Māori and European Settlement
Historic Oamaru
Oamaru has a long history of human habitation, from the original moa hunting inhabitants to the European colonists who arrived in the Nineteenth century.
The name Oamaru is a Māori word meaning Place of Maru. Who is Maru? That's something that's been lost in the mists of time.
The Oamaru area is archaeologically rich, with Māori settlements dating back to 1100 AD. Captain Cook visited in 1770, and European colonists arrived in the 1850s. The town grew over the years, becoming a major port in the area and the service centre for the area.
By the numbers
Oamaru Stats
14,000
Town Population
21.4
Town Area (sq. km)
650
Population density per square km
Oamaru Trivia
Word of Scott's Demise
News of the fate of Robert Scott's Antarctic expedition (all five members of the expedition died on their way back from the South Pole) came from a telegram sent from Oamaru in February of 1913.
Netflix Setting
If you've seen the Netflix movies The Power of the Dog or The Royal Treatment, you've seen a bit of Oamaru. They were filmed on Tyne and Harbour Street, in Oamaru's Victorian precinct.
