Gladstone, New Zealand
Gladstone is a lightly populated locality in the Carterton District of New Zealand's North Island, located on the Mangahuia Stream near where the Tauweru River joins the Ruamahanga River. The nearest town is Carterton 15 kilometres to the northwest, and nearby settlements include Ponatahi to the west and Longbush to the south. It was named after British prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Several other localities in the country are also called Gladstone - an Invercargill suburb, a coastal sawmill village south of Greymouth, a hamlet beside Lake Hāwea and an area near Levin. History and culture Thirty-four deceased soldiers from Gladstone and its surrounds are commemorated by a small roadside war memorial, and part of the main road between Masterton and Gladstone is lined with 36 memorial oaks. Why there are thirty-six rather than thirty-four oaks is unknown. Marae The local Hurunui o Rangi Marae is affiliated with the Ngāti Kahungunu hapū of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Taneroroa, Ngāti Hinewaka, Ngāti Kaparuparu, Ngāti Moe, Ngāti Parera, Ngāti Rangitataia, Ngāti Rangitehewa, Ngāti Tatuki and Ngāti Te Tomo o Kahungunu, and the Rangitāne hapū of Ngāi Tahu. In October 2020, the New Zealand Government committed $2,179,654 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade