The original Ohinemuri Council Wharf was established in Wharf Street. With the introduction of rail to Paeroa, this wharf was built a little further up stream from the original Ohinemuri Council Wharf, but the later construction of the first railway bridge meant that vessels had to lower their funnels to pass under the bridge which limited access to the larger vessels.

Today it is hard to visualise this, as there were no built up stop banks in those days so the vessels were able to berth alongside the wharves.

The Paeroa Historical Maritime Park Society was formed late in 1976, upon the realisation that, at this once notable inland port ‘Puke Wharf’, lay submerged New Zealand’s only remaining complete Paddle Steamer, the ‘Kopu’.