Symbols

Walking Tracks

Toilets

Site on private land. Access permission required. All other sites are visible from the road or are accessible to the public.

Published By

Waipa District Council / Waipa Heritage and Biodiversity Committee Private Bag Cambridge Copyright 2008

Design

What’s the Story Publications

ISBN: 978-0-473-14254-4 Welcome to the... Waipā DISTRICT HERITAGE TRAIL

This heritage trail traces the rich history of the Waipā region. Included are sites of Māori and European settlements, battle sites, trading posts, and places that have played a significant part in the development of Waipā District.

For ease of use they are listed in two sections: West Waipā and East Waipā. Within these sections, the sites are listed as much as possible in the order you might find them travelling north to south.

If we were to cover every Waipā site of historical interest this would become a large book not an easy-use guide. Instead the aim has been to cover a broad selection. Historical sites in and Cambridge have been excluded as these are covered in other publications.

WEST WAIPA EAST WAIPA pages 2-13 pages 18-29

To Hamilton

Cambridge

Pirongia

Te Awamutu

To Otorohonga

Full map on page 14 1 2 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District

Harapepe Dairy the dominanttownshipindistrict. followed, but it was Te Pahū that eventually become soon settlement Increased 1881. July in Rore Te 1881 and April in at bridged the was until Waipā boat by serviced largely was district The abandoned sectionsforprivatesale. A special Act of Parliament was passed to release their work. paid of search in land their leaving many to led requirements military ongoing and roading, and funds of lack conditions, farming Difficult Road. township of Harapepe was in the vicinity of Corcoran The acre land. farming of acres one 50 plus Forest grants in residential Tempsky) of Von company Major under second Rangers (the soldiers Ngā British 1860s, mid the in Mā war land the Following Kaniwhaniwha Stream and the . aaee a oiial stld y h chief the canoe. He lived at Pūr by settled Mā originally was Harapepe Harapepe of alocal maninWorld WarII. service the acknowledging each trees, English 35 by ringed is park The II. War World in pilot a while killed Reid Memorial Park was donated in memory of a son settled by European farmers in 1867. The 2 ha Stewart first was District Ngahinapouri the of land fertile Stewart The 1 hanga land was confiscated and offered to offered and confiscated was land hanga hanga, descendant of the occupants of the

Reid

District ā kau, a

Memorial pā at the confluence of

Park ti 3 Homewood

Probably the oldest dwelling in the Waipā District stands at the intersection of Hodgson and Rosborough Roads. The original cottage is believed to have been built about 1841 by John Vittoria Cowell. It was later extended and used as a hotel until 1863. Now privately owned, it is a Historic Places Trust Category 2 registered building.

4 Te Rore Military Landing

When General Cameron’s army moved up the Wāipa Valley in January 1864, supplies were landed from steamers about a kilometre upstream of the present Te Rore Bridge where the river was still navigable at normal river flow. A military encampment and supply depot was established nearby.

Te Rore

In 1826, Māori warriors gained revenge for an earlier defeat at Matakitaki (see 9), by killing the Ngāpuhi Chief Pomare and most of his 500 warriors. Pomare had been lured upstream by a small party of Waikato warriors leaving the main Waikato force to catch them on their return downstream. Hence the name Te Rore - ‘the snare’.

Before the Waikato War (1863-64) Māori had extensive horticultural holdings at and brought produce here to be taken along the river route to . Both the Waipā and Waikato Rivers were busy highways for traders and remained the main link to Auckland until the rail line between Auckland and Ohaupo was completed in 1878 though river transport continued until 1925.

