the introduction to 'ruapuke' says, "the greater part of the ruapuke district is of a sandy loam, and at one time carried a large population of maoris, as is evidenced by old pas, great heaps of shells, whare [house] sites and numerous kumara storage pits. when the first europeans arrived the sandy country was covered with patches of light bush, with a big proportion of karaka, puriri, and cabbage trees. the balance was covered with tauhinu, teatree, flax and fern. the clay portion of the district, (inland and on the slopes of mt karioi) was in heavy bush." the archaeological map shows over 40 sites in the area. the european settlers, george charlton and his sons-in-law, captains swann and liddell, arrived in the 1850s.[1]