Te Rapa is a mixed light industrial, large-scale retail and semi-rural suburb to the northwest of
central Hamilton,
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 ...
. It is built on a flat area that was previously the bed of an ancient river, the forerunner to the present Waikato River.
Stretching in a long, thin north–south axis, Te Rapa is home to many factories including Te Rapa Dairy Factory, one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Te Rapa has freight and locomotive depots on the
North Island Main Trunk
The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...
railway.
History
Te Rapa and neighbouring
Pukete
Pukete is a 1970s riverside suburb in northwestern Hamilton in New Zealand.
The cobblestoned walk in the park has a grass dog exercise area. The riverside walkway, which includes many pedestrian bridges, can be used by walkers or cyclists, ...
were important sites for the
kauri gum
Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...
trade of the late 19th/early 20th centuries, being some of the southern-most locations where gum could be found.
Demographics
Te Rapa covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
Te Rapa had a population of 348 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 60 people (20.8%) since the
2018 census, and an increase of 45 people (14.9%) since the
2013 census. There were 177 males, 168 females and 3 people of
other genders in 168 dwellings. 4.3% 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 ...
. There were 30 people (8.6%) aged under 15 years, 48 (13.8%) aged 15 to 29, 96 (27.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 177 (50.9%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 80.2%
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 ...
); 16.4%
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 ...
; 2.6%
Pasifika; 10.3%
Asian; 0.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.7%, Māori language by 3.4%, and other languages by 9.5%. No language could be spoken by 0.9% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 18.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 48.3%
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 ...
, 1.7%
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 ...
, 2.6%
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 ...
, and 2.6% other religions. People who answered that they had
no religion were 38.8%, and 7.8% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 39 (12.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 162 (50.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 123 (38.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 12 people (3.8%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 99 (31.1%) people were employed full-time, 30 (9.4%) were part-time, and 3 (0.9%) were unemployed.
Te Rapa South has a high median age because 147 of the residents are in the Bupa Foxbridge Retirement Village and Care Home.
Shops
Post Offices
There are two Post Shops in Te Rapa, at The Base and at
Video Ezy
Video Ezy was an Australian home video rental business that offered titles on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray, as well as console game, console video games, for rent. At its peak in the mid-2000s, Video Ezy had over 500 company-owned and f ...
, which, until 2018, was one of the last two in Hamilton renting DVDs, Play Station and videos.
The Base
Prior to being handed back to the
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 ...
tribe by the government as part of the
Raupatu land settlement in 1995, Te Rapa was the site of a
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...
base. The base served as a major Air Force stores depot. The Te Rapa Air Force base closed in 1992.
Te Rapa's shopping area includes
The Base, a large-scale retail development that opened in 2005
at the site of the former air force base. As of 2006, The Base contained the largest branch of
The Warehouse A warehouse is a storage facility.
Warehouse or The Warehouse may also refer to:
Buildings and places Canada
* The Warehouse (Toronto), a defunct nightclub in Toronto, Ontario
* The Warehouse Studio, a recording facility and photography studio i ...
in New Zealand. With the addition of the Te Awa building in 2010, The Base became New Zealand's largest shopping mall, and still is, as of December 2011.
Fonterra Dairy Factory
One of
Fonterra's largest
dairy factories is to the east of the former
SH1 in northern Te Rapa. It started to dry
powder
A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...
in 1967
and was officially opened on 20 April 1968 by New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company,
which became part of Fonterra in 2001. A butter, cream and
cream cheese
Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream.Oxford English Dictionary Cream cheese is not naturally matured and is meant to be consumed fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie and Neuf ...
plant was added in 1997, another cream cheese line in 2013, and another butter line
in about 2019.
It collects up to of milk a day from 1,000 farms.
It has around 500 staff, producing roughly 80,000 tonnes a year, including 650 million packets of butter and 33,500 tonnes of cream cheese.
Up to of
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It th ...
water are used in the processing.
It is powered by
a cogeneration unit, which uses of
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
gas
Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...
over 6 years. The chimneys are over high.
Te Rapa Racecourse
Located in Te Rapa is Te Rapa Racecourse, Hamilton's only remaining horse racing course, and the main racecourse for 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. It has a symmetrical left-handed (anti-clockwise) track with a
circumference
In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...
of 1788 metres.
The course originated with Waikato Turf Club in 1873, which met at
Whatawhata
Whatawhata, previously also spelt Whata Whata, is a small town in the Waikato region on the east bank of the Waipā River, at the junction of New Zealand State Highway 23, State Highways 23 and New Zealand State Highway 39, 39, from Hamilton, N ...
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 ...
. In 1887 it became the South Auckland Racing Club at
Claudelands
Claudelands is a suburb directly to the east of central Hamilton, New Zealand, across the Waikato River. It is linked to the central city by the Claudelands road bridge and the East Coast Main Trunk Railway bridge.
History
Miropiko Pā, at R ...
, renamed Hamilton Racing Club in 1916 and moving to at Te Rapa in 1924.

Facilities and hospitalities include a members' facility and private suites.
Major races held at the Te Rapa racecourse include:
* Waikato Cup over 2400m in early December.
*
Waikato Sprint
The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton in early February.
It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 New Zeala ...
over 1400m in February.
*
New Zealand International Stakes
The International Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February every year. The race is now run as the Herbie Dyke Stakes.
The 2010 running was sponsored by the connections of stallion Darci Brahma, ...
also known as the Herbie Dyke Stakes, a weight-for-age event over 2000m in February.
Waterworld

Waterworld (also known as ''Te Rapa Pools'') is a Hamilton
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
-owned pool complex in Te Rapa. In addition to the main facilities, the venue also includes a range of other options including a spa, sauna and steam rooms as well as an outdoor
playground
A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people wi ...
