Раэтихи: История города в регионе Манавату-Уангануи (Новая Зеландия)

Town in Manawatū Whanganui, New Zealand

Evidence of Māori people living here in the fourteenth century has been found. Ngāti Uenuku dwelled at Raetihi and Waimarino (known now as National Park, located approximately 35 kilometres/22 miles north on Highway 4). There is little evidence of large permanent settlements but hunting parties were common during warmer months. In 1887 the Government purchased the Waimarino block from local Māori, and the first European settlement, at Karioi, involved setting sheep to graze on open tussock land. Between 1908 and 1947 the area provided 700 million superficial feet of building timber. The remnants of 150 sawmills have been discovered, and the milling of rimu, tōtara, kahikatea, mātai, and beech trees employed many people. Only two major mills continue to operate, one at Tangiwai and one at National Park. Raetihi (originally called Makotuku due to the river flowing at the town's edge) became the focal point for travellers going between Wanganui and Waiouru. A thriving town emerged to serve the timber workers and those passing through. A trip North from Wanganui was not for the faint hearted. The scenic "River Road" passing through Pipiriki was treacherous with primitive tracks and long falls if you left the track. Those who completed the journey to Raetihi found hospitality, accommodation, blacksmiths and saddlers for weary horses and supplies for their further travels north. The great fire of 1918 was a setback to many businesses and homeowners in Raetihi. The loss of numerous mills slowed the timber industry but it continued successfully into the 1940s, when the supply of strong native timber began running out. Replanting forests in fast growing pine was a consideration, but at the time it was not possible to treat this relatively soft wood effectively to make it suitable for outdoor uses. Although farming was an option for some, it could not equal forestry as an employer. From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Raetihi, like many rural New Zealand towns, suffered from a depressed economy. As elsewhere in New Zealand, sheep farming has also declined, and the two most prominent agricultural activities are cattle farming and vegetable growing. At present, tourist attractions such as the Dinosaur House Museum and Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail (part of Ngā Haerenga, New Zealand's national network of cycle trails) and various commercial operations providing opportunities to explore the Whanganui River offer hope for a more diverse economic future. Its close proximity to Mount Ruapehu and popular ski fields has led to the establishment of accommodation and cafes to cater for the increasing number of visitors. The setting of John Mulgan's classic novel Man Alone, particularly that of Stenning's farm, is based on Raetihi.

From 18 December 1917 to 1 January 1968, Raetihi was served by the Raetihi Branch, a branch line railway that diverged from the North Island Main Trunk in Ohakune. The station building remains in the town today, relocated from its original site and restored as part of the Waimarino Museum. The museum holds an archive of documents and photographs from the broader Ruapehu area, some of which are available online. It was originally situated on Station Road near the Makotuku River bridge on the road to Ohakune. When the railway reached Raetihi in 1917, it played a vital part in the logging industry. Closed to passengers in 1951, the line ceased operations completely in 1968 due to the decline in tree felling and milling. The railway station building was moved to its present site on Seddon Street in 1981, seven years after the formation of the museum society. Two more buildings, the jail cells and stables, were moved from their original location by the Makotuku River to the museum site in 1983. The museum holds documents, photographs, and items of daily life showing the progression of the town from its beginnings as a Māori settlement in the 19th century, the arrival of timber mills and large scale logging between 1900 and 1960, and the slow decline of the town following the end of the logging boom to the present. The museum is run by volunteers and is open for viewing most weekends and by appointment. A number of archival photographs and documents are available for wider viewing on the museum's website.

Raetihi's economic difficulties made it the perfect location for Skin Deep (1978; Geoff Steven), a black comedy and social satire about a town much like Raetihi. In the film, the local council, made up largely of local businessmen, decide that one way to improve the economy would be to hire a woman to come in from Auckland and provide massages at the local gym. Larry Parr, writer, director, and producer of films and teleplays, as well as Chief Executive/Kaihautū of Te Māngai Pāho, grew up in Raetihi. In 1986 his New Zealand comedy starring Billy T. James, Came a Hot Friday (directed by Ian Mune), premiered there. For Without a Paddle (2004; Steven Brill), an American film featuring Burt Reynolds, local traffic signs were replaced with American style signs and cars drove on local roads as though in the United States. Raetihi also provided the closest access point for several scenes in Vincent Ward's River Queen (2005); Horopito, setting for much of Smash Palace (1981; Roger Donaldson), another New Zealand film, is also nearby. 1918 – Influenza epidemic.

Raetihi Primary School is a co educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of .