[3][4] The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "large cascade" for Hukerenui.

[5] The settlement began as Hukerenui South in 1886, with a request made by a group of local people for the land under the Village Homestead Special Settlement system.

Gum digging was one of the initial sources of income, but the Government cancelled gum-digging licences after fires in early 1888.

[7] The North Auckland railway line reached Hūkerenui in 1901 or 1902.

[10] Hūkerenui and its surrounds comprise an SA1 statistical area which covers 22.83 km2 (8.81 sq mi).

The results were 88.2% European (Pākehā), 23.5% Māori, 1.5% Pasifika, 1.5% Asian, and 2.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (14.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 102 (61.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 30 (18.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.

The results were 70.7% European (Pākehā); 47.2% Māori; 3.4% Pasifika; 1.9% Asian; 0.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".

Of those at least 15 years old, 153 (9.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 927 (58.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 441 (28.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications.

[19] The school included a Form 3 class in 1946, and this was expanded into a secondary department.

This eventually split to form the Hukerenui District High School, which operated from March 1957 to December 1972.