Pukerau is a rural community in the Gore District and

Southland Region Southland () is New Zealand's southernmost region. It consists of the southwestern portion of the South Island and includes Stewart Island. Southland is bordered by the culturally similar Otago Region to the north and east, and the West Coast ...

of New Zealand. It is located in a rich agricultural valley in eastern Southland with State Highway 1 and the main trunk southern railway dissecting the valley.

History

European settlement of Pukerau dates back to around 1876 when the township was established as one of the main agriculture hubs of the time. Originally the valley was called The Swamp. However, in the 1860’s people began referring to it as Taylor’s Creek. This created some confusion as there were already numerous ‘Taylor’s Creeks’ in the south. As a result, settlers adopted the Māori name for the district. And so Pukerau, or ''The Land of Many Hills'', became the name of the township and the district.

Settlers

Education

Pukerau School is a state contributing primary school for years 1 to 8 with a roll of as of It was established in 1879.

Economy

Religion

Cemetery

Notable People

References

Gore District, New Zealand Populated places in the Southland Region {{Southland-geo-stub