Моэраки: История и археология поселений маори.

The south side of the Moeraki Peninsula has an Archaic (moa hunter) Māori site at Waimataitai lagoon, which Atholl Anderson dated as 13th century, placing it in the second wave of New Zealand's early human occupation. Gavin McLean tentatively linked its occupants to Waitaha, conventionally the third iwi, or tribe, to arrive in southern New Zealand, after Kahui Tipua and Te Rapuwai. Waitaha's expedition leader was Rakaihautu. However, as McLean notes, 'Waitaha' is also a name simply used to designate all the peoples preceding Kati Mamoe and Kai Tahu ('Ngāti Mamoe' and 'Ngāi Tahu' in modern standard Māori) the last two arrivals before the European. It is safe to say Waimatatai is a 'Waitaha' site in that broad sense but there are no specific families it can be linked to. The Moeraki peninsula terminates to the south in Kartigi Point (“Katiki” in modern standard Māori) where there was a pā (fortified settlement) of the Classic period of Māori culture. Its traditional name was Te Raka a hineatua. Jill Hamel has reported that it was the best developed of any southern pā, with terraces, and rectangular houses with stone fireplaces. Radio carbon dating has confirmed it was occupied in the 18th century. According to tradition it was built by Taoka, a well known fighting chief of the late 17th to early 18th centuries, who also built fortresses at the Ashburton River and near Timaru. Shortly after it was built it was attacked by a party from Kaikōura who were successfully repulsed by Taoka in the battle known as Te Hakopa. Taoka was also in battle with chiefs further south at Huriawa (modern Karitane Peninsula), Mapoutahi (modern Goat Island Peninsula) and Pukekura (modern Taiaroa Head). Taoka's principal opponent was Te Wera. It used to be said Moeraki, like many other places on the east coast, was not a site of permanent occupation in pre European times, but a major study, published in 1996, shows that is unlikely. The residents of Moeraki regularly ate pāra (frostfish) as a supplementary food, as Moeraki was one of the most common places in New Zealand where frostfish strandings occurred.

Moeraki was traversed during the Sealers' War, also known as the “War of the Shirt”, in 1814. In that year a party of eight men under Robert Brown including two other Europeans and five lascars, or Indian seamen, came up the east coast from Stewart Island/Rakiura looking for a group of lascars who had absconded from the Matilda, which was commanded by Captain Samuel Fowler. According to the Creed manuscript, discovered in 2003, they camped for the night by their boat at 'the Bluff eight miles from Moeraki to the north. However they were observed and attacked by Māori. Two of the sealers escaped and fled to Bobby's Head and Goodwood, south of Moeraki, taking two days to get there and where they were later killed and eaten. They will have passed Moeraki going north and fleeing south.

Born in Sydney in approximately 1794 John Hughes was an experienced whaler who had first worked in New Zealand waters in 1822. In 1834 he took up an offer of employment with the Weller brothers' at their Otago whaling station. After completing his contract in June or July 1836 Hughes took joined on one of two American whaling ship on their way north to Peraki on Banks Peninsula. These were the Merrimac out of Newport, Rhode Island under Captain Potter and the Martha out of Newburyport under the command of Captain Peas. After catching a large number of whales in the waters around Banks Peninsula the two ships and sailed south, calling in at the Otago whaling station. Inspired by the money being made by the Wellers and the Americans Hughes had decided to establish his own whaling station. He purchased two boats and all of the equipment needed to catch and process whales from the Americans he recruited others to join him from Weller brothers’ workforce. During the voyage of the Merrimac and the Martha either on the way to Banks Peninsula or on their return down the coast they must have explored Moeraki for Hughes decided to establish his base there. Accompanied by his partners Peter Chevatt (often written as Chevat, Charbett, Chisnal, Chesval, Sivatt or Shavett) and John Thompson as well as by Richard Burn, William Issac Haberfield, John Knox and six unnamed Māori he disembarked from the 148 ton barque Magnet on Boxing Day, 26 December 1836. By their third season the number of whalers had increased to 32 with five boats in use with a number of Māori being employed at the station. To resolve these issues work commenced in 1872 on what was estimated would be a £3,000 project to construct a larger wharf to service the increased trade now passing through the port. It was designed by the provincial engineer George Barr and instead of the traditional wooden piling used screw in iron piles, which were prefabricated in England. It was found that the piles could not be persuaded to screw into the sea bed, which meant it was necessary to hammer them in. Dogged by construction difficulties, accidents and poor weather it took over a year to construct the wharf. Upon its completion in 1873 it was found that it was too high for use by smaller vessels, which were forced to use the existing wharf. Even so, the port was busy with materials being imported to construct the new branch railway line. In 1875 as part of the preparations to abolish the Provincial Council Moeraki was allowed to have establish its own harbour board. The station was automated, and the last keeper was withdrawn in 1975. Work was meanwhile continuing on the branch line from Hillgrove to Moeraki which was opened on 15 February 1877. The baths were constructed between the wharf and railway by enclosing a shallow part of the bay and opened on 28 December 1888./> Local children continued to use remaining parts of the facility up until the 1930s. As inter marriage took place, the Māori women moved to join their Pākehā husbands in Onekakara which by now was being called Moeraki. Around the turn of the century, more Māori families began to move into Moeraki from the two kaiks. The original marae followed from Kaika to its hill top site some time in the 1920s and 30s.

