Why is this place significant?

Why is this place Category 1 / Category 2?

Tangata Whenua Tikorangi in north Taranaki is within the rohe of Te Ātiawa. Te Ātiawa is one of several tribes that stem from Toi-te-huatahi or Toi-kai-rakau (the wood eater), who arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand prior to waka migrations of the fourteenth century. Toi’s son Ruarangi married Rongoueroa, earthly mother of Awanuiarangi, the eponymous ancestor of Te Ātiawa; the father of Awanuiarangi, according to tradition, was Tamarau-Te-Heketanga-A-Rangi. The descendants of Awanuiarangi split in 1820 and in the following decade many moved south from Taranaki to occupy the Kāpiti Coast, Wellington, and parts of the northern South Island. Prior to European settlement in Taranaki, warfare with other iwi escalated after the introduction of Pākehā muskets into te ao Māori, and this warfare contributed to the wave of migration south. Those who continued to occupy Taranaki for many generations came to be known as Ngāti Awa in the nineteenth century, with many descendants going by the tribal name Te Ātiawa. They occupied coastline between Ōnukutaipari and Te Rau o te Huia and an area that extends inland for several kilometres, forming ‘a large undulating fertile plain’. The seven hapū of Te Ātiawa are: Manukorihi, Ngāti Rahiri, Ngāti Tawhirikura, Ngāti Te Whiti, Otaraua, Pukerangiora, and Puketapu. The area around what is now known as Tikorangi was home to the Otaraua and Ngāti Rahiri hapū. Physical evidence of Māori occupation near Tikorangi includes the remains of Awa-te-Take pā (List No. 6041; Q19/231). Located on steep cliffs above the Waitara River, approximately 3 kilometres south of the current location of Tikorangi Dairy Factory Complex (Former), the pā includes rua kopihi (subterranean storage pits), a defensive bank, and ditches. Ngangana pā (Q19/104), also on a cliff sitting above the Waitara River, is located just over 4 kilometres to the north-west of Tikorangi Dairy Factory Complex (Former) and it includes platforms, defensive ditches, and banks. Organised Pākehā settlement of Taranaki began in 1841 and it was colonial efforts to acquire land that ultimately caused war to break out in 1860. The First and Second Taranaki Wars took place during the 1860s, but conflict both predated and continued after this period. Māori land in Taranaki was confiscated in the 1860s and a government-led policy of settlement began. Tikorangi, initially regarded by Pākehā as ‘a dreary waste of fern land and tutu’, was settled by north Taranaki volunteers who were allocated land in 1865. Situated near two 1865 redoubts, this small rural settlement was established and by the early twentieth century it featured a dairy factory, school, church, general store, and a blacksmith. New Zealand’s Dairy Industry Economist H G Philpott, author of A History of the New Zealand Dairy Industry, identified major six periods of progress in New Zealand’s dairy industry from its beginnings to the mid-1930s. Firstly, a period of local trade from 1840 to refrigeration in 1882, with experimentation and early expansion from 1851 to the end of the period. This was followed by the establishment of the ‘dairy-factory system and of the export trade’ from 1882 to 1895, and then a period of ‘steady expansion’ from 1896 to 1913. The First World War ‘created a hiatus’ marked by high prices, followed by a period of ‘rapid expansion’ in the 1920s. Finally, he predicted 1930-5 would be regarded as ‘a time of marketing difficulties.’ In terms of technical factors, rather than economic, Philpott identified two main periods: local trade and export trade, i.e. before refrigeration and after. Refrigeration in 1882 had the effect of making ‘possible the establishment of an export trade and justified the erection of dairy factories and the planning of a dairying future with resolution and confidence.’ New Zealand was comparatively early in co-operative dairying, with the country’s first co-operative dairy factory, the Otago Peninsula Co-operative Cheese Factory Co. Ltd, established in 1871; by the early twentieth century, there was a much greater number of co-operatives than proprietary factories. It was in the 1880s that the dairy industry was firmly established – the total number of dairy factories in New Zealand rose sharply from 36 in 1884-5 to 485 by 1934-5, peaking in 1925-6 at 518. Developments in transportation and processing at scale led to amalgamation of smaller factories until, by the early 2000s, there were just three co-operatives remaining, with Fonterra supplying the vast majority of the country’s milk and exporting to 140 countries. The dairy industry provided about 25% of the country’s exports in 2005, and the environmental cost of an economy based largely on the natural environment was becoming better understood, for instance the link between the conversion of forests into pasture and soil erosion. A Dairy Factory at Tikorangi Dairy farming formed the basis of Taranaki’s economy from the 1880s, with the region being climatically and topographically suited for this industry, due to the presence of light volcanic loam and plentiful rainfall. By 1901, Taranaki boasted 95 butter and 31 cheese factories. Some sources suggest Tikorangi’s dairy factory started operation in the mid-1860s