In 1881, a bridge replaced a ferry service across the Waipā to Harapepe and Te Pahū. That bridge was replaced by the present one in 1957. In the 1958 flood only its side rails could be seen above the floodwaters. 3 4 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District rts clna slir o e wre te Victoria Cross forhisactions duringthefighting. the awarded be to soldier colonial first British the became Heaphy Charles Captain dead. Māori 30 about and soldiers British six leaving ensued Rangers Forest with encounter close-quarters A 1864. Stream, were ambushed by Māori warriors in February overgrown when British troops, bathing in Mangapiko The pā had been 19th centurtwhenNg early the in again abandoned was It century. 18th reoccupied by Ngā Ngā abandoned two an was this into that suggests isthmus evidence Archaeological the platforms. divide ditches transverse deep and broad Three Stream. Mangapiko the in ameander above isthmus toped flat sided, steep the on evident clearly is pā significant a of site The Ōr and Hairini at battles subsequent despite and war the of act decisive a proved This Rangiaowhia. of village defended lightly the attacking Cameron before night General pā. the in it bypassed and strength pā’s the the recognised occupied tribes 20 from warriors 3,000 to up troops, British of advance Mā main the as Intended expected totake. was force invading Cameron’s General route the Waipā the to Awamutu Te from produce their take to 1864 before Māori by rifle used road dray and the straddled pits, trenches banks, ditches, by connected forts nine including defences, The top. hill Mā formidable extensive, by confronted were forces Cameron’s Paterangi General 1864, In ā kau, Māori opposition was effectively at an end. Waiari Pā Waiari River at Te Rore and on to Auckland. This was This Auckland. to on and Rore Te at River abandoned for some time and was ti Hikairo in the second half of the

ā Pā ti HikairomovedtoK r dfne gis the against defence ori ori fortifications on the on fortifications ori i pkr wih was which Apakura ti ā whia. 8 Alexandra Racing Club

Founded by the military settlers in 1866, the Racing Club is one of the oldest in New Zealand. Now home of the Golf Club, the venue still hosts the annual and popular Boxing Day Races.

9 Matakitaki Pā

An 18th century Ngāti Apakura stronghold to which Waikato and Ngāti Maniapoto people retreated in times of danger. Strategically located above the Waipā River and Mangapiko Stream, it was built to withstand hand-to-hand warfare. The pā’s three sections were each protected by pallisades, fighting platforms and deep ditches (still clearly evident).

In 1822, an armed Ngāpuhi war party invaded the Waikato. The Waikato tribes, at that time with only limited firepower, sought refuge at Matakitaki. In the one-sided, bloody battle which followed, hundreds of men, women and children died, many in the stampede to escape the musket fire.

Pirongia Village

In June 1864, when Māori lands north of the had been confiscated by the Government, a garrison settlement for the 2nd Regiment of Waikato Militia was established at Pirongia, then named Alexandra. The settlement was seen as the hub of defence along the boundary of the Māori-occupied . The Militia was disbanded in 1867 and its role taken over by the Armed Constabulary. Peace eventually came to the area when King Tawhiao symbolically exchanged arms with Major William Mair in the main street outside the Alexandra hotel.

The decision to route the main trunk line via Te Awamutu led to a decline in the fortunes of Alexandra. Its name was changed to Pirongia’ in 1896 to overcome confusion with its namesake in Otago. 5 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District Alexandra ArmedConstabularyRedoubt(see12) the by replaced eventually were and disrepair into fell They defended. and maintained be to large too militia but this much smaller force found the redoubts the from over took Constabulary Armed the 1867 In by Waipā DistrictCouncil. managed reserve a in pavers in out marked is h Prni Hsoi Vstr ete Te eob is redoubt managed bytheNewZealand HistoricPlacesTrust. The Centre. Visitor now Historic is Pirongia and the Pirongia to returned church the 2000 In 1959. in to shifted until occupied site redoubt and the 1900 in built St. was second Church A Saviour’s abandoned. was redoubt the and Alexandra left Constabulary Armed the 1886, May In redoubt builtonthehillayearlater. The church was shifted into the town and the present Government the purchased the site 1871 for an Armed Constabulary In camp. site. this on located was which Church, Anglican Saviour’s St. around raised earthworks simple In of consisted 11). fortification the 1868 (see Redoubt to East War, Alexandra Waikato the the replace of end the than after more years built four was It Zealand. New in redoubts defensive surviving the of preserved best the is This Alexandra (see established was Alexandra Alexandra When the 2 of men 100 about accommodated and bank and ditch defensive a by surrounded was Each landing. river the protect and of frontier the guard side to river, the either on one established, were redoubts 11 nd Constabulary Waikato Militia. The shape of the East Redoubt 6

