KATIKATI’S HISTORY

Katikati was settled in 1875 by settlers from County Tyrone in Ireland through the Orange Institution. The settlement was established by the Irishman George Vesey Stewart, who led two groups of settlers there aboard the ships Carisbrook Castle (1875) and Lady Jocelyn (1878). The land upon which the town was built was bought from local Maori and was given to the settlers by the Central Government.

The settlement was formed from two distinct groups "the settlers useful and the settlers ornamental" referring to the tenant farmers and those with wealth. The settlement managed to withstand early economic problems and developed into a healthy town, based around farming and agriculture.

To find out more about Katikati yesterday and today, you can visit the local Katikati Archives office or the Western Bay Museum.