and by 1886 occupied ‘a small wooden building with very primitive appliances’. Philpott states that apart from a private cheese factory at Lepperton, Taranaki’s dairy industry did not develop north of New Plymouth until January 1887, when a butter factory was established in Waitara Road. Philpott claims the establishment of a factory at Tikorangi closely followed in September that year, started by Mr J C George, who purchased milk from farmers in the surrounding district. The location of the original factory building in Tikorangi is not known, but evidence suggests it has occupied the same place since at least 1895. Situated beside a stand of Pūriri trees, its proximity to the springs of the Parahaki Stream ensured a supply of fresh water, although this waterway was also subject to pollution by the factory. Legislative changes in the 1890s ‘marked a true starting-point of dairying progress in New Zealand’ through the introduction of a grading system, the establishment of cool stores, and the registration of factories. By the end of the 1890s, standard features of dairy factories included freezers, refrigerating-machines, and butter cool rooms. In 1890, the suppliers took over the Tikorangi factory and it was run as a co-operative concern managed by William Black. The Tikorangi Co-operative Dairy Company was formed in 1895. Many of Taranaki’s early timber factories were destroyed by fire and it is believed that Tikorangi’s met this fate and was rebuilt in 1897. The earliest dairy factories were typically timber, but concrete was more commonly used from the early 1900s because it allowed hosing down, which eased cleanliness. Pasteurizing and churning required large amounts of steam and power, meaning they needed to be equipped with a steam boiler and engine. Such vast development and growth in the industry necessitated improvements and expansion at Tikorangi, including the construction of cool chambers in 1894. Butter was produced by the Tikorangi Co-operative Dairy Company under the label Shield Brand. The original factory was demolished in 1908 and a new butter factory was built. The butter room was expanded, and the casein room was rebuilt in 1924. Modifications and additions to the Tikorangi factory complex were completed in 1934 to facilitate increased production, and were ‘so extensive as to practically give the company a new factory’. The construction of a new factory had been considered but alterations were deemed preferable, a decision being made at an extraordinary general meeting of the suppliers of the Tikorangi Dairy Company. The ‘up-to-date’ and ‘splendid factory’ could double its output, and its community value was evidenced by 300 people attending the reopening ceremony. On 5 July 1945, the company celebrated its golden jubilee with 100 guests at the Tikorangi Hall; it was noted that the company was the first co-operative dairy company in the country. Further changes occurred in the 1950s, primarily an extension to accommodate new plant and a casein room, and the construction of staff tearooms behind the factory building. In 1961 operations ceased and the factory was sold to the Waitara-Taranaki Company, which subsequently amalgamated with other small factories to form the Clifton Dairy Company. Improvements in transport, infrastructure and technology, led to dairy cooperatives across the country entering a series of amalgamations, ultimately resulting in the formation of the nationwide company Fonterra in 2001. Tikorangi is still (2026) predominantly a farming district but it is also at the centre of the country’s oil production (oil was discovered in the district in the early 1960s) and features horticultural and business endeavours. A methanol plant and a fuel plant were constructed in the Waitara area from 1981, the year that ‘commercial quantities of petroleum’ were discovered near Waitara. Industrial to residential use – Fiona Clark The Tikorangi Company ceased operations in 1961, and the factory was sold to the Clifton Cooperative Dairy Company Limited the following year, then sold several further times to farmers and a scrap-metal dealer prior to being acquired by two friends from art school, Fiona Clark and Tertius, in 1975. After the closure of the factory, the former manager stayed living in the manager’s house and protected the factory by boarding up its rooms. The two new owners both lived and practiced art at the former factory complex for a period of time, with Clark residing there continuously to the present (2026) and using the place to store her significant body of work. Fiona Clark (born 1954) is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated photographers, and has been praised for her ‘at times confronting, challenging body of work’ and for being ‘a beacon for fearless art-making.’ As ‘a socially concerned photographer’ whose work demonstrates how photography can be a source of empowerment for marginalised people, Clark has stated that her ‘intent is to give people a voice’, especially those not usually included in New Zealand’s visual record, including the gay, lesbian and transgender community. Clark is also known for her groundbreaking work photographing Auckland’s strip clubs, professional bodybuilding, and people with HIV. In addition, her photography has documented protests against the exploitation of natural resources and efforts by Te Ātiawa to preserve traditional fishing grounds. Clark is the subject of the feature-length documentary Fiona Clark: Unafraid (2021), she has received the Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate Award (2023), and her work is held by galleries, libraries, and museums across the country, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Clark’s first colour darkroom was in the former staff tearooms building, circa 1976; it was a suitable space for this activity because it had an inside toilet and running water. Clark later rebuilt her colour darkroom – both a wet and dry room – in the main factory building, within the former freezing chamber and salt room. Clark has lived in the former staff tearooms building, it has provided accommodation to others, and more recently Clark has used the old garage section (fully lined and insulated) as a small gallery called The Showroom, for people to view her work. Clark has maintained and modified the buildings within the complex. Energy self-sufficiency was appealing to Clark, so with the assistance of her brother and father she built a gasometer in 1979 utilising machinery parts found stored around the former factory and using the gas flowing from an old bore on the property; this has since been augmented with a gas stove with the brand name Fiona S and a califont to heat bath water. The building’s original and current uses both contribute to the building’s significance, and they are intertwined. Clark has found ‘[s]ome days it still smells like milk. You’re always reminded of its history.’

Tikorangi Dairy Factory Complex (Former), in the northern Taranaki settlement of Tikorangi, is approximately 6 kilometres inland from Waitara (to the south-east) and 18 kilometres from New Plymouth. The complex is located amongst gently rolling farmland, with the factory building situated on the southern boundary facing Inland North Road. The factory’s associated buildings and structures are situated to the east and north of the factory building, and Parahaki Stream and a stand of native bush run just along the western boundary of the complex. Pūriri trees (Vitex littoralis) are within this stand of bush, with the oldest and largest specimen on the neighbouring property; these trees are on the migration path for pekapeka (bats). There are archaeological sites in close proximity to the land on which Tikorangi Dairy Factory Complex (Former) sits, including a findspot for one complete and half of another Māori paddle (A19/191, approximately 250 metres from the factory complex on Inland North Rd) and the site of Takapu Redoubt (Q19/164, approximately 550 metres from the factory complex on Otaraoa Road). The factory building Dating from 1897, the gabled former factory building faces the road and is the largest and most prominent part of the complex. It was modified during its working life to accommodate new machinery and product processing. The earliest part of the building is the former casein room, constructed in brick, single storey, and with a medium gable corrugated steel roof. Extensive alterations and additions were completed in 1934, which modernised the factory and greatly increased its output. A reinforced concrete building with two parallel gables running east to west, was constructed perpendicular to, and adjoining, the 1897 building. It features a corrugated steel roof with high gables, skylights and bullnose ridge ventilation. In the 1930s the main spaces comprised a butter room and pasteuriser room at the centre, with a cool room, box room, and salt room in a row behind these more spacious rooms. A test room and manager’s office were situated at the opposite end from the casein room. The factory closed in 1961, and further modifications followed from the 1970s to maintain and repair the building, and to facilitate its shift to residential use. The interior divisions were largely unchanged. The street facing elevation contains a living room, kitchen, dining room, toilet, storeroom, and bedroom. There is a cellar under this portion of the building, which has an earth floor, and an attic space accessed from the dining room. The rear of the building contains a photographic darkroom and print store, shower room, and a large space used as a guest room/exhibition space/storeroom/office. The former cool room is Clark’s darkroom, with the thick walls ensuring a constant temperature, and the former salt room is a store and printing room. The kitchen is the former office, and the former test room is a dining room. Clark uses rooms to display her collections of material culture. In addition, Clark uses the former boiler room, situated at the rear of the 1897 part of the building, as shed space. Finding the large concrete spaces to be cold, Fiona Clark replaced sliding delivery doors with multi-pane wooden framed windows on the front elevation and lives in the smaller spaces in winter. Factory manager’s cottage The former factory manager’s cottage (1886) is situated at the northern tip of the complex. It is a detached single storey dwelling with a square plan, corrugated iron cladding and roof, and casement windows with wooden surrounds. The cottage was still intact when Clark came to live at the complex and the former factory manager, Tom