Ramarama

Ramarama, previously known as Sheppards Bush, is a small community at the far south of the Auckland Region in New Zealand's North Island, located just to the north of the Bombay Hills (a point commonly regarded as the most southern part of the Auckland region). Ramarama has an off-ramp at exit 466 on the motorway south of Auckland. The suburb is effectively sliced in two by the motorway, this section of which was constructed in 1978.The main settlement of Ramarama contains a convenience store, a caravan park and several small businesses. Most of the land in the area is made up of market gardens, farms and lifestyle blocks as would be expected from the entirely rural region in which it is located. There are several floral/garden/nursery businesses with large glasshouses and a number of poultry/egg producing farms in the surrounding area.Ramarama School is located in Ramarama. It was formerly known as Maketu School but changed its name to what it is now. In the 1950s the school was almost closed down because it had only 12 students but the school population has risen to over 200.HistoryRamarama was originally only bushland and also there was a pa site inhabited by the Ngāti Pou tribe of the Maori. It also hid pathways between Tamaki, Hauraki and the Waikato.In the 1850s, the British built the Great South Road through the land. At the time of the Waikato War, the area was known as Sheppards Bush.Reverend McDonald, a widely famed priest at the time, decided to build a church where the Pratts Road Cemetery stands now. The Church was called Saint Brigids and also functioned as a school. The church itself was moved to Selwyn Oaks but the school was called Maketu School and henceforth Ramarama School.