Kurow is a small town in the Waitaki District, New Zealand. It is located on the south bank of the Waitaki River, 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of Oamaru.

The name is an Anglicised form of the Māori name of the nearby mountain, Te Kohurau.^[3]

In the 1920s, the town was the base for the building of the nearby Waitaki Dam and forming Lake Waitaki in the first of a series of hydroelectric projects on the Waitaki River.

The first social security scheme for New Zealand workers was designed in the town, arising from Presbyterian Minister of Kurow Arnold Nordmeyer's experience of working with families of workers on the Waitaki hydro-electric project.^[4]

Examples of pre-European Māori cave paintings are close to the small settlement of Duntroon.

The land around the town includes summerfruit orchards, and increasing amounts of Pinot noir are being planted in the limestone soils. In 2021, there were 13 wineries and vineyards in operation in the Waitaki valley.^[5]

The town was the terminus of the Kurow Branch railway, opened in 1881 to Hakataramea, across the Waitaki River, but cut back to Kurow in 1930. It closed in 1983: the line can be traced on the ground, and the station still building stands on Liverpool St. From 1928 until 1937, a line owned by the Public Works Department ran from Kurow to the hydroelectric project 6.4 km to the west.

Investigations into two proposals for further hydroelectricity development on the lower Waitaki river: Project Aqua and North Bank Tunnel benefited the economy of Kurow. Neither of these got past the planning stage and caused significant social disruption to the community.^[6]

Kurow had been trying to fund a statue of Richie McCaw since 2016 but has struggled to raise the required money. A seven metre tall statue was being considered at one stage.^[7]

Kurow is described as a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand, and covers 2.44 km² (0.94 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 390 as of June 2023,^[2] with a population density of 160 people per km². It is part of the larger Danseys Pass statistical area.

Before the 2023 census, Kurow had a larger boundary, covering 4.91 km² (1.90 sq mi).^[1] Using that boundary, Kurow had a population of 372 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 51 people (15.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 24 people (6.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 165 households, comprising 192 males and 180 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female, with 54 people (14.5%) aged under 15 years, 30 (8.1%) aged 15 to 29, 144 (38.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 147 (39.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 91.9% European/Pākehā, 12.9% Māori, 4.0% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 36.3% had no religion, 50.0% were Christian, 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% were Muslim and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 27 (8.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 108 (34.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 30 people (9.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 126 (39.6%) people were employed full-time, 51 (16.0%) were part-time, and 6 (1.9%) were unemployed.^[8]

The original Kurow hotel dates from the 1860s and had some 24 rooms, a billiard room and stables for horses. Damaged by a fire it was rebuilt in 1892. Again damaged by another fire in 1905, the Kurow hotel was rebuilt out of Oamaru stone. The brightly coloured building is a category two historic place.^[11]

The Kurow Museum is located at 57 Bledisloe Street. It showcases early settlers in the area and the development of the social security scheme to help families in need.^[12][13]

Kurow is the closest town to Awakino Ski Area which is 15 kilometres away, accessed through Awakino Station.^[14]

Waitaki Valley School is a full primary school catering for years 1 to 8,^[15] with a roll of 103 students as of February 2024.^[16] The school was created from the merger in 2004 of Kurow Area, Otematata, Cattle Creek, and Hakataramea schools.^[17] It moved to its present site in 2012.^[18]

Notable people with connections to Kurow include:

• Steve Hotton, Otago rugby player
• Roy Kerr, Mathematician
• Richie McCaw, All Black captain
• Dr Gervan McMillan and his wife Ethel were residents of Kurow from 1929 to 1934, with Dr McMillan running a medical practice there.^[19][20]
• Arnold Nordmeyer, minister of finance and Labour Party politician
• Charles Saxton. All Black and rugby administrator