The town that lost its river: the sad story of Piriharakeke

September 9th, 2020

Awake Goy

The history and identity of the Horowhenua coastal town of Foxton is intrinsically linked to the Manawatu River. It was once a bustling port town, with ships loaded with flax, timber and other goods travelling down the river and out to markets in Wellington and beyond. While coastal shipping had largely ceased by the early 20th century, the wharf and the river that it served, was an integral part of the town’s identity and economy.However, today, the lower loop of the once bustling Manawatu River is a polluted, weed-infested lagoon, which locals are urged not to come into contact with, let alone swim in. The story of how Foxton lost Piriharakeke (literally, [the river] that flax clings to) is directly linked to the environmental history of the Manawatu region as a whole.

envirohistory NZ

The history and identity of the Horowhenua coastal town of Foxton is intrinsically linked to the Manawatu River. It was once a bustling port town, with ships loaded with flax, timber and other goods travelling down the river and out to markets in Wellington and beyond. While coastal shipping had largely ceased by the early 20th century, the wharf and the river that it served, was an integral part of the town’s identity and economy.