[1] Taumarere was at the head of navigable tidal water on the Kawakawa River and a natural landing place, so a township developed here.

[3] On 2 March 1868 a bush tramway line opened between Kawakawa and Taumarere wharf at what is now known as Derrick Landing[4] to carry coal for export.

It was built to the international 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge and motive power was provided by horses that hauled wagons along wooden rails.

In 1875, the government purchased the line and converted it to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge two years later.

[7] In 1927 the building was transported by barge and bullock waggon to its present site.

[8] The statistical area of Matawaia-Taumarere surrounds but does not include the towns of Kawakawa and Moerewa.

The results were 49.5% European (Pākehā); 66.8% Māori; 5.3% Pasifika; 1.2% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 0.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".