Local History

The village of Upper Moutere, formerly known as Sarau, was named by the German Missionary Pastor Heine who settled in the Valley in 1850 to establish the village.  He named the Village ‘Sarau’ after the beautiful Valley of the same name near his home in northern Germany. The name continued to be used until World … Continued

Do you have German ancestry or a German name? Chances are, if your German forebears came to New Zealand between 1842 and 1869 they landed in Nelson. The Moutere Inn History Marquee at the Sarau Festival  contains a display of early settlement in the Moutere Valley with interesting history panels, loads of folders and local … Continued