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Te Awamutu is a town in the
Waikato region The Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City, as well as ...
in the
North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the
Waipā District Waipā District (or Waipa District) is a municipality in the Waikato region of New Zealand that is administered by the Waipā District Council. Its most populous town is Cambridge. The seat of the council is at the second most populous town, Te ...
and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some south 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 ...
on State Highway 3, one of the two main routes south from
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
and Hamilton. Te Awamutu has a population of making it the fifth-largest urban area in the Waikato behind Hamilton,
Taupō Taupō (), sometimes written Taupo, is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō, which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It h ...
,
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
and
Tokoroa Tokoroa is the fourth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua and 20 km south of Putāruru, close to the foot of th ...
. The town is often referred to as "The Rose Town of New Zealand" because of its elaborate rose gardens in the centre of the town. Many local businesses use "Rosetown" in their name, and the symbol of the rose is widely used on local signs and billboards. The local paper, ''Te Awamutu Courier'', has a symbol of a rose in the masthead on its front page.


History and culture

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...
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 ...
first settled in the area in about 1450, according to noted Tainui historian Te Hurinui-Jones. Te Awamutu means "the river cut short", as it marked the end of the navigable section of the Mangapiko Stream. Te Awamutu was the birthplace of the first Māori
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
,
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Pōtatau Te Wherowhero (died 25 June 1860) was a Māori people, Māori rangatira who reigned as the inaugural Māori King Movement, Māori King from 1858 until his death. A powerful nobleman and a leader of the Waikato (iwi), Waikato iwi of the ...
(died 1860). The first European missionaries visited the area in 1834. A missionary settlement was set up by Benjamin Yate Ashwell of the
Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British Anglican mission society working with Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as ...
(CMS). and Māori Christians in July 1839 after they observed Tainui warriors, who had been fighting at
Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
, return with 60 backpacks of human remains and proceed to cook and
eat Eating (also known as consuming) is the ingestion of food. In biology, this is typically done to provide a heterotrophic organism with energy and nutrients and to allow for growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive – ...
them in the Otawhao Pā. In 1842 the Rev. John Morgan moved to the Otawhao Mission Station. Otawhao was to the south west of Te Awamutu, on the rise overlooking what is now Centennial Park. The CMS missionaries established a flourishing trade school that focused on developing agricultural skills. The missionaries introduced European crops such as wheat, potatoes and peaches. In 1846 Morgan provided advice and some capital to help local Māori to construct eight water mills to grind wheat into flour. Morgan assisted in finding a suitable miller to operate the mills and to train Māori in this skill. Possibly the oldest surviving building in the Waikato is St John's church, built in 1853 as part of the mission station. It is in
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
style. During the 1850s the wider area prospered on the back of sending surplus farm produce to Auckland. For a brief period wheat was even sent overseas. By the late 1850s prices dropped as cheaper flour and other foodstuffs were imported from Australia. This caused huge resentment among local Māori who had grown use to the wealth provided by trade. Some of the more warlike Māori such as
Rewi Maniapoto Rewi Manga Maniapoto (1807–1894) was a Ngāti Maniapoto chief who led Kīngitanga forces during the New Zealand government Invasion of Waikato during the New Zealand Wars. Kinship Rewi, or Manga as he was known to his kin, was the child of ...
blamed the missionaries for having a negative influence on Māori ''tikanga'' (cultural practices). He attempted to kill the local missionary and burnt down the trade school and other mission buildings. Some Christian Māori warned Europeans to leave the Waikato as their lives were in danger. Te Awamutu was a major site during the
New Zealand Wars The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...
of the 19th century, serving as a
garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...
town for the colonial settlers from 1864. European settlement began at the conclusion of the Waikato Wars (1863–1865).


Marae

The local Mangatoatoa Marae and Te Maru o Ihowa meeting house is a meeting place for the
Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on th ...
hapū In Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief ...
of Ngutu, Pare te Kawa and Parewaeono, and the
Waikato Tainui Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori ''iwi'' based in the Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zeal ...
hapū of
Ngāti Ngutu Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori people, Māori ''iwi'' based in the Waikato, Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers ...
and Ngāti Paretekawa.


Local government

Rangiaowhia Rangiaowhia (or Rangiawhia, or Rangiaohia) was, for over 20 years, a thriving village on a ridge between two streams in the Waikato region, about east of Te Awamutu. From 1841 it was the site of a very productive Māori people, Māori Mission (s ...
, or Rangiaohia Highway Board administered the roads in the town until Te Awamutu Town Board's election on 1 November 1884. The board first met on 8 November, though there had been an earlier attempt to form a board and there was an unsuccessful challenge to the legality of the election. Te Awamutu Borough Council took over from the board and first met on 10 May 1915. It was merged into Waipā District Council on 23 October 1989.


Geography

Te Awamutu literally means in English "The River's End". The town is on gently undulating land close to the banks of a tributary of the
Waipā River The Waipā River is in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. The headwaters are in the Rangitoto Range east of Te Kūiti. It flows north for , passing through Ōtorohanga and Pirongia, before flowing into the Waikato Ri ...
. The Waikato Plains lie to the north and east, and the
promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the s ...
of
Mount Pirongia Mount Pirongia is an extinct stratovolcano located in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It rises to and is the highest peak around the Waikato plains. Pirongia's many peaks are basaltic cones created by successive volcanic erup ...
, 20 kilometres to the west, is easily visible. Inside the township are two streams called the Mangapiko Stream and the Mangaohoi Stream. The Mangaohoi ends and becomes the Tributary of the Mangapiko near Memorial park. The town is close to the extinct
Kakepuku Kakepuku (Te Kakepuku ō Kahu) is a volcanic cone that rises from the plain between the Waipā and Puniu rivers, about NW of Te Kawa and SW of Te Awamutu in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. History Kakepuku was named Te K ...
and
Pirongia Pirongia is a small town in the Waipā District of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is 12 kilometres to the west of Te Awamutu, on the banks of the Waipā River, close to the foot of the 962 metre Mount Pirongia, which lies i ...
volcanoes (and other volcanoes of the
Alexandra Volcanic Group The Alexandra Volcanic Group (also known as Alexandra volcanic lineament or Alexandra Volcanics) is a chain of extinct calc-alkalic basaltic stratovolcanoes that were most active between 2.74 and 1.60 million years ago but is now known to have ...
).
Maungatautari Maungatautari is a mountain near Cambridge in the Waikato region in New Zealand's central North Island. The mountain is an extinct stratovolcano. It is a prominent peak and is visible across the Waipa District. The mountain is the site of Sanc ...
, another extinct volcanic cone, now the site of New Zealand's largest
ecological restoration Ecological restoration, or ecosystem restoration, is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, destroyed or transformed. It is distinct from conservation in that it attempts to retroactively repair ...
project, is also nearby. Other towns surrounding Te Awamutu include
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, 25 kilometres to the northeast,
Ōtorohanga Ōtorohanga is a north King Country town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located south of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton and north of Te Kūiti, on the Waipā River. It is a service town for the surrounding Da ...
, 30 kilometres to the southwest, and Raglan 50 kilometres to the northwest. The small town of
Kihikihi Kihikihi, a small town located in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, serves as a satellite community of Te Awamutu, five kilometres to the north, and lies 35 kilometres south of Hamilton. The estimated population was ''Kihi ...
lies just to the south of Te Awamutu. The main thoroughfare is Alexandra Street, so named because it was once the main road to the town of Alexandra (since renamed to
Pirongia Pirongia is a small town in the Waipā District of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is 12 kilometres to the west of Te Awamutu, on the banks of the Waipā River, close to the foot of the 962 metre Mount Pirongia, which lies i ...
to avoid confusion with the town of
Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...
in the
South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
).


Demographics

Te Awamutu covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Te Awamutu had a population of 13,380 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 837 people (6.7%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,526 people (23.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 6,429 males, 6,903 females, and 45 people of other genders in 5,136 dwellings. 2.7% 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 40.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 2,532 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 2,355 (17.6%) aged 15 to 29, 5,580 (41.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,910 (21.7%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 80.4%
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 ...
); 24.1%
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 ...
; 3.2% Pasifika; 6.9% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.7%, Māori by 5.5%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 7.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.5% (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 16.9, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 33.2%
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 ...
, 1.1%
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 ...
, 0.4%
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 ...
, 1.2%
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 ...
, 0.7%
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 ...
, 0.4%
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 1.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 52.9%, and 8.4% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,833 (16.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 5,883 (54.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 3,129 (28.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $40,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 924 people (8.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 5,469 (50.4%) full-time, 1,257 (11.6%) part-time, and 264 (2.4%) unemployed. For earlier censuses, Te Awamutu was divided into four area units, central, east, south and west, as in this table. Māori formed 19.7% of the population in central, 22.8% in east, 23.2% in south and 25.7% in west.


Facilities and attractions

Te Awamutu Museum was established in 1935. The museum has a number of permanent exhibitions focusing on the history of Te Awamutu and the surrounding area. The museum contains one of the most famous early
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 ...
artefacts, a large carved post known simply as ''
Te Uenuku ''Te Uenuku'', or simply ''Uenuku'', is an early Māori carving stored (but not displayed) at Te Awamutu Museum in the North Island of New Zealand. ''Te Uenuku'' (literally "The Rainbow") represents Uenuku, a tribal atua of war who manifests as ...
''. This impressive carving has caused much controversy because its style is markedly different from any other early Māori work, yet it is clearly of a Māori design. Te Awamutu itself is located on SH3, one of the major routes used when touring the North Island of New Zealand. The town has three large supermarkets, electronics retailers, a well equipped sports / leisure centre and The Kihikihi Trail cycleway, which opened in 2017. The town has a large dairy factory, and serves as an important centre in the local dairy industry.


Education

Te Awamutu has two state primary schools: Te Awamutu Primary School, with a roll of , and Pekapekarau School with a roll of . Te Awamutu Primary was founded in 1877. Pekapekarau opened in 1958 as Te Awamutu No 2 School, then was given the name Pekerau School, a misspelling of Pekarau. It changed its name to Pekapekarau School in 2022. Many of these students then progress on to Te Awamutu Intermediate, established 1959, with a roll of , and Te Awamutu College, with a roll of . Te Awamutu District High School was established in 1921, split between two or more sites. It was replaced by Te Awamutu College in 1947. There are also three other schools in the town: * St Patrick's Catholic School is a Year 1–8 state integrated Catholic primary school, with a roll of . It was founded in 1921. * Waipa Christian School is a Year 1–8 state integrated Christian primary school, with a roll of . It opened in the early 1990s, and plans to include years 9 and 10 in the future. * Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o te Aroha is a Year 1–15 state school, with a roll of as of The school, which teaches in the
Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...
, opened in 2007 and moved to its current site in 2020. All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of .


Notable residents

The town's best known residents are the
Finn Brothers The Finn Brothers are a New Zealand musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music. The two brothers began making music together at a young age; later, when ...
, Tim and
Neil Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. As a surname ...
, whose musical careers have stretched from
Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand band formed in 1972. Regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were initially noted for their progressive rock, progressive/art rock sound, flamboyant visua ...
through the internationally successful
Crowded House Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...
to their current solo and collaborative works. The town is mentioned in Split Enz's song "Haul Away", and also in Crowded House's 1986 song " Mean to Me", the debut single from their self-titled debut album. Writer
Heather Morris Heather Elizabeth Morris is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She played the role of Brittany S. Pierce in the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. Early life Morris was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and raised in Scottsdale, ...
, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, was born in the town in 1953. She was inducted into the Te Awamutu Walk of Fame in 2019. Musician
Spencer P. Jones Spencer Patrick Jones (28 October 1956 – 21 August 2018) was a New Zealand guitar player and singer-songwriter from Te Awamutu. From 1976 he worked in Australia and was a member of various groups including The Johnnys, Beasts of Bourbon, Paul ...
( The Beasts of Bourbon, Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls) was also born in Te Awamutu. Two Anglican priests of note were the last incumbent vicars of the old St Johns Church. They were The Rev Martin Gloster Sullivan, vicar prior to WW2 who in 1950 became Dean of Christchurch Cathedral and, later Dean of St Pauls Cathedral London, and The Rev John David Hogg who was to become the Anglican Archdeacon of Waikato and Vicar General of the Waikato Diocese.


See also

* Te Awamutu Railway Station


References


External links


teawamutu.co.nz
{{Waipa District Populated places in Waikato Waipa District Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Waikato