Armed East

Redoubt

Redoubt

0 two 10) Mt Pirongia

Pirongia Mountain (959 m) is the dominant landmark in the Waipā Valley. Long before European settlement, Pirongia was a part of Māori mythology. Pirongia was regarded as the father figure and the smaller volcanic cone, , was the daughter of a union between Pirongia and Taupiri. Pirongia is said to have been named by Kahupeka a third generation descendant of Rakataura. On ascending Pirongia, she spent time anointing herself with the scented leaves of Rangiora. From this experience the name ‘Pirongia-te-Aroaro-o- Kahu’ (the scented presence of Kahu) was derived.

Pirongia Forest Park, managed by the Department of Conservation, has excellent walking opportunities from short strolls to longer, energetic summit tracks.

Mangapouri Mission Station

The first mission station in the district was established by the Anglican Church Missionary Society in August 1834 near the junction of the Waipā and Puniu Rivers. The missionaries and James Hamlin lived at Mangapouri with their families and travelled around the district. Martyn Hamlin was born here on June 1836, the first European birth in the Waikato.

The mission was associated with the people of Ngāti Pou from the lower Waikato who had taken refuge in the area in the 1820s during raids by northern tribes. They returned to their original homes in 1836 and the missionaries, who felt threatened by a local tribe, closed the mission and followed. A monument commemorating the mission is on private land.

Mangatoatoa Pā

A grove of trees marks the site of this pā, constructed in the late 1700s in a bend of the Puniu River. The pā site was never captured despite attacks by a number of famous warrior chiefs including Te and . 7 8 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District mnmn t Rw Mnaoo dntd y Sir by ,is locatedadjacenttoSH3. donated Maniapoto, Rewi to monument A 1894. in death his until lived he where in him for house a built Government the 1881, in pardoned was Maniapoto Rewi When Rangiaowhia. nearby at were Jackson, allotments farm Major plus Kihikihi in sections town granted under Rangers, Forest The large a redoubt wasconstructedforthemilitaryforce. and sections acre one 400 into surveyed then was village The house. meeting Maniapoto’s to Rewi burned swiftly and looted they where Kihikihi moved occupy they Awamutu 1864, in Te Rangiaowhia occupied and forces British After thatched trees. peach of and fields cluster cultivated by surrounded small houses a with headquarters Maniapoto Ngāti a was village this Kihikihi 1800s early the In m 4000 (over Pā Waikato a for large was It sky). the of arch (the Hikurangi as known was summit mountain’s the on Prior to the arrival of Europeans the large fortified area others areKarioi,Pirongia,TeKawaandTokanui. The Lineament. Alexandra the as known volcanoes ancient five of series a of one is m) (450 Kakapuku and Waipā District Council. is administered by the Department of Conservation by an enthusiastic community conservation group. It Once stripped of forest, it is now regenerating helped Hobson Governor climbed tothesummitin1842. when abandoned been had It 1800s. early or was 1700s late the It until used battle. probably in conquered never was Hikurangi record, Court Land early an to according However, 17 16 2 ) though only some parts were fortified.were parts some only though )

Township Orakau Pā, the Illustrated London News, 30 July 1864 Alexander Turnbull Lirary, Wellington, NZ

18 ŌrĀkau

The famous battle centred around Orākāu Pā proved to be the last in Waikato. Between 31 March and 2 April 1864, 1,200 British and colonial soldiers attacked 300 Māori led by the Chief . Despite a courageous stand, over 150 Māori died with many more wounded. The battle is famed for the refusal of Māori defenders, both male and female, to surrender when given the opportunity by General Cameron.

19 Yarndley ’s Bush Reserve

Yarndley’s Bush (14 ha), is the largest kahikatea stand in the Waikato. Kahikatea or white pine, once widespread in much of lowland New Zealand, was a preferred timber for boxing export butter since it gave off very little odour.

