Paeroa is a town in the

Hauraki District Hauraki District is a territorial authority within the Hauraki region of New Zealand. The seat of the council is at Paeroa. The area covered by the district extends from the southwest coast of the Firth of Thames southeast towards Te Aroha, alth ...

of the Waikato Region in the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Located at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula, it is close to the junction of the

Waihou River The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook in November 1769, when he explored of the river from the mouth. An older Māori name was "Wai Kahou Roun ...

and

Ohinemuri River The Ohinemuri River is located in the northern half of New Zealand's North Island, at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula. The river's source is north-east of the town of Waihi, close to the shore of the Bay of Plenty, but flows west rather ...

, and is approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) south of the Firth of Thames. New Zealanders know the town for its mineral springs, which in the past provided the water used in a local

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

, "

Lemon & Paeroa Lemon & Paeroa, also known as L&P, is a sweet soft drink manufactured in New Zealand. Created in 1907, it was traditionally made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, but is now owned and manufactured ...

". The town stands at the intersection of State Highways 2 and 26, and is the central service location for the

. The town is about half way between Auckland and Tauranga, and acts as the southern gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, and as the western gateway to the

Karangahake Gorge The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. State Highway 2 passes through ...

and the Bay of Plenty.

Etymology

One can gloss the Māori-language name ''Paeroa'' as composed of ''pae'' (ridge) and ''roa'' (long).

Demographics

Paeroa covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Paeroa had a population of 4,269 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 471 people (12.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 378 people (9.7%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 1,713 households, comprising 2,046 males and 2,223 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female. The median age was 49.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 723 people (16.9%) aged under 15 years, 636 (14.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,641 (38.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,266 (29.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 75.9% European/

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

, 30.9%

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 C ...

, 3.9% Pacific peoples, 4.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 1.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 49.4% had no religion, 36.3% were

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, 2.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, 0.1% were

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, 0.6% were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and 1.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 300 (8.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,125 (31.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 243 people (6.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,251 (35.3%) people were employed full-time, 450 (12.7%) were part-time, and 186 (5.2%) were unemployed.

Rural surrounds

The statistical area of Paeroa Rural, which includes the localities of Netherton,

Tirohia Tirohia is a rural community in the Hauraki District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It was one of the main areas used by Ngāti Hako, including Te Rae o te Papa pā. A bridge was built over the Waihou River in 1919. Education ...

and

Karangahake The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. State Highway 2 passes throug ...

, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Paeroa Rural had a population of 1,845 at the

, an increase of 171 people (10.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 90 people (5.1%) since the

. There were 687 households, comprising 948 males and 897 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female. The median age was 44.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 360 people (19.5%) aged under 15 years, 270 (14.6%) aged 15 to 29, 915 (49.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 303 (16.4%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 87.6% European/

, 21.5%

, 2.6% Pacific peoples, 2.4%

, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 10.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.2% had no religion, 28.3% were

, 2.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were

, 0.3% were

, 0.8% were

and 2.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 153 (10.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 408 (27.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $30,300, compared with $31,800 nationally. 171 people (11.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 711 (47.9%) people were employed full-time, 276 (18.6%) were part-time, and 48 (3.2%) were unemployed.

History

Early history

The west bank of the

, west of Paeroa, was the site of Te Raupa pā, Opita pā and Waiwhau pā, settled around the junction of the

Waihou Waihou is a rural settlement in the Matamata-Piako District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on between Te Aroha and Morrinsville and west of the Waihou River. Waihou Recreational Reserve provides sporting faci ...

and Ohinemuri Rivers (originally due west of Paeroa).Phillips, Caroline, and Harry Allen. Archaeology at Opita: Three Hundred Years of Continuity and Change. Department of Anthroplogy, University of Auckland, 2013. Te Raupa in particular was a heavily settled pā, likely settled between 1450 and 1500. The area was settled almost consistently until European contact, except for a brief period of river flooding. The area was originally settled by

Ngāti Hako Ngāti Hako is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. The people of Ngati Hako are acknowledged as the earliest settlers in the Hauraki region. Although Ngati Hako endured long periods of conflict with the Marutūāhu peoples, they were never completely o ...

