Puriri, New Zealand

Puriri is a small locality on the Hauraki Plains of New Zealand. It lies approximately 14km south-east of Thames, New Zealand. Puriri was originally a Ngati Maru settlement, which the Rev. Henry Williams and three fellow missionaries visited in October 1833. They subsequently established a mission station in the settlement, which the Rev. James Preece took over in 1834 with the assistance of the Rev. James Hamlin. In 1838 the station was transferred to Parawai (part of the present town of Thames). In 1868 Puriri was the location for an official goldfield during the Thames-Coromandel gold rush. Puriri School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 7 and a roll of 31. The school celebrated its 80th...