Raglan is the small beach side town situated 48 kilometers west of Hamilton, New Zealand. The Raglan region has been populated for at least 800 years as well as was initially recognized by Maori like Whangaroa “long pursuit”. To avoid puzzlement with one more place of the similar name, Whaingaroa was afterwards adopted for avoiding confusion. The present name of Raglan was accepted in 1858 in honor of Fitzroy Somerset, first Lord Raglan who was leader of British forces in Crimean War during the time.
The initial Europeans to stay in the region were the Mary Wallis and Rev James who were Wesleyan Missionaries that local Maori welcomed and embraced in 1835. European settlement comprising large scale alteration of land to meadow started in earnest approximately 20 years after mission in mid 1850’s after the large sale of land by ruler Wiremu Neera Te Awaitaia.
