It was in December of 1885 that the issue of land ownership went before the land courts. The judge declared that 1800 pounds be paid to the nominated Maori claimants. The area purchased was 6300 acres, and the town called Kaponga.

It wasn’t until 1894 that settlers arrived into the heart of Kaponga. Dense bush and a rail way line in the making were all the area had to offer when the Kusab brothers arrived.

The Kusabs employed 25 mill workers and 60 Maori contract bushman to fell the 2000 acres of heavily bushed land . Near the mill, small single men’s cottages sprung up, a cook house, manager's house and a store. The same year the railway line went through linking Auckland to Rotorua.

It was not long before others started moving into the area. Land was brought plans to clear and farm the land were made. The place took off.

In 1899 the first school was opened a tiny one room building by the railway station with a roll of 16 pupils before long the roll had increased to 29. The older children would the train to the Matamata District High School. In 1929 the Putaruru District High School opened and the Mamaku Secondary School Students enrolled there. The train left at eight in the morning returning at four thirty in the afternoon.

Mamaku has never lacked for entertainment in 1907 the first town hall was built later in 1960 converted in a house. The Regent Theatre was built in 1920. There were rugby, cricket, tennis, hockey, netball, clubs at one stage there were two golf courses and club rooms in Mamaku