Surrey, lived there until 1975, when Clark moved in. It was modified in the 1920s, 1970s, 2000s, and in 2023. The exterior has been reclad and reroofed with corrugated iron. The corrugated iron-clad brick chimney was covered over, and the original fireplace was altered in 1990. A further extension saw the inclusion of a living room at the rear, which currently (2026) features aluminium joinery and a glass sliding door leading to a raised wooden deck. Originally a two-bedroom house with an outhouse, it was altered during the 1920s to include a third bedroom plus an internal bathroom and laundry. The interior features a central hallway, match-lined wood panelling, Matai and Rimu wooden floors, wooden mantlepiece, and a shower that has decoratively etched glass panels that were repurposed from the Mayfair Hotel, New Plymouth, when it was being refurbished. Clark modified the cottage to include an inside toilet and a covered verandah area. Staff tearooms Built in 1958 to ensure the factory complied with labour regulations, the former staff tearooms building originally comprised a staff room, changing room, and toilet. This rectangular concrete building has one storey at one end and two storeys at the other, with entrances to each part. It has a low gable roof of corrugated iron, flush eaves, plain casement windows, and a largely unadorned exterior. A strip of corrugated iron runs along several of the exterior walls, just below the roofline. Additions and modifications made during the 1970s, 2000s, and in 2023, included a wooden deck and carport, and the replacement of two garage doors with glass windows and doors. A new roof and skylights were installed in 2023, and it is currently (2026) a standalone residence featuring original polished wooden floors. Pipe front fence A fence comprising concrete posts and repurposed factory pipes for rails, constructed circa 1940s, marks the road boundary at the southern edge of the complex. Gas well and gasometer Gas was found on the property in 1909, a gas bore was drilled, then tapped and sealed for factory use, supplying the heating and boiler system. A gasometer was built in 1979 using parts found around the factory complex and it was rebuilt in 2019. The boiler has been de-bricked, but the remnants of the gas system have been retained, and gas continues to be used for domestic use within the former factory building. The well has been maintained and was upgraded in 1970, 1990 and 2023. Deep water well Water was found on the property in 1909 and tapped and sealed for factory use, supplying the heating and boiler system. The water well is at 600 feet and has a DHD Davies Model C 247 piston pump and a ‘nodding donkey’ pumpjack. The well has been maintained and was upgraded in 1970, 1990 and 2023. Whey Tank Stands The two-tiered, unadorned concrete whey tank stands (pre-1934) are located on the eastern side of the factory building, close to its back entrance, and adjacent to the forecourt, which was sealed by the 1950s. The whey tanks have been removed. Comparative Analysis A comparative analysis of Taranaki dairy factories, which was undertaken by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga in 2019, found 111 factories were extant, 36 of which comprise just the factory building. Only 10 of the 111 retain their associated houses and sheds, and only three appear to include additional structures (for example, weir/dam, powerhouse, general store). Only three of these 10 are currently entered on the New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero: Kaupokonui Cooperative Dairy Factory Complex (Former), Historic Place Category 1, List No. 7794; Triumph Dairy Factory (Former), Historic Place Category 2, List No. 930; and Tikorangi Dairy Factory (Former), Historic Place Category 2, List No. 7128. Tikorangi Dairy Factory Complex (Former) is, therefore, a rare example of an intact dairy factory complex in Taranaki. Other examples of former dairy factories being converted include the factory at Manawarū, Waikato, which is currently (2025) a community facility that includes a heritage centre. In 1983 the former Pihama Co-operative Dairy Company premises was acquired by David and Louise Knapman and turned into a home, workspaces, and a lavender farm and distillery. While reuse is not unique to the Tikorangi Dairy Factory Complex (Former), there are few known examples of a former dairy factory serving as both a private home and artist studio.

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A fully referenced New Zealand Heritage List Review report is available on request from the Central Regional Office of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Disclaimer Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions. Archaeological sites are protected by the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, regardless of whether they are entered on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero or not. Archaeological sites include ‘places associated with pre-1900 human activity, where there may be evidence relating to the history of New Zealand’. This List entry report should not be read as a statement on whether or not the archaeological provisions of the Act apply to the property (s) concerned. Please contact your local Heritage New Zealand office for archaeological advice.