Mokoia

At the heart of the community is Mokoia School, a small co-educational rural primary school catering for students from Years 0–6. Older students generally travel to Hāwera for intermediate and secondary schooling.

Mokoia has a long connection with farming and agriculture. The settlement was founded in 1867, with early settlers farming sheep, cattle and horses.
The area has links to Taranaki’s oil and gas industry. The Rimu A1 well struck oil near Mokoia in December 1999, with further oil and natural gas wells subsequently developed in the surrounding area.

Mokoia also has an unusual claim to fame. In 1908, a meteorite exploded over the district, scattering fragments across the area, with pieces of the Mokoia Meteorite eventually making their way into scientific collections around the world.

History: The settlement was founded in 1867. Early settlers farmed sheep, cattle and horses. A flour mill was run by local Maori. A creamery was built in 1904 and expanded into a dairy factory in 1908. It expanded to include cheese-making in 1913, and again to produce casein in 1923. It closed in 1970.