ohau River.

'The opening of the Manawatu-Wellington Railway Line in 1886 and the sale of Railway Company land in 1888, brought settlers to the district who began the task of clearing the bush and farming the land. In 1891 a one-roomed school was built to serve the children of land-holders, sawmillers, contractors, labourers and Natives. The district grew rapidly and in 1894 Ohau had a Railway Station, a Post Office, sawmills, flaxmills, a bakery, a butchery, a blacksmith, general stores, a boot-making business, a Catholic Church, a Salvation Army Headquarters and a school. Later several dairy factories opened.

'With the development of Levin as the major town centre, business declined and Ohau became the rural village it is today.'

(To enlarge a picture, click on the picture.)

Victoria Terrace - new subdivision view from Wairiri Street	View of Grande View from corner of Victoria and Kebbell Terraces
Victoria Terrace new subdivision looking north	View looking north along Kebbell Terrace

View from Wairiri Street looking East

View south from corner of Jervois and Victoria Terraces

Related Items

• Ohau History </ li>
• Map of Ohau </ li>
• Muhunoa West Road, Ohau Village </ li>
• Jervois Terrace, Ohau Village </ li>
• View south from corner of Jervois and Victoria Terraces </ li>
• View looking north along Kebbell Terrace </ li>
• View of Grande View from corner of Victoria and Kebbell Terraces </ li>
• View from Wairiri Street looking East </ li>
• Victoria Terrace new subdivision looking north </ li>
• Victoria Terrace - new subdivision view from Wairiri Street </ li>