Te Aroha is a rural town in the

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

region of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

with a population of 3,906 people in the 2013 census, an increase of 138 people since 2006. It is northeast of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

and south of

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

. It sits at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the

Kaimai Range The Kaimai Range (sometimes referred to as the ''Kaimai Ranges'') is a mountain range in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of a series of ranges, with the Coromandel Range to the north and the Mamaku Ranges to the south. The Kaimai ...

Etymology

The name Te Aroha comes from the eponymous Mount Te Aroha. The name of the mountain is shortened from (love flowing inland). This name is accepted as describing a longing for a homeland, with various stories in Māori oral tradition about the naming of the mountain. Originally, the northern area of the town was known as ''Morgantown'' after the Māori chief Morgan Hou, whilst the southern part was known as ''Lipseytown'' after Hou's daughter Ema Lipsey.

History

In 1879 the Te Aroha Block was surveyed, the block was subdivided into sections of between . George Lipsey was the first European to settle in Te Aroha. Lipsey came from

and married the daughter of Morgan Hou, Ema. Morgan was a Maori chief who owned the land that became Te Aroha. The population grew quickly during the 1880s as a result of a

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...

. A spa was founded in 1883 but popularity had declined by the 1930s. In the 1880s farmers from Lincolnshire came to settle the surrounding area which helped with the growth of Te Aroha and the wider

Piako County Piako County was a county in New Zealand existing from 1876 to 1989 when counties were abolished as part of the 1989 local government reforms. Piako County was located around the Piako River and the lower Thames Valley. The County's boundaries ...

area. A report to Parliament by

James McKerrow James McKerrow FRAS (7 July 1834 – 29 June 1919) was an astronomer, Surveyor-General of New Zealand, and Chief Commissioner of Railways in New Zealand. McKerrow was the son of Andrew McKerrow and Margaret (''née'' Steven) his wife, and was ...

in 1881 described the town as being in the most favourable spot referencing transport, roads, and farm land surrounding the town. Te Aroha

Borough Council A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

took over from the 1880 Town Board on 2 May 1898. Herriesville became part of Te Aroha Borough Council. The 1938 Council Chambers is now a Category 2 listed building.

Matamata-Piako District Matamata-Piako District is a Territorial Authorities of New Zealand, local government area in the Waikato List of regions in New Zealand, region of New Zealand. It lies to the east of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton. Geography The d ...

Council took over under the

1989 local government reforms The 1989 New Zealand local government reform was the most significant reform of local government in New Zealand in over a century. Some 850 local bodies were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, on Regions of New Zealand, regional and Territo ...

. The construction of a railway line led to Te Aroha becoming a popular tourist destination by the late 1890s. People came to Te Aroha for both leisure and health reasons. Te Aroha was compared to famous European spas and hotels popped up to service travellers. Starting in the 20th century the popularity of the baths at Te Aroha declined. Starting in the 1930s the town and baths experienced financial losses which led to the closure of the baths. In 1961 the Cadman Baths closed and the outdoor swimming pool was filled in. The area around Te Aroha was originally swampland, but it was drained and became productive agricultural land, this led to Te Aroha becoming a service town for the wider rural area. Te Aroha became a town district in 1884, at the time it had a school, post office, police station, and multiple churches. On 17 February 1985 Te Aroha experienced a severe flash flood that washed boulders, mud, and trees through the town. Most shops and more than 50 homes were damaged, resulting in the death of three people.

Gold mining

Gold was discovered near Te Aroha on 11 September 1880. On 20 November 1880, the Te Aroha Goldmining District was established under the Goldmining Districts Act 1873. This sparked a gold rush and the town with over 500 miners 5 days after the proclamation. Compared to other gold rushes—such as the one at Ohinemuri 5 years prior—the rush at Te Aroha was described as tame and peaceful. Despite the hype around the discovery of gold it was soon discovered that there was a fault crush and nothing more was found. Miners started moving away as little gold was discovered. Gold was soon discovered in 1883 at

Waiorongomai The Piako County Tramway was built in 1882–83, just south of Te Aroha. It was a long, horse powered tramway. It carried quartz from gold mines in the Kaimai Range to water-powered batteries in the Waiorongomai Stream valley below. It was ...

and the remaining miners headed there, although some left their families in Te Aroha.

Bridges

Coulter Bridge, over the Waihou River, on Kenrick St ( SH26) was rebuilt in 1910 and the present bridge was built alongside it in 1928. The 1885 railway bridge had an and 9 of spans, with a swing span at its east end. It was rebuilt in 1912, replacing an 1895 swing bridge. It is now a footbridge, but will not be replaced.

Railway stations

The

Thames Branch The Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand, with Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton and was originally part of the East Coast Main Trunk railway. Part of the line between Morrinsville and Waitoa remains open and is in use as ...

reached Te Aroha in 1885 and the station opened on 1 March 1886, when it had a partly built 4th class station (completed in June 1886 by W Cameron for about £2,750, with some buildings probably also moved from

Eureka Eureka often refers to: * Eureka (word), a famous exclamation attributed to Archimedes * Eureka effect, the sudden, unexpected realization of the solution to a problem Eureka or Ureka may also refer to: History * Eureka Rebellion, an 1854 g ...

to Te Aroha), platform, cart approach, x goods shed (extended in 1942), loading bank, engine shed, stationmaster's house, urinals and a

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains o ...

for 48 wagons. Te Aroha remained a terminus until the line to Paeroa opened on 20 December 1895. Cattle yards were added later in 1886, a coffee stall in 1896 and more improvements in 1897. The station was described in 1902 as: "of wood, and include a ladies' waiting room, a public waiting room, a vestibule, stationmaster's office, ticket office, and parcels office. There is a long asphalted platform." The area west of the Waihou was named Herriesville from 1914, when a private railway siding was opened on 24 January 1914 to serve the A&P ground.

William Herries Sir William Herbert Herries (19 April 1859 – 22 February 1923) was an English-born New Zealand politician who served as a member of the Piako County Council and later as MP for Bay of Plenty and Tauranga. Biography Herries was born in Lo ...

had been a local landowner. Seven railway cottages were built in 1924. Both stations closed to passengers on 11 September 1967 and to freight on 11 July 1986, though Herriesville was only open for racecourse traffic.

Demographics

In 1886 Te Aroha riding (which includes rural land far from the town) had a population of 1,203, by 1891 this had decreased to 1016, with 615 in the town district and the rest in the outlying areas. In 1898, when Te Aroha was constituted as a borough, it covered approximately , 200 dwellings, and 600 residents. In 1915 Te Aroha had a population of 1,500, in 1928 it was 2,920. In 1972 Te Aroha Borough Council had a population of 3,220. Te Aroha covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Te Aroha had a population of 4,650 in the

2023 New Zealand census The 2023 New Zealand census, which took place on 7 March 2023, was the thirty-fifth national census in New Zealand. It implemented measures that aimed to increase the Census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, i ...

, an increase of 99 people (2.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 648 people (16.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,280 males, 2,361 females and 12 people of other genders in 1,893 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as

LGBTIQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group is ...

. The median age was 49.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 804 people (17.3%) aged under 15 years, 576 (12.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,905 (41.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,362 (29.3%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 82.5%

European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

(

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

); 19.8%

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

; 5.0%

Pasifika Pasifika may refer to: *Pacific Islander people, indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands **Pasifika New Zealanders, Pacific peoples living in New Zealand *Pacific Islands, including Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia *The Pasifika Festival, an a ...

; 7.5% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.4%, Māori language by 2.8%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 8.6%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk).

New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL () is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand. It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights ...

was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 18.0, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 31.3%

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, 1.0%

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, 0.3%

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, 0.8%

Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 1.6%

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, 0.6%

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

, 0.1%

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, and 1.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.2%, and 8.7% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 489 (12.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,031 (52.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,332 (34.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $31,400, compared with $41,500 nationally. 255 people (6.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,590 (41.3%) people were employed full-time, 492 (12.8%) were part-time, and 93 (2.4%) were unemployed.

Geography

Mount Te Aroha

The eponymous Mount Te Aroha is the highest peak of the Kaimais at and dominates the landscape. A road leads up to the summit. The road began construction 1963 so a television repeater station could be installed at the top of the summit. The station serves the Waikato and Bay of Plenty areas.

Hot springs

Thermal A thermal column (or thermal) is a rising mass of buoyant air, a convective current in the atmosphere, that transfers heat energy vertically. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example ...

and

mineral spring Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage un ...

s are both found close to the centre of the town. The springs have been used by the Māori for many years before becoming popular in the 1870s with European settlers. The New Zealand Herald writes that the site was gifted to New Zealand by chief Mokena Hou in the 1880s. The hot spring water emerges from the source at a range of 75 °C /167 °F to 85 °C / 185 °F, and is cooled before reaching the soaking pools. Te Aroha has a hot soda-water geyser, which is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Climate

Economy

Te Aroha is at the centre of a

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

community and much of its economic activity is in serving that community. Tourism is increasing in Te Aroha. The mineral baths are a very popular spot for tourists and locals alike. Historically mining played a role in the area, some mines had have had a long impact, such as toxic residues leaking from the abandoned

Tui mine The Tui mine is an abandoned mine on the western slopes of Te Aroha, Mount Te Aroha in the Kaimai Range of New Zealand. It was considered to be the most contaminated site in the country, following the cleanup of the former Fruitgrowers Chemical ...

tailings dam.

