Kurow

Kurow is a town in the Waitaki Valley on the South Island of New Zealand, 55 kilometers west of Oamaru.

Examples of cave paintings from pre-European Māori time can a few kilometers away, are found in Duntroon.

In addition, Kurow is known for wine growing, especially Pinot noir.

Several relevant to the South Island hydro power plants are located in the vicinity of Kurow.

Kurow was founded in 1878 and grew significantly in 1881 with the construction of the railway bridge over the Waitaki River.

There are different versions in particular on the origin of the name Kurow. Local Māori and many more inhabitants assume that Kurow is a anglicism the local mountain Te Kohurau. Others believe that the city of settlers from Europe, especially from Poland, was named after the Polish city Kurów. The latter however less likely, because the records note no settlers from Poland.

The mathematician Roy Kerr comes from Kurow.