 It was one of the earliest centres of European settlement and features the second-oldest surviving European building in New Zealand, at Te Waimate mission.Okuratope Pā was situated here and was the home to chief Te Hotete (father of Hongi Hika) of the Ngai Tawake hapu in the late 18th-early 19th centuries.A major disturbance took place here in 1800, when an attacking Ngare Raumati war party from Te Rawhiti murdered and ate chief Te Maoi's wife, Te Auparo as well as their daughter, Te Karehu.