Now a scenic reserve administered by Waipā District Council, Yarndley’s Bush has a raised boardwalk and viewing platform to enable visitors to view ground cover and under storey forest tiers, without damaging the vegetation. Walking access to the Reserve is available from Ngāroto Road.

9 10 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District Ngāti Apakura from the beginning of the 16 Sing and Bowman Roads, was the ancestral home of between Road Paterangi from visible pā, hilltop This settlement oftheareaformanyyears. influenced area the over tapu resulting and life of loss large The kākā). Hīngakākāthe name of fall (the the to rise gave chiefs fallen the of cloaks feathered kākā- red The day. the won Māori Waikato the side, country the of knowledge intimate an and tactics superior Using Rauanaanga. Te by led and Whātua Ngāti by supported Maniapoto, Ngāti and Waikato advanced Pikauterangi, from the south . It was met by the combined tribes of by led army, Toa Ngāti huge The retribution. obtaining in them support to Island North the of regions eastern and southern the from tribes on called Apakura, Ngāti of members by Ngāti Toa, who lost mana when their chief was insulted adjoined Mangapiko Stream. which wetlands extensive and Ngāroto Lake larger much a between ridgeline narrow the on century 18th the in late fought was Hīngakākā of battle The allies, assembled for the Battle of Hīngakākā (see 20). their with along Maniapoto, Ngāti and Waikato that here was It materials. building and food of source rich a provided forests lowland and Ngāroto Lake adjoining The centuries. three for so remained and 20 21 Taurangamirumiru Pā Pā Taurangamirumiru Site Battle Hīngakākā th Century 22 Lake Ngāroto

At 90 ha, Lake Ngāroto is the largest of 17 peat lakes in the Ohaupo District. These lakes were formed around 19,000 years ago, after the abandoned its original course through the Hinuera Valley to the Firth of Thames and flowed into the Waikato basin. The diversion caused vast quantities of river silt and gravel to pour into the Waikato lowlands blocking the mouths of valleys. Water built up behind these new barriers creating lakes. Peat forming plants dominated the vegetation that grew around the lakes and as the peat built up it influenced water conditions and colour (peat releases tannin which stains water brown) – hence the term ‘peat lake’.

A number of pā were once found around Lake Ngāroto. Some were probably seasonal fishing camps and two man-made island pā sites are still visible (now high and dry since the lake level was lowered). In 1936 , a hugely significant and ancient taonga, was found in the lake. Uenuku is now on display at the Te Awamutu Museum.

A grassed area, boat launching ramp and circular walking track around the lake are available to visitors.

11 12 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District to have a redoubt built to protect the militaryroad. in the skirmish. The event prompted General Cameron McNeil was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions Major escort. his and McNeil J.C. Major ambushed a large party of 1864 Māori crossed from in and Then alive. armed escaped just 30 only and by Māori ambushed were orderlies two until Later it became a military route. It was thought secure and on east to Pukekura and west to Te Rore. linked Kirikiriroa (Hamilton) to trail Otawhao (Te Māori Awamutu), important An east. the to Moanatuatua andwest, theRukuhia to ofbogs peat great two the separates sits township Ohaupo which on ridge Ohaupo The settlers forboatingandswimming. European early with popular also was Rotomānuka shores. the near pā swamp of evidence is there and Māori by gathering food for used were lakes Both the leastmodifiedandhashighnaturalvalues. divided into two. Lake Serpentine (Rotopiko) is one of lake the leaving grazing improve to lowered table water the and drained The been has District. land Waipā surrounding the in lakes peat 17 the of (8.7 m) deepest and oldest the is Lake, Horseshoe as Ohaupo known sometimes between Rotomānuka, Awamutu. Te located and are lakes two These Lakes huoRiwySaini h 80. 1880s. the in Station Railway Ohaupo Serpentine

Rotom

Township

(Rotopiko) ā nuka

and

Te Awamutu Museum By the late 1880s, Ohaupo was a thriving township and the main farming centre for the Waikato. It was also famed for having one of the largest sale yards in the southern hemisphere. Ohaupo School opened in 1869 and the railway reached the town in 1878. The original post office opened in 1879 and closed in 1988; it was relocated and is now a private residence near the Narrows Bridge.

