Maungakawa is located in the

Waipa District Waipa District is a municipality in the Waikato region of New Zealand that is administered by the Waipa District Council. Its most populous town is Cambridge. The seat of the council is at the second most populous town, Te Awamutu. The district i ...

, in the present day

Te Miro Te Miro is an area in the Waipa District of the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Te Miro is situated 31 kilometres east southeast of Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, and 24 kilometres northeast of Cambridge, New Zealand, Camb ...

settlement, northeast of the town of

Cambridge, New Zealand Cambridge (Māori: ''Kemureti'') is a town in the Waipa District of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated southeast of Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions" ...

. It was once the meeting place of the

Kauhanganui The Whakakitenga, formerly known as the Kauhanganui, is a Māori parliament established by King Tāwhiao of the Kīngitanga in 1889 or 1890. Members of Te Whakakitenga are elected for three year terms, with each marae electing two members. Ba ...

, the parliament of the Kīngitanga and

Waikato Tainui Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori ''iwi'' based in 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 Zealand o ...

government. During the 1860s it had a population of several hundred.

King Tawhiao King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

opened a parliament building in 1891. Maungakawa_scenic_reserve

In 1868 was bought, or leased from Māori owners by Daniel Thornton, and, after his death, a large house was put on what was later called Sanatorium Hill. 'Te Waikato

Sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

' for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

was officially opened in 1903 by

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, as one of the few the Public Health Department hospitals . Closure came in 1921, during the second Massey Ministry, when Health Minister

James Parr James Parr may refer to: * James Parr (baseball) (born 1986), American baseball player * James Parr (politician) (1869–1941), New Zealand lawyer and politician * Jim Parr James Gordon Parr (May 26, 1927 – April 5, 2000) was an English-Ca ...

said half the beds were empty. He was supported by Cambridge Borough Council; the Mayor saying it was a burden on the state. Maungakawa Scenic Reserve was named after the former Maungakawa estate, though Maungakawa hill is about to the northeast in Te Tāpui Scenic Reserve (there is another Maungakawa hill further north in the

Hapuakohe Range Hapuakohe Range of hills is aligned north-south, between the Waikato River and the Hauraki Plains in the Waikato region of New Zealand. It is separated from the Taupiri Range by an air-gap at Mangawara, where the Waikato flowed about 20,000 ye ...

). The reserve has a native

bush Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: *** ...

walk and views over the surrounding area. It was formed in 1953. The Gudex stone obelisk was erected on Pukemako hill, when 7 acres were set aside from the reserve to become Gudex Memorial Park in 1968. On a clear day

Mt Ruapehu Mount Ruapehu (; ) is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and North Island North Island Volcanic Plateau, volcanic plateau in New Zealand. It is northeast of Ohakune and southwest of the southern shore of L ...

and

Mt Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is the second highest point in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. The mountain has a secon ...

are visible.

References

Waipa District {{Waikato-geo-stub