Moeraki became the leading fishing port of North Otago during the 1890s with its fleet growing from five vessels in 1892 to 38 in 1898, while the number of fishermen increased from 13 to 72 over the same period with the majority of the population dependent on the fishing industry to some extent for their livelihood. The first fishing vessels were rowboats and sail assisted dinghies. In 1895 Weir and Hull established a fish processing and packing plant which in combination with the development of faster train service, allowed fish to be sent to the Oamaru and Dunedin markets. The company purchased the diesel powered launch Moerangi which had been originally built by Logan Bros., of Auckland, for the Union Oil Engine Company, was powered by a 25 horse power oil engine, with a speed of 8 knots and a holding capacity for 16 tons of fish. The vessel was largely employed to tow Moeraki fishing boats to and from the reefs or other fishing grounds, as well as trawling the coast or fishing at the reefs. Many residents grew vegetables and kept at least one cow. Most farming was on a small scale with those farmers that had milk surplus to their own domestic uses sending it to three nearby creameries, and in later years to the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Production plants at Oamaru and Dunedin. Government regulations hindered residents from further developing their agricultural activities as they were not permitted to sell eggs or milk when their livestock was unregistered. By the 1930s the fleet at Moeraki had fallen slightly to 34 vessels with groper and blue cod the main species being harvested. Jack Edmonston constructed a large fish smokehouse in the 1930s. In 1935 the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand (NMA) established a fish processing and packing plant at Moeraki and guaranteed to take the entire catch of the fishing boats which supplied it. Previously, fishers at the port had difficulties disposing of their catch as slow transit times by rail often resulted in the fish being spoilt before it reached the market in Christchurch. The settlement celebrated its centenary on 26 December 1936, but the actual public celebrations were postponed by a year until December 1937 due to an outbreak or infantile paralysis. As part of the celebrations the Centennial Park was developed on the Moeraki waterfront.

During the era following the end of the Second World War government regulations required all fishing boats to land their catches at their port of registration even if they had to bypass processing facilities at other ports on their return from a fishing ground. There were also restrictions on the engine size of vessels. Boats operating from Moeraki were restricted to 50 hp engines, for instance, while vessels based at Oamaru were permitted engines up to 75 hp, and those at Port Chalmers up to 200 hp. The fishing fleet based at Moeraki in the 1950s and early 1960s predominantly harvested groper, although other species such as blue cod and rock lobster were also caught. As a number of Māori families had not returned to Moeraki after the war; the focus on the marae diminished; with its use limited to more formal occasions such as tangi and tribal meetings. At 2.30 am on 24 April 1952 the cargo ship Viggo Hansteen while on a voyage from London, via Panama, to Port Chalmers and Wellington with new British cars and bagged cement ran aground two miles northeast of the Kātiki Point Lighthouse. The Port Chalmers based tug Dunedin was dispatched to the scene and by 3.16 pm the tug had refloated the vessel which was only slightly damaged and escorted it to port.

The local economy is dependent upon farming, small scale commercial fishing and tourism.

Prior to 1989 Moeraki was under the jurisdiction of the Waitaki County Council. In that year Waitaki County Council amalgamated with the Oamaru Borough Council to form the Waitaki District Council (WDC) which is based in Oamaru. The citizens of Moeraki and nearby Hampden are represented by the Waihemo 14 Community Board and elect representatives of the Waihemo ward to the Waitaki District Council.

Moeraki Marae is located at Moeraki. It is a marae (meeting ground) of Ngāi Tahu and its Te Rūnanga o Moeraki branch, and includes the Uenuku wharenui.

Moeraki Peninsula is a breeding area for yellow eyed penguin, little blue penguin, Stewart Island shag, little shag, spotted shag, royal spoonbill and NZ fur seal. It is a haul out site for sea lion, elephant seal and leopard seal and is visited by various other species. Maukiekie Island is an important site ecologically and the offshore reefs are also of ecological significance. The Moeraki Promotions (Recreation & Heritage) Group (MAPG) collaborates with Tourism Waitaki and Tourism Dunedin to attract visitors to the district. MAPG established a heritage trail at Moeraki in 1993 and another at Herbert in 1999. The church was granted Heritage New Zealand historic place category 1 status in 2010. Moeraki also has a Seventh Day Adventist chapel. The Moeraki Yachting and Boating Club has a clubhouse near the boat ramp. A community hall (called Coronation Hall) was built in 1911 on Haven Street. It was refurbished in 1995 with a grant from the Lotteries Commission. By 1954, the school had between 20 and 30 pupils. In 1988 the school was closed due to a falling roll. Today the closest primary school is the Hampden Primary School in Hampden and for their secondary education children attend either the East Otago Area School in Palmerston or schools in Oamaru.