Narrows Gorge and Bridge

The ‘Narrows’ is an entrenched gorge on the Waikato River some 8 km upstream of Kirikiriroa – now Hamilton City. The site was strategically important to Waipā tribes and pā built on both sides of the river guarded this valuable transport corridor. Downstream of the bridge was the large pā known as Nukuhau.

The Narrows bridge, built in 1940, was one of the earliest in New Zealand to use reinforced concrete girders supported by an arch. The bridge, which has a New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category 2 rating, replaced an earlier one, built of wood in 1879.

Rukuhia

In the late 1800s the area was owned by James Williamson and Alfred Cox, a Member of Parliament, and run as one large farming estate. In 1878 the Trunk railway was built right through the swampy estate on land ‘provided’ by the land owners. Access between Rukuhia and Hamilton was improved with the building of the Narrows Bridge in 1879 (see item 25). The Rukuhia Cheese and Bacon Factory opened 5 years later, but burned down in 1886 in one of the numerous peat swamp fires.

The Department of Agriculture purchased 120 hectares of Rukuhia for market gardens to supply the armed forces in the Pacific during World War II. After 1945 it became a Government Soil Research Station. 13 18 East Waipa / Cambridge District in 1956. in opened Hall Miro Te The 1921. in office post a and 1920, in school a sawmill, a of erection the included milestones subsequent slow, initially was settlement the of development Although farmers. hopeful 40 to ballot by allocated were hectares 3,360 1918, In serviceman. 1 War World re-settle the to by Government purchased was estate Miro Te the 1916 Te In operative. Co- Dairy Fonterra the of part became 2001 expansion in and and change considerable undergone has site The Hally. and Watt of factory bacon and cheese former the from over taking 1901 in formed was Company Dairy Co-operative Cambridge The nearby Kaipaki. to shifted were they and services these for demand little was there Cambridge, to proximity close its of Because Ohaupo. from week a twice arriving mail with office post a as served also it 1880s early the In 1876. in built was school a and cemetery present the near built was Church Methodist Wesleyan a 1871 In Waikato Land War. item 18) for what turned out to be the last battle of the (see Orākāu on marchedtroops the beforeriver the the protect To of sideeither constructedon landing,redoubtswere 1864. in early Army British the and CameronGeneral for placelanding a wasPukerimu Dairy Factory – Fonterra Fonterra – Factory Dairy Pukerimu

Miro 30 Rewehetiki pā

Wiremu Tamihana (‘the kingmaker”) was the chief of Ngāti Haua and lived at Rewehetiki Pā. It was to here that George Graham made his journey to persuade Tamehana to make peace with General Carey at in 1865. Rewehetiki was also where King Tawhaio (the second Māori king) established a meeting house for his Māori Parliament. In 1886 the settlement had a flour mill and its own policeman whose duties included charging 10/- from those wanting to shoot game across the Confiscation Line.

A fire destroyed the meeting house in 1908, together with the throne and the crown of the late King Tawhaio. Today, a cemetery (urupa) among the poplars on the opposite side of the road, is the only visible sign of past occupation.

31 Sanatorium Hill - Pukemako

In 1868 Daniel Thornton, whose family owned woollen mills in Russia, purchased 4,000 hectares from Ngāti Haua, for growing wheat. Although Daniel Thornton died unexpectedly on a business trip to , his widow and children returned to New Zealand in 1890 to build their dream home on the top of Pukemako which overlooks Cambridge and today adjoins Maungakawa Scenic Reserve. Photo: Cambridge Museum

