Makotuku is a locality in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

, about west of

Ormondville Ormondville is a locality in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located inland, south of Waipukurau and west of Flemington, Hawke's Bay, Flemington, Hawke's Bay Region, Hawke's Bay. Ormondville railway station ...

. The settlement formed around the temporary railway terminus and was often called Makotoko. Makotuku probably refers to the place of the

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

, or kōtuku. Makotuku is in meshblock 1534900, which had a population of 54 in 2018. It is part of the wider

Norsewood Norsewood is a small rural settlement in the Tararua District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. The town is situated east of the Ruahine Mountain range and is located 20 kilometres northeast of Dannevirke. Geography ...

statistical area, which covers . Makotuku_railway_station_1908

Makotuku School opened in 1881. By 1885 it had about 100 pupils. It closed in 1977. In 1881 the Beaconsfield Hotel was moved from Kopua to a site next to the station. In 1888 it was replaced by a new hotel and the old one replaced the village hall. The new hotel burnt down in 1912. Makotuku Hotel was built in 1887. It was burnt down in 1933 and its owner was imprisoned for insurance fraud. In 1886 bush fires caused a relief fund to be set up for those who had lost their homes. An Anglican Church was built in 1890 and rebuilt after an 1898 fire. St Martins was moved to Linton Camp in 1974.

Makotuku railway station

Makotuku railway station was on the

Palmerston North–Gisborne Line The Palmerston North–Gisborne Line (PNGL) is a secondary main line railway in the North Island of New Zealand. It branches from the North Island Main Trunk at Palmerston North and runs east through the Manawatū Gorge to Woodville, New Zeal ...

. Slow progress with the line from Napier and Spit was criticised, after the extension of line opened from Kopua (the previous temporary terminus) via

on 9 August 1880. Makotuku remained the terminus until the extension south to Matamau on 23 June 1884, which required construction of what is now the long and high Matamau Viaduct. In 1884 Makotuku had two trains a day, one of which continued south to Matamau. Various sawmillers used the railway, including Grey & Powers, Mr Gundrie, Mr Tower, Mathew & Co and F Sidney. Initially the station would have been very spartan, as it wasn't until 25 August 1880 that authority was sought for furnishing the station and until 28 October to move Kopua goods shed to Makotuku and install a water supply. In 1881 a 5th class stationmaster's house, coal shed, and privy were added. From 1882 to 1918 there was a Post Office at the station. By 1884 there was an engine shed, but later that year there was a complaint when the goods shed was removed from Makotuku. By 1889 there was a x goods shed (extended to by 1904). Stockyards were added in 1893 and by 1896 there was a 5th class station with luggage room, platform, cart approach, cattle yards, stationmaster's house, urinals,

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...

for 35 wagons, extended to 80 wagons in 1940. In 1898 sheep yards were added. In 1891 express trains started crossing at Makotuku. In 1904 the passing loop could take 34 wagons, extended in 1940 for 80 wagons. Railway housing was mentioned in reports in 1896 and 1937. A verandah was added to the station building in 1911 and the platform was asphalted. In 1965 it was noted there was one light on the platform and one over the stockyards. In 1968 the crossing loop was lifted. Passenger services ended on 31 May 1976 and goods on Sunday, 20 July 1980.''Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand'' by Juliet Scoble (2012) By 1988 a small station building remained, but the platform had recently been demolished. In 2015 the loading bank remained and a single track runs through the station site.

Smith's Siding

James and Henry Smith were cutting totara at Smith's Siding by 1886, south of Makotuku. In 1888 goods for the residents were going there. A new sawmill was built in 1891. Gamman sawmills took over at Smith's Siding in 1893 and one of the family died there in 1901. A loop for 15 wagons was mentioned in 1896 and one for 20 wagons in 1898. H B Timber Co had a mill near the siding in 1896. The siding was still in use in 1906. Makotuku_viaduct_about_1887

In the 1990s a passing loop of over a kilometre was laid on the site of the siding.

Makotuku Viaduct

Makotuku Viaduct is east of the station, between Makotuku and Ormondville. There are 6 large viaducts on the between Kopua and

Dannevirke Dannevirke ( "Earthworks (archaeology), work of the Danes", a reference to Danevirke; or ''Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua'', the area where the town is) is a rural service town in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is the ...

, including Makotuku Viaduct (bridge 155), which is long and high, over Makotuku Stream, a tributary of the

Manawatū River The Manawatū River is a major river of the lower North Island of New Zealand. The river flows from the Ruahine Ranges, through both the Manawatū Gorge and the city of Palmerston North, and across the Manawatū Plains to the Tasman Sea at Foxto ...

. The original timber (probably totara)

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as Beam (structure), beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so ...

viaduct was built between 1878 and 1880 by Proudfoot and M'Kay's manager, A Graham. It was long, above the stream and used of timber, and 6¼ tons of iron, in 7 x spans, 1 x , 2 x , and 2 x . The contract for this and the two bridges to the north was for £16,758, or £15,195 1s 8d. J & A Anderson & Co of

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

won a tender for a

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...

replacement. It was rebuilt in 1898, higher than the original bridge. In the same era Andersons also rebuilt Kopua (1895), Piripiri (1899), Matamau (1899), Mangatera (1900),

(1906) and Makatote (1908) viaducts.

References

External links

2014 railway track and signalling plan
Photos -
Makotuku Hotel

Station (pages 105-109)
*Station with veranda
War memorial unveiling, 8 January 1920Trains at Makotuku in 1956Station in 1978Viaduct in 2012
{{Tararua District Tararua District Populated places in Manawatū-Whanganui Railway stations in New Zealand closed in 1980 Rail transport in Manawatū-Whanganui Defunct railway stations in New Zealand Railway bridges in New Zealand Bridges in Manawatū-Whanganui Railway stations in New Zealand opened in 1880