A European sheep farming station, Te Putere Grazing Run, was established in the area in 1875 or 1876.[2] The area was also farmed by the families of World War I soldiers, but conditions were severe and many families had abandoned their farms by the Great Depression.[3]
In October 2020, the Government committed $1,949,075 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Putere and 23 other Ngāti Kahungunu marae, creating 164 jobs. It also committed to $1,646,820 towards improvements of Putere and five other marae, creating 10 jobs.[6]
Education
Putere School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school established in 1925.[7][2] It is a decile 2 school with a roll of 11 as of February 2024.[8][9] New school buildings were built remotely in 2010.[10]