, and by

Ngāti Tamaterā Ngāti Tamaterā is a Māori '' iwi'' (tribe) of the Hauraki region of New Zealand, descended from Tamaterā, the second son of Marutūāhu. It is a major tribe within the Marutūāhu confederation and its leaders have been prominent in Hauraki ...

from the 1600s. Captain James Cook explored the Waihou River in 1779, taking a long-boat up as far as Netherton, just a couple of miles from where the town of Paeroa was built 100 years on. Samuel Marsden visited Raupa settlement in June 1820 for missionary work, and was impressed by the scale of wooden buildings he saw, and the number of people who settled in the area. During the Musket Wars, Ngāpuhi attacked the settlements in December 1821. Raupa was successfully defended, however the residents soon sought refuge in the Waikato. In 1830, Ngāti Tamaterā returned to the area after the Battle of Taumatawiwi, however settled further south than the original settlements, and used Te Raupa as a burial site until the 1850s, when the iwi converted to Christianity. The area was briefly explored in October 1826 by Captain James Herd, in command of the '' Lambton'' and the ''Isabella'' (or '' Rosanna''). Herd was sent on an exploratory mission by the first organisation to be known as the New Zealand Company and claimed to have bought of land from local Māori in Hokianga and Manukau. By 1869, anticipating the rush to the Ohinemuri Goldfields, considerable numbers of miners camped at Cashell’s Landing "Puke".

Development of Paeroa township

In 1870, Asher Cassrels, a

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

, leased the block of land known as Paeroa from Māori. This included Primrose Hill and most of what is now the town centre. When James Mackay (surveyor) and Sir David McLean (Minister of Mines) completed negotiations six years later with the Māori Chiefs, Tukukino and Taraia, the fields were declared open. Six hundred miners rushed to Karangahake, considered to be the

El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

, on 3 March 1875. A canvas town of 1,600 people with about 20 stores and grog shops set the area going. The big gold reefs like Talisman and Crown were discovered but proved hard to work. Heavy machinery required for hard quartz mining had to be brought via the Waihou River and up to Paeroa. The river was the only highway and with two shipping companies in operation, Paeroa became a thriving transport and distribution centre. When the

Northern Steamship Company The Northern Steam Ship Company Ltd (NSS) served the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand from 1881 to 1974. Its headquarters, the Northern Steam Ship Company Building, remains in use on Quay St, Auckland as a bar. Origins Initia ...

combined with its opposition, the wharves from near the

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking), big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in D ...

(Wharf Street) had to be shifted downstream in 1892, and eventually to just below Puke Bridge due to the silting from mining operations. A busy freight business developed with four ships regularly running from

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

to Thames to Paeroa. The

Thames Branch The Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand, with 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 the Waitoa Branch line, ...

railway line reached the town in 1881 at the

Paeroa Railway Station Paeroa railway station is a former railway station in Paeroa; on the Thames Branch, and on the East Coast Main Trunk Railway to Waihi. Between 1895 and 1991 Paeroa had a station at the north end of the town centre, followed by one further north, a ...

, and gradually ships gave way to steam, which in turn gave way to road transport. Work on the

Paeroa–Pokeno Line The Paeroa-Pokeno railway line or deviation in the upper North Island of New Zealand between Paeroa on the East Coast Main Trunk (ECMT) and Pokeno on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) was a proposed route with construction started but abandoned. ...

commenced in the 1930s, but little was done and the proposal was abandoned. A historic Paeroa building, in the town centre, is the former National Bank of New Zealand's gold refinery, built in 1914 in Willoughby Street. The building is now a private home and business, hidden from street level view by a ponga fence. In 1911 the National Bank formed joint venture with the New Zealand Mining Trust and the bank purchased a section with a frontage by deep in Arthur Street (now Willoughby Street) for 200 pounds. In the early 1900s, the Waihou River near Paeroa was straightened by making a canal, in order to protect farmland from flooding. By February, 1914, a Ferro-cement building , with an iron roof and a smokestack was completed. Inside was the main refining chamber, two assay offices, weighing room, accounting room, engine and dynamo rooms, two officers' bedrooms, sitting room and bathroom. Detached from the main building was a store room and coal bin.

Modern history

As late as 1928, the

was still navigable for larger ships all the way up to the town, and the

Kopu Bridge The Historic Kopu Bridge (originally Hauraki Bridge and sometimes Waihou River Bridge) is a single-lane swing bridge that spans the Waihou River, near its emergence into the Firth of Thames in the Thames-Coromandel District of New Zealand's Nort ...

was therefore constructed as a swing bridge. When Brenan and Company, the largest horse and wagon operator, moved to trucking, they bought out the steamship company and named their trucks after the ships that plied the

. Waimarie and Taniwha were always painted on the new International or Ford trucks that came into their fleet. When transport operator Sarjant’s amalgamated with Brenan, a large truck centre evolved in Paeroa. As the passenger rail service dwindled, Paeroa eventually lost its railway, so much of the town had its beginnings in supply and transport to the Hauraki and District. The swings of time have enabled the town to boom and revert a number of times.

Culture

Lemon & Paeroa

Paeroa is best known for the soft drink

(L&P) that used to be produced in the town. The soft drink was made with lemon and carbonated mineral water from Paeroa. Today L&P is owned by

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

and produced on the same production line as other Coca-Cola products sold in New Zealand. A large L&P bottle stands on the main road as a landmark in the town of Paeroa. In 1994 L&P ran a series of advertisements based around Paeroa, the advert had locals standing in front of various parts of the town pointing out what the town isn't famous for. In one advertisement, a local stands in front a 1930s bungalow making the comment, "It's not famous for its Hollywood mansions". Landmarks and features in the town included the towns Harbour Bridge (a small single lane bridge), bright lights (a flashing chemist sign), luxury hotels (a local motel), trendy shops (an Op Shop) and

Opera House An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

(the back of the local town hall). At the end of each advert a group of people would end by saying "But it is famous" pointing to the landmark L&P bottle in the background. The advert would end with the tag line L&P World Famous in New Zealand. There were 3 separate advertisements all using the song Counting the Beat by

The Swingers The Swingers were a New Zealand rock band who were together from 1979 to 1982 and whose biggest single was the song " Counting the Beat". Background Formed out of the remnants of the Suburban Reptiles, the founding members were Phil Judd (gui ...

Events

Paeroa is known as the Events Capital of the Coromandel, as well as having a national reputation for horse racing. February is a busy event month in Paeroa and the motorcycle race ‘Battle of the Streets’ and ‘Pipe Band Tattoo’ events both attract participants and crowds from all over New Zealand and overseas. The horse track was closed in 2014 due to financial issues with the managers of the track..

Marae

Two '' marae'' (tribal meeting grounds) of the

are located in Paeroa: Taharua and Te Pai o Hauraki. Each has a '' wharenui'' meeting house of the same name.

Sports

The

Thames Valley Rugby Union The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

are based in the Paeroa, and compete in the

Heartland Championship The Heartland Championship competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the countr ...

. Several amateur sports clubs are also based in the town. These include clubs for rugby, soccer, netball, cricket, tennis, bowls and golf.

Education

Paeroa College is a secondary (years 9–13) school with a decile rating of 2 and a roll of . The College opened on 5 February 1958, and replaced the Paeroa District High School which had operated from 1902. Paeroa has five other schools: * Paeroa Central School and Miller Avenue School are full primary (years 1–8) schools with rolls of and , respectively. * Goldfields School is a special school and area resource centre, which has students aged from 5 to 21 years old. It has a roll of . * St Joseph's Catholic School is a full primary (years 1–8) state integrated school with a roll of . The school was established in 1900. * Paeroa Christian School is a full primary (years 1–8) state integrated school with a roll of . The school was established in 1987 with the support of local evangelical churches.

References

External links

Ex-National Bank Gold Refinery Photo Gallery

Paeroa College website
{{Hauraki District Populated places in Waikato Hauraki District