Maheno, New Zealand


Maheno is a small North Otago township south of Oamaru in New Zealand. The area has 75 residents. A number of the town's streets are named after places in Tyne and Wear, England, such as Whickham, Felling, Heworth and Jarrow.

Maheno School

Maheno School opened on 11 October 1875, to the delight of many local parents. Peter Williams donated the valuable site in the centre of the town, while £150 had been locally subscribed to add to the £325 granted by the Government. The architect was Thomas Forrester, and Robert Peattie became the first teacher from 14 applicants.
On the opening day fifty children were enrolled, and by mid-1876 the school roll stood at 72 pupils.
The school went through numerous improvements starting with an additional classroom in 1883. By 1907 the school needed a third classroom to cope with a growing roll.
In 2009, the decile 5 school had a roll of 45, not all of the classrooms were being used for teaching. It continues providing quality education for rural children, and remains one of the few community services left in the Maheno area.
In 2013 principal Murray Nelson retired after 21 years heading the school.

St Andrew's Maheno

St Andrew's Church in Maheno is part of the Anglican Parish of Oamaru-Maheno. Services are held every Sunday at 9am, apart from in January.

Maheno Rugby

Home ground

The Maheno Rugby Football Club play their home games at the Maheno Domain. The Maheno domain is situated along Kakanui Valley road, in Maheno.

Notable players