Waikato Sanatorium in the early 1900s. 19 20 East Waipa / Cambridge District Monavale or demolished removed. were buildings most and closed it 1922 in and servicemen convalescing for used was sanatorium the (1914-1918) One War 1903. World During December in Te opened Zealand. Sanatorium New Waikato in sufferers (TB) tuberculosis for ₤4,000 in 1902, to establish the first open-air sanatorium for Government the to sold was property the of Part and variousotherrestiad(bog) the raregiantcanerush been protectedasaScientificReserveandsupports forming plantcommunitiesremain.Thisareahas the Waikato.Todayonly114ha,oforiginalpeat- peat bogwasthesecondlargestofitstypein Once spreadingover8,500ha,theMoanatuatua the TorchbearerTrustBibleSchoolGroup. by owned now is It 1910. in homestead Monavale was purchased block by C.C. Buckland who built the northern impressive The up. split was property the Constabulary, Armed the by peat completed the was of bog extremities southern the across road Awamutu Te – Cambridge the when time 1874, the about In farmland. to conversion for drained areas were accessible 1870 and 1869 Between 1868. in Douglas Thomas and Walker Edwin by purchased was bog peat Moanatuatua the of portion large A Scientific 32 33 Moanatuatua

Reserve Sporadanthus ferrugineus

Peat plantspecies.

Bog

34 Roto-o-Rangi

Roto-o-rangi was once a vast swamp / lake complex lying to the south of Moanatuatua (ref 33). It was drained by Edwin Walker and Thomas Douglas in the late 1860s. In their quest for land, they also tried to lease land over the Aukati (Confiscation) Line which upset some Māori and led to the murder of a farm worker in 1873. Although a redoubt was built in anticipation of more trouble, Sullivan’s was the last death linked with the New Zealand Land Wars in the region.

A flax mill was erected in the Norwegian Road area in 1869 by two Norwegians. It was powered by an undershot water wheel but lasted only two years due to E.B. Walker’s drainage work.

35 Trecarne

This private home was built in 1877 and was the residence of Richard and Margaret Reynolds and family. The privately-owned house and stables have a Historic Places Trust Category 2 classification.

36 Pukekura Butter Factory

In November 1886 Henry Reynolds and neighbouring farmers churned the first butter under the Anchor brand. The now famous anchor image was developed by Reynolds after seeing an anchor tattoo on a labourer’s arm. By 1888 Reynolds and Co were exporting 13 tonnes of butter to England. Most of the original factory was pulled down in 1981 leaving only a storage shed.

21 22 East Waipa / Cambridge District n h lte hl o te 19 the of half latter the Trelawney In the siteforRowing WorldCupin2010. headquarters for New Zealand. It will also be World the is Domain 1978 and the Championships Rowing for sports. venue the water was for Karapiro popular Lake very is and to kilometres 24 extends lake kilometre square 7.7 The built ontheWaikatoRiverandgenerates90MW. station lowest and third the was It 1947. until finished not was it II, War World during and shortages machinery material manpower, with but, 1940 in started Station Hydro-Electric Karapiro the of Lake Construction Te 16 A site andcalledit‘TheCrow’sNest’. the on redoubt a built subsequently Militia Waikato Third the line, confiscation the over. on stood effectively pā the was As War Land Waikato the pā, the abandoned eventually Tamihana When in it 1864. confronted troops British Cameron’s General when (Tamehana) Tamihana Wiremu Chief the by a numberofMelbourneCupwinners. including progeny outstanding sired Alcimedes and operated commercially Foxbridge sires Champion stud. horse thoroughbred oldest now Zealand’s is what New began and ‘Trelawney’, name the retained land, the bought Otway Seton Mr 1930 In heavy stockingofsheeptocontrolregrowthfern. and topdressing fences, wire including Waikato the to practices farming new many introduced He Hicks. and bought Francis were by estate Trelawney the land into amalgamated grant military of blocks 37 38 39 th Century Ngāti Haua pā site. It was occupied was It site. pā Haua Ngāti Century

Tiki

Lake Karapiro and Maungatautari Maungatautari and Karapiro

O

Te

Ihingarangi Council collection Council District Waipa th etr a ubr of number a century Taumatawiwi Battle Site

Early in the 19th century, in the face of northern invasions, Ngāti Maru fled the lower Waