Rude things have been said about Dargaville, but this little Northland town on the Wairoa River has far more to commend it than detractors might prefer.

Commerce built it, and although the nature of the trade has changed, commerce continues to fuel it.

The town was founded by a fiercesome sounding Irishman, Joseph McMullen Dargaville who according to the plinth in the gardens by the river set himself up as a wholesale merchant, gum and timber trader in the late 1860s.

He founded the town of Kaihu on the site of land he had purchased from Chief Parore at Kaihu Creek, and it was renamed Dargaville in his honour a couple of years later.

Apparently the man was a commanding presence, having a typically Irish way with words, reinforced by the use of his stick to emphasise points.

As he employed up to 400 men to feed the mill at Aratapu, among his other interests, we may deduce he was shrewd, popular or a slave driver. We would not wish to malign him, for in his short 59 years on this planet he made a big impression on the banks of the Wairoa River.

At times the Wairoa is not a pretty colour, but it is an impressive size and of course served to ensure Dargaville’s growth as an important port serving its hinterland – cut off from the rest of the country by terrain and bush.

For many years now Dargaville has been home to the Northland Fieldays, an event which has been estimated to pump c.$40 million into the local economy, by Massey University.

This three day event is one of the highlights of the year in the north and is designed to offer a showcase for everything within the agricultural sector. In keeping with much of the more innovative and industrious parts of the north, Fieldays is now run by a Scot – Rae Middleton.

Clearly the event has benefitted from the enthusiasm, passion and fresh ideas Rae has brought to it. “I regard myself as very fortunate up here. We have a wonderful climate and the town is thriving. It is after all, the gateway to the Kauri Coast, and when certain sections of the community fully wake up to the potential I think the tourist sector will boom as well.”

The residents of Dargaville have one thing in common – they are very positive about their town.

“Never underestimate Dargaville,” Cheryl Polwart, of Polwarth Designs, said. “It is upbeat and buzzing – what we have been saying for years. There are lovely character homes, fantastic sections available and some beautiful little schools.

“Furthermore we want people to move here! Imagine what you can buy in Auckland for a lot of money these days – you can get a mansion with garden and a whole lot more up here for a lot less! The Internet has so transformed business that having a lifestyle block up here as opposed to a shoebox in the city is wholly feasible.

“We are beginning to see people take the plunge too – Whangarei and Auckland are not far in driving terms, and people are beginning to realise that.”

Brenda Polwart, Cheryl’s sister, is one of those who has taken the plunge quite recently, and now works for the Kaipara District Council.

“One of the great joys for visitors is that they can come and shop here and park for free,” she explained.

“That makes it very attractive, and people are beginning to discover that we are not hillbillies up here – we are actually quite nice. So you can do your shopping in comfort and then there are several great little cafes in the main street to – I’m told that Blahblahblah has the nicest chowder on the planet!”

Given Dargaville’s position – the gateway to the Kauri Coast, it does have a lot of tourist potential. One detractor noted that the place needed “smartening up a bit.”

Too many of the buildings need just a coat of paint to improve the whole ambience. But the worst fault, they felt, was that the town simply closes at 1pm on Saturday afternoon. What use was that, they felt, to the many tourists coming through, and when will the place get a decent restaurant?!

Andrew Taylor is both a farmer and merchant in Dargaville and has noted a number of changes in the area. “Today it is farmers and lifestylers that make this town tick. A lot of the big farms are being broken up, and my turnover has increased considerably as the small farms don’t need bulk supplies.”

“I’m a bit worried about all the big farms going under. It takes a lot of the economy away in the end, but I suppose it is preferable they stay as productive farms rather than reverting to suburbia as has happened to so much of the good land round Auckland.”

Annie at Farmlands believes Dargaville is mainly kept going by the rural sector – farming, horticulture and of course the Kumara for which the area is famed.

“In the last few years there has been a move away from big farms, and people are diversifying into smaller bits of land. They aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket anymore, and pure economics is forcing them to be innovative.

 “As dairying and beef are in the doldrums people are looking outside the square – they’ve had to as so many of them are pouring big chunks of their income into servicing debt. So carving up the bigger farms has had some positive outcomes.

“As for the town,” she continued, “I think Dargaville is a bit of an undiscovered gem, and it is still a small enough community to care for itself. I’ve only been here 23 years, so I’m not officially a local yet, but I’d guarantee that if you moved here, 90% of the people downtown would know who you are within half a day.”

Chris Donahue is the District Growth Facilitator at Kaipara DC, and was drawn to the area by its friendliness seven years ago. “Dargaville is a great place, and the agricultural service centre for a huge area.

“We have so many attractions in the area, our excellent museums, both here and at Matakohe, the Kaiiwi Lakes the Waipoua Forest, our challenge is persuading more people to turn left when they reach the Brynderwyns! All those I have spoken to who have taken that circuit round, rather than going straight to the Bay of Islands have loved it.

“As a council we are a great source of information – we have a huge library downstairs – and we’d love more farmers to come in and make use of it.”