. Rides offered at Waterworld include The Python Hydroslide, the Twister Slide and The Screamer Speedslides. The complex was officially opened in late 1976, 15 years after
Hamilton Jaycees suggested a new swimming pool complex in Fairfield Park. The suggestion led to an adopted proposal in 1964 to mark the city's
centennial
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include:
* Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
and in 1973 the decision was made to instead build the complex in Te Rapa.
Transport
Road
Immediately after the
invasion of the Waikato
The invasion of the Waikato became the largest and most important campaign of the 19th-century New Zealand Wars. Hostilities took place in the North Island of New Zealand between the military forces of the colonial government and a federation ...
, in 1864, there was just a track across the area linking Mangaharakeke (or Manuharakeke) Pā and
Kirikiriroa Pā. By 1870 bridges had been built over the streams. An 1875 report said the bridges at Waitawhiriwhiri, Mangaharakeke, Beere's Creek and Hall's Creek, between
Ngāruawāhia
Ngāruawāhia () is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located north-west of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton at the confluence of the Waikato River, Waikato and Waipā Rivers, adjacent to the Hakarimata Rang ...
and Hamilton on the
Great South Road, had been replaced, or repaired. Until
Mangaharakeke Dr opened in 2012, much of the 1860s road, now known as Te Rapa Rd, was part of
SH1. See also -
List of streets in Hamilton.
Railway
Te Rapa railway station
Rotokauri railway station (formerly Te Rapa railway station), also known as The Hub, is a railway station, park and ride, and bus station in north Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand serving Rotokauri and Te Rapa. Located on the North ...
opened when the North Island Main Trunk was extended from
Ngāruawāhia
Ngāruawāhia () is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located north-west of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton at the confluence of the Waikato River, Waikato and Waipā Rivers, adjacent to the Hakarimata Rang ...
to Hamilton on 19 December 1877. Te Rapa is at the northern end of the section to
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...
,
electrified
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. In the context of history of technology and economic development, electrification refe ...
in 1988. Electrification ends just north of the post (distance north of
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
). A locomotive depot and marshalling yard incorporated the Racecourse station site. There is also a
concrete sleeper
A concrete sleeper (British English) or concrete tie (American English) is a type of railway sleeper or railroad tie made out of steel reinforced concrete.
History
In 1877, Joseph Monier, a French gardener, suggested that concrete reinforced ...
factory at Te Rapa.
Te Rapa Racecourse station
£720 was spent to open Te Rapa Racecourse passenger platform,''
'' near the south-west end of the course, on 15 October 1924.
[''Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand'' by Juliet Scoble (2012)] The mileage to the middle of the Racecourse platform was reported as in 1924 (Frankton Jct was from Auckland in 1882, but that station was moved north in 1909).''
'' The first excursions seem to have been advertised for Labour Day, 27 October 1924. The last advert was in November 1943. In 1930 the line was double tracked and equipped with automatic signalling.
Associated with that work, footbridge No 62A was built in 1929 (it was removed about 1963) and long landings were formed at rail level on both lines, with access to the back of the racecourse. By January 1935 horse loading banks had been completed. Approval to remove them was given in 1953, after being disused for years.''
'' Final closure was in late 1967.
Aerial photos show that the site of the station, and an area to the north, was later used for the marshalling yard and then the locomotive and freight depot.
Freight
On 1 April 2003 a container terminal opened, with overhead lines, for shunting by electric locomotives.''
''
= Crawford Street depot
=
Fonterra's Crawford St depot is linked by rail to local dairy factories at
Te Awamutu
Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato, Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipā District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some south ...
,
Morrinsville
Morrinsville () is a provincial town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. Morrinsville is a service town for the local dairy industry; the area surrounding the town has the highest concentration of dairy cattle in New Zealand.
...
,
Waitoa
Waitoa is a settlement in the Matamata-Piako District of New Zealand. State Highway 26 runs through the town, and connects to Te Aroha 10 km to the north-east.
A Fonterra dairy factory is a prominent blue building in the middle of the town.
T ...
, Hautapu,
Waharoa A waharoa is an entrance gateway to a marae complex in New Zealand. Waharoa may refer to:
* ''Waharoa'' (Aotea Square sculpture) (1990), a sculpture by Selwyn Muru in Aotea Square, Auckland
* ''Waharoa'' (1990), a sculptural entranceway to the Auc ...
, Lichfield and
Tīrau
Tīrau is a small town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 50 kilometres southeast of Hamilton. The town has a population of 804 (2018 census). In the Māori language, "Tīrau" means "place of many cabbage trees."
Tīrau ...
. It sends about 33,000 containers of milk powder and cheese a year for export via the
Port of Tauranga
The Port of Tauranga is situated in Tauranga, New Zealand. It is the largest port in the country both in terms of total cargo volume, and in terms of container throughput with container volumes exceeding 1.2 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equiv ...
. An automated cool store was added in 2009 to handle about 235,000 tonnes a year.
= Te Rapa Marshalling Yard
=
Construction of a new marshalling yard near the Racecourse began in December 1967.
The yard replaced Frankton goods yard and opened on 10 January 1971. It had a
hump for shunting,
[Juliet Scoble: Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand](_blank)
/ref> which used Westinghouse retarders and 31 sidings.
Education
Te Rapa School is a full primary school catering for years 1-8. It has students. Te Rapa School has been the local primary school since 1906.
St Peter Chanel Catholic School is a state integrated full primary school catering for years 1-8. It has students.
Both these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of
References
External links
*
*
1973 photo of retarder at railway marshalling yard
NZTA live cameras at Te Rapa / Wairere Drive junction
{{Hamilton, New Zealand Navbox
Suburbs of Hamilton, New Zealand
Rail transport in Waikato