History Murupara was previously a staging post on the road between Rotorua and
Napier. In the early 1900s, the planting of exotic trees began on the surrounding scrubland. This area is now known as the Kaingaroa Forest, with 1,400 square kilometres of planted pines. As the main service centre for the many forestry workers and their families, Murupara grew to a population of over 3,000. Recent changes to the forestry contracting system have brought about a decrease in the number of permanent residents. The settlements of
Galatea, Horomanga, Kopuriki, Aniwhenua,
Waiohau and Murupara lie between the boundary of the Kaingaroa Forest, the popular
Te Urewera and
Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Earlier history is also evident around Murupara. In a rock shelter approximately eight kilometres west of the town centre are a number of early Māori rock carvings. Murupara was regarded as being a "gang town" but local iwi have placed a (ban) on gang patches from being worn at the local
marae and school.
Marae Murupara has four
marae, which are meeting places for Ngāti Manawa
hapū: • Moewhare or Karangaranga marae and Moewhare meeting house are affiliated with
Moewhare. • Painoaiho marae and Ruatapu meeting house are affiliated with
Ngāti Koro. • Rangitahi marae and Apa Hapai Taketake meeting house are affiliated with
Ngāti Hui. • Tīpapa marae and Tangiharuru meeting house are affiliated with
Ngāi Tokowaru. In October 2020, the Government committed $1,327,283 from the
Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the four marae, creating 12 jobs. ==Demographics==