Notable places

The Mokena Hou Geyser, the only natural soda water

geyser A geyser (, ) is a spring with an intermittent water discharge ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. The formation of geysers is fairly rare and is caused by particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in a few places on Ea ...

in the world is located on the lower slopes of Mount Te Aroha. The geyser is named after Morgan (Mokena) Hou. It is used to make the drink Lemon & Te Aroha, which has been produced on and off since 1888. The geyser complex, the most intact

Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

in New Zealand, is located in the Te Aroha Domain. The category 1 Grand Tavern was constructed as a hotel between 1880 and 1881 during the local gold rush. The hotel was one of several in Te Aroha that serviced travellers coming for the hot springs. The Grand Tavern is a grand Victorian two-storeyed building and a rare example of an extant Victorian hotel in New Zealand.

Te Aroha Domain

The Te Aroha Domain is registered as a historic area. It housed the original baths used to attract tourists the town. Today the domain still retains many of the original

buildings and serves as an attraction for tourists. Included amongst the domain's Edwardian buildings is the category 1 Cadman Bathhouse, the largest and most ornate of the domain's buildings. Miners_cottage_te_aroha

Events

* Waihou and Te Aroha Cobras play an annual rugby match for the Dr Dunn memorial trophy. This is one of the biggest days on the calendar of Te Aroha. * A Day in the Domain was started in Te Aroha in 1977 by the Arts Council and continues to be a fun, affordable day out. The day attracts artists and performers from far and wide with a variety of stalls and foodies on display. Entertainment is free with competitions and games all day. * The King and Queen of the Mountain and Bald Spur Derby have been annual events in Te Aroha since the 1950s. Held the weekend before Christmas, the challenge is to be the first man or woman up Mount Te Aroha and back down again. This has been achieved in under one hour. The Bald Spur Derby offers competitors a shorter but still challenging course. * Te Aroha AP & H Show has been running since the 1890s. Boasting one of the most extensive home industries sections, it has full agricultural and equestrian sections and the usual country fair activities such as the gumboot throwing competition and cattle dogs. Te_Aroha_Cruise_2014

* Te Aroha Cruise In (car event) started 2008.

Education

Te Aroha College is the town's state secondary school, with a roll of . It started with a year 9 class at Te Aroha School in 1907 and became a secondary department of the school in 1908. In 1957, it became Te Aroha College, and it moved to its current site in 1958. There are two state primary schools in the town: Te Aroha Primary School, with a roll of ; and Stanley Avenue School, with a roll of . Te Aroha Primary opened as Te Aroha Goldfields School in 1881, and became Te Aroha District High School until Te Aroha College moved to its own site. Stanley Avenue School held a 25th reunion in 1991. St Joseph's Catholic School is a state integrated Catholic school, with a roll of . It started in 1903, and expanded into new premises in 1908 and 1927. All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of Te Aroha West Public School opened in 1883 and closed in 2000.

Notable people

* Morgan (Mokena) Hou, a Maori chief who was a well respected friend of the European settlers and owned the land that became Te Aroha. The northern part of Te Aroha was originally named after him and the Mokena Hou geyser is named in his honour. * Olympic Gold Medalist

Peter Snell Sir Peter George Snell (17 December 1938 – 12 December 2019) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only man since 1920 to have won the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964. Snel ...

* All Black Kevin 'Herb' Schuler * Robert Coulter, Mayor of Te Aroha and Labour MP *

Don Beard Donald Derek Beard (14 January 1920 – 15 July 1982) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in four Test matches from 1952 to 1956. He was a schoolteacher and school principal. Early life and career Don Beard grew up in the country near Palmer ...

, New Zealand cricketer and principal of Te Aroha College from 1961 to 1982 *

Todd Muller Todd Michael Muller (; born 23 December 1968) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the Leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition from 22 May to 14 July 2020. Muller entered Parliament at the 2014 gen ...

, Member of Parliament for

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

. *

Ross Ardern David Ross Ardern (born 28 February 1954) is a New Zealand diplomat and former police officer. He was the Administrator of Tokelau from 2018 to 2022, having previously served as the High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue from 2014 to 2018, an ...

Administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, an ...

from 2018-2022

Fauna and flora

In 2020 a report was produced on the moths of Mount Te Aroha outlining important species that inhabit the area.

Filmography

Te Aroha was the setting of the 2023 crime drama ''The Gone'' (renamed Mt Affinity in the show).

References

External links

Te Aroha i-SITE Visitor Centre

Te Aroha Museum Website

Te Aroha College
Photos - * Main stree

* Railway station - [http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2FHeritageImages%2Findex.htm&AC=QBE_QUERY&TN=heritageimages&QF0=ID&NP=2&MR=5&RF=HIORecordSearch&QI0=%3D%22AWNS-18991013-3-1%22 1899]
1903
[http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2FHeritageImages%2Findex.htm&AC=QBE_QUERY&TN=heritageimages&QF0=ID&NP=2&MR=5&RF=HIORecordSearch&QI0=%3D%22AWNS-19050713-16-1%22 1905]
1908 (new station)1910

{{Matamata-Piako District Populated places in Waikato Spa towns in New Zealand Hot springs of New Zealand Geysers of New Zealand Landforms of Waikato Matamata-Piako District