The area is traditionally a part of
rohe of the tribe
Te Kawerau ā Maki, who referred to the wider area was known as Te Kumeū. The name, meaning "the firmly bound peace", refers to a location on the coast near
Muriwai, which became the border between Te Kawerau ā Maki and
Ngāti Whātua lands in the early 18th century. The foothills to the west and south-west of the township were traditionally known as Ngā Rau Pou ā Maki, referring to the eponymous ancestor of Te Kawerau ā Maki. During the 1870 and early 1880s, the main industries at Taupaki was
kauri logging and
kauri gum digging, especially after the
North Auckland Line, which opened in 1881, made the area more accessible. As the land was cleared of forest and kauri gum, it was converted to pasture, and a farming community developed at Taupaki in the 1880s. While sheep farms were initially popular, by the 1890s dairy farms were becoming increasingly financially viable. During this period, Taupaki was largely settled by
British and
Australian immigrants, and people who moved from other areas of New Zealand. Tauapaki School was opened in 1899, followed by the Taupaki Presbyterian Church in 1907. By 1936, 369 people were living at Taupaki and the rural surrounding area. ==Taupaki railway station==