Te Awamutu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Te Awamutu
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Town
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Te Awamutu war memorials
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| Nickname(s):
T.A., "The Rose Town of New Zealand"
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Waikato |
| District | Waipa District |
| Ward | Te Awamutu Ward |
| Community | Te Awamutu Community |
| Electorates |
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| Area | |
| • Total | 14.18 km2 (5.47 sq mi) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 14,000 |
| • Density | 990/km2 (2,560/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Website | City: teawamutu.co.nz Region: http://www.ew.govt.nz |
Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is the main town for the Waipa District. Te Awamutu helps support the many farms around it.
The town is about 30 kilometers south of Hamilton. It sits on State Highway 3, which is a key road heading south from Auckland and Hamilton.
Te Awamutu has a population of 14,000 (June 2023), . This makes it the fifth-largest urban area in the Waikato region. Only Hamilton, Taupō, Cambridge, and Tokoroa are bigger.
People often call Te Awamutu "The Rose Town of New Zealand". This is because of the beautiful rose gardens in the town center. Many local businesses use "Rosetown" in their names. You can also see rose symbols on signs. The local newspaper, Te Awamutu Courier, even has a rose on its front page.
Contents
A Look Back: History of Te Awamutu
Tainui Māori people first settled in this area around 1450. The name Te Awamutu means "the river cut short." This is because it was the end of the part of the Mangapiko Stream where boats could travel.
Te Awamutu was the birthplace of the first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. He passed away in 1860.
Missionaries and Early Settlements
The first European missionaries came to the area in 1834. A missionary group, the Church Missionary Society (CMS), set up a settlement in July 1839. This happened after they saw Tainui warriors returning from a fight.
In 1842, Reverend John Morgan moved to the Otawhao Mission Station. This station was southwest of today's Te Awamutu.
The CMS missionaries started a successful trade school. They taught farming skills to Māori people. They brought new crops like wheat, potatoes, and peaches. In 1846, Morgan helped Māori build eight water mills. These mills were used to grind wheat into flour. He also helped find a miller to teach Māori how to operate them.
St John's church was built in 1853. It is likely the oldest building still standing in the Waikato. It was part of the mission station. During the 1850s, the area became rich by selling farm products to Auckland. For a short time, wheat was even sent overseas.
By the late 1850s, prices dropped. Cheaper flour came from Australia. This made local Māori upset because they were used to the wealth from trade. Some Māori, like Rewi Maniapoto, blamed the missionaries. They felt the missionaries were changing Māori tikanga (cultural practices) in a bad way. The trade school and other mission buildings were burned down. Some Christian Māori warned Europeans to leave the Waikato.
Te Awamutu was an important place during the New Zealand Wars in the 1800s. It became a military town for colonial settlers from 1864. European settlement in the area began after the Waikato Wars (1863–1865) ended.
Marae: Meeting Places
The local Mangatoatoa Marae and Te Maru o Ihowa meeting house are important places. They are meeting spots for several Ngāti Maniapoto hapū (sub-tribes). These include Ngutu, Pare te Kawa, and Parewaeono. They are also used by the Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Ngutu and Ngāti Paretekawa.
Where is Te Awamutu? Geography
As mentioned, Te Awamutu means "The River's End." The town is on gentle, rolling land. It is near the banks of a small river that flows into the Waipā River.
To the north and east are the Waikato Plains. To the west, you can easily see Mount Pirongia, which is about 20 kilometers away. Inside the town, there are two streams: the Mangapiko Stream and the Mangaohoi Stream. The Mangaohoi joins the Mangapiko near Memorial Park.
The town is also close to some old volcanoes. These include Kakepuku and Pirongia. Maungatautari is another old volcano nearby. It is now New Zealand's largest ecological restoration project.
Other towns close to Te Awamutu are Cambridge (25 km northeast), Otorohanga (30 km southwest), and Raglan (50 km northwest). The small town of Kihikihi is just south of Te Awamutu.
The main street is Alexandra Street. It got its name because it used to be the main road to the town of Alexandra. That town is now called Pirongia. This change was made to avoid confusion with Alexandra in the South Island.
Who Lives Here? Demographics
Te Awamutu covers about 14.18 square kilometers. As of June 2023, , it has an estimated population of 14,000. This means there are about 987 people per square kilometer.
At the 2018 New Zealand census, Te Awamutu had 12,198 people. This was a good increase from earlier years. There were 4,656 homes. The population included 5,787 males and 6,414 females. About 19.8% of the people were under 15 years old.
Most people in Te Awamutu are European/Pākehā (81.8%). About 23.2% are Māori. Other groups include Pacific peoples (2.7%) and Asian (4.5%). Some people identify with more than one group.
About 14.7% of the people were born outside New Zealand. This is less than the national average of 27.1%.
When asked about religion, 50.4% said they had no religion. About 37.1% were Christian. Smaller numbers followed Māori religious beliefs, Hinduism, Islam, or Buddhism.
Of adults aged 15 and over, 13.5% had a university degree or higher. About 25.0% had no formal qualifications. Many people work full-time (46.9%) or part-time (13.4%).
Fun Things to Do and See
The Te Awamutu Museum opened in 1935. It has many displays about the history of Te Awamutu and the area around it.
The museum also holds a very famous early Māori artifact. It is a large carved post called Te Uenuku. This carving is special because its style is different from other early Māori art. However, it is clearly a Māori design.
Te Awamutu is on SH3. This is one of the main roads for touring New Zealand's North Island.
The town has three large supermarkets. You can also find electronics stores and a well-equipped sports center. The Kihikihi Trail cycleway opened in 2017. It is a great place for biking.
Te Awamutu also has a big dairy factory. It is an important center for the local dairy farming industry.
Learning in Te Awamutu: Education
Te Awamutu has several schools for children.
There are two co-educational state primary schools:
- Te Awamutu Primary School, with 561 students.
- Pekerau School, with 254 students.
After primary school, many students go to Te Awamutu Intermediate. It has 443 students. Then, they move on to Te Awamutu College, which has 1,408 students.
There are also three other schools in the town:
- St Patrick's Catholic School is a Catholic primary school for Years 1–8. It has 241 students.
- Waipa Christian School is a Christian primary school for Years 1–8. It has 90 students.
- Te Wharekura o Nga Purapura o te Aroha is a state school for Years 1–15. It has 91 students as of February 2024.
Famous Faces from Te Awamutu
The most famous people from Te Awamutu are the Finn Brothers, Tim and Neil. They are musicians known for bands like Split Enz and Crowded House. Their music became famous around the world. Te Awamutu is even mentioned in their songs, like Split Enz's "Haul Away" and Crowded House's "Mean to Me".
Writer Heather Morris was born in Te Awamutu in 1953. She wrote the popular book The Tattooist of Auschwitz. She was honored in the Te Awamutu Walk of Fame in 2019.
Musician Spencer P. Jones was also born in Te Awamutu. He played in bands like The Beasts of Bourbon.
Two important Anglican priests were also connected to Te Awamutu. They were Reverend Martin Gloster Sullivan and Reverend John David Hogg. Both served at the old St Johns Church.
