Wairoa River, Clevedon

The Wairoa River played an important part in the development of the Clevedon township and provided a vital transport service to and from Auckland. From early on, a variety of cutters plied the waters around Clevedon, ferrying passengers and cargo.

Just past the bridge over the Wairoa River on the road to Kawakawa Bay, on the left, is a cairn commemorating the arrival of the first European settlers, the McNicol family, in the area, in 1852. 

On the opposite bank of the river, one of the original piles for the Clevedon wharf can still be seen.

Unfortunately, the service provided by these boats was often erratic, which prompted the settlers to band together and form the Clevedon Steam Navigation Company in 1896. Funds were pooled, and the SS Hirere was built to service the river on a more regular basis.

The main cargo for the SS Hirere was the products manufactured in the town's butter factory. Built in 1884, the Wairoa South Butter and Cheese Factory, played a significant role in Clevedon's development with dairying forming the backbone of the district until the early 1900s. The butter produced from the factory was ferried to Auckland, with some of it being transported further afield, putting Clevedon on the world export map.