Te Aroha ( mi, Te Aroha-a-uta) is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand 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: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

and south of Thames. It sits at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai Range.

History

The name Te Aroha derives from the

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 ...

name of Mount Te Aroha. In one version, Rāhiri, the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, climbed the mountain and saw his homeland in the distance and felt a sense of love () for it. The town is properly named ; meaning 'inland', so the town is named "love flowing inland". In some Tainui traditions, Rakataura, a tohunga of the '' Tainui'' waka, was one of the first people to leave the waka, settling at

Rarotonga / Mount Smart Mount Smart (Māori: ''Rarotonga''; officially Rarotonga / Mount Smart and also known as Te Ipu kura a Maki) is one of the volcanoes and Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountain) in the Auckland volcanic field. A century of quarrying removed almost a ...

. After a period of time, Rakataura decided to leave Tāmaki Makaurau and travel south, however during the journey his wife Kahukeke died. Eventually Rakataura settled at Te Aroha, naming the area after the love he felt for Kahukeke. The European settlement was established in the late 1870s. The population grew quickly during the 1880s as a result of a gold rush. A spa was founded in 1883 but popularity had declined by the 1930s. Te Aroha Borough Council 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 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, made up of regional and territorial levels. Backg ...

. Created in 1888, Te Aroha and Lemon was New Zealand's first local

fizzy 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 ...

. It was produced up until the 1960s. 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.

Bridges

Coulter Coulter may refer to: People * Coulter (surname) * Coulter Osborne (born 1934), Canadian arbitrator and former Associate Chief Justice of Ontario Places * Coulter, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, a village and civil parish * Coulter, Iowa, United Sta ...

Bridge, over the Waihou River, on Kenrick St ( SH26) was rebuilt in 1910 and the present bridge was built alongside it in 1928. The railway bridge was rebuilt in 1912, replacing the 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 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, ...

reached Te Aroha in 1895 and the station opened on 1 March 1886. 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. Biography Herries was born in London, the son of Herbert Crompton Herries, a barrister, and his wife, Leonora Emma Wickham. His gr ...

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

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 4,554 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 549 people (13.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 744 people (19.5%) 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 1,776 households, comprising 2,214 males and 2,337 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 849 people (18.6%) aged under 15 years, 639 (14.0%) aged 15 to 29, 1,839 (40.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,221 (26.8%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 84.8% European/ Pākehā, 17.7%

, 3.9% Pacific peoples, 6.4%

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 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 17.1, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.6% had no religion, 37.2% 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 ...

, 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.1% 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 ...

, 0.7% 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 ...

, 2.0% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 384 (10.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,095 (29.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 450 people (12.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,506 (40.6%) people were employed full-time, 498 (13.4%) were part-time, and 126 (3.4%) were unemployed.

Geography

The Waihou River runs through Te Aroha. Close by to the east is the base of the Kaimai Range, and the town is overlooked by the 952-metre Mount Te Aroha. To the north of the town is the low-lying, swampy land of the Hauraki Plains.

Hot springs

Thermal and

mineral spring Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produces 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 underg ...

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.

Economy

Te Aroha is at the centre of a dairy farming 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. Hinemoa Hotel at Te Aroha, circa 1916

Historically mining played a role in the area, and has left some legacies – not all of them positive, such as toxic residues leaking from the abandoned Tui mine tailings dam. Miners' cottages are in evidence.

Attractions

Te Aroha is the location of the Mokena Hou Geyser, the only natural soda water

geyser A geyser (, ) is a spring characterized by an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. As a fairly rare phenomenon, the formation of geysers is due to particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in ...

in the world. The geyser complex, the most intact Edwardian

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

in New Zealand, is located in the Te Aroha Domain. The first sections of the Hauraki Rail Trail opened in 2012, connecting the town to Paeroa, Waihi, Matamata and Thames. 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 Mt 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 . 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 . St Joseph's Catholic School is a state integrated Catholic school, with a roll of . All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of

Notable people

* 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. Snell ...

* All Blacks Don Clarke, Kevin 'Herb' Schuler,

Carl Hoeft Carl Henry Hoeft (born 13 November 1974, in Auckland) is a former rugby union footballer from New Zealand, currently working as coach. His usual position was at loosehead prop. He was a part of the New Zealand national rugby union team squad at b ...

, Keith Robinson and Kevin O'Neill * Ian S. Ardern of the

First Quorum of the Seventy First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was born in the town *

Robert Coulter Robert Coulter (23 October 1929 – 5 September 2018) was a Northern Irish politician, a member of the Ulster Unionist Party and a prominent proponent of unionism. Between 1998 and 2011 he served as an Ulster Unionist Party MLA for North Ant ...

, Mayor of Te Aroha and

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

MP *

David Cunliffe David Richard Cunliffe (born 30 April 1963) is a New Zealand management consultant and former politician who was Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from September 2013 to September 2014. He was Member of Parli ...

, former leader of the

New Zealand Labour Party The New Zealand Labour Party ( mi, Rōpū Reipa o Aotearoa), or simply Labour (), is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism, while observers descr ...

, was born in Te Aroha. * Stuart Farquhar, Olympic javelin thrower *

Jack Body John Stanley Body (7 October 1944 – 10 May 2015) was a New Zealand composer, ethnomusicologist, photographer, teacher, and arts producer. As a composer, his work comprised concert music, music theatre, electronic music, music for film and da ...

, New Zealand composer *

Don Beard Donald Derek Beard (14 January 1920 – 15 July 1982) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in four Tests from 1952 to 1956. Early life and career Don Beard grew up in the country near Palmerston North, cycling 15 miles a day to attend 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 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 general el ...

, Member of Parliament for Bay of Plenty, was born in Te Aroha.

Fauna and flora

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

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