Kamo, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kamo
Suburb
Kamo Location in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Local authority	Whangārei
Electoral ward	Whangārei Urban Ward
Area
• Land	1,209 ha (2,988 acre)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	10,980
Postcode(s)	0112, 0185

	Kamo, New Zealand

Kamo, officially known as Te Kamo, is a suburb located north of Whangārei, a city in New Zealand. It's only about a five-minute drive from the city centre. For many years, between 1875 and 1955, people mined coal here. Kamo was also famous for its warm hot springs in the early 1900s. In 2023, the suburb's name was officially changed to Te Kamo.

The Name Te Kamo

The name Te Kamo comes from the local Māori sub-tribe, called Ngāti Kahu-o-Torongare. They have a special story about an ancestor named Te Kamo. He lived in this area and was a quiet person who worked hard behind the scenes. He made sure his people were safe and had enough food by arranging trade with other groups from the coast.

When Europeans first arrived, they recorded the area's name as Te Kamo. However, over time, it was often shortened to just Kamo. In 2023, the New Zealand Geographic Board officially changed the name back to Te Kamo.

A Look at Kamo's Past

Kamo has an interesting history, especially with its coal mining.

Coal Mining and Railways

People started digging for coal in Kamo in 1875. But it was hard to move the coal to the Whangārei wharf because the roads were not paved. So, in 1882, a short railway line was built between Kamo and Whangārei. This was one of the very first railways in the Northland area! The railway line is still used today as part of the North Auckland Line. The coal mine eventually closed in 1955 because all the coal had been dug out. Another type of rock, called Limonite, was also dug up in Kamo.

Early Buildings and Growth

Many churches were built in Kamo a long time ago. A Wesleyan church was built in 1881, followed by the Anglican All Saints Church in 1886. A Presbyterian church opened in 1911. The first Roman Catholic church in the Whangārei area also opened in Kamo around 1881.

In 1884, Kamo became a "Town District." At that time, about 410 people lived there, which was almost as many as lived in Whangārei itself!

Hot Springs and Town Changes

In the early 1900s, Kamo was well-known for its hot springs. The water was rich in iron and people believed it was good for their health.

Later, in the early 1960s, the city of Whangārei grew bigger and its borders expanded. This meant that Kamo became part of Whangārei city.

Kamo's Landscape

To the northwest of Kamo, there's a volcanic hill called Parakiore. It's about 391 metres tall and is very old, about one million years old! Parakiore is part of a larger group of hills formed by something called the Harbour Fault. Other hills in this group include Hikurangi and Parihaka in Whangārei.

Who Lives in Kamo?

Kamo covers an area of about 12.09 square kilometres. As of 2023, about 10,734 people live here. This number has been growing, with 570 more people since 2018 and 1,926 more since 2013.

The median age in Kamo is about 38.5 years old. This means half the people are younger than 38.5 and half are older. About 21% of the people are under 15 years old, and 21% are 65 or older.

People in Kamo come from many different backgrounds:

• About 76.5% are European (Pākehā).
• About 31.3% are Māori.
• About 4.5% are Pasifika.
• About 7.5% are Asian.

Most people (96.7%) speak English. About 6.9% speak the Māori language.

When it comes to religion, about 33.8% of people are Christian. Many people (53.0%) also say they have no religion.

Schools in Kamo

Kamo has several schools for different age groups:

• Kamo High School is for older students (years 9-13). It opened in 1960 and has about 592 students.
• Kamo Intermediate is for middle school students (years 7-8). It has about 796 students and has a friendly competition with Whangarei Boys' High School and Whangarei Girls' High School.
• Kamo Primary School, Totara Grove School, and Hurupaki School are all primary schools for younger students (years 1-6). They have about 402, 253, and 287 students respectively.

All these schools teach both boys and girls together. The student numbers are from February 2024. .

Kamo Primary School first opened in 1873 in a private house. It grew quickly and moved to its own building in 1881. In 1946, it moved to its current location. The older students from Kamo Primary moved to the new Kamo Intermediate when it opened in 1964. Kamo East School opened in 1966 and was later renamed Totara Grove School.

Famous People from Kamo

Many talented people have come from Kamo:

• Several All Blacks (New Zealand's national rugby team) players, like Bunny Finlayson, Bevan Holmes, and Ian Jones, played for the Kamo Rugby Club.
• Justin Collins, who played for the Auckland Blues, and Peter Sloane, who coached the Auckland Blues, also played for Kamo Rugby Club.
• Michael Hill, a famous jeweller and business owner, went to Kamo High School.
• Stacey Michelsen, a "Black Stick" (New Zealand's national hockey team), attended Kamo Intermediate School.
• Ross Ihaka, who helped create the R programming language, went to Kamo High School.
• Park Kyung, a rapper and composer from the South Korean boy group Block B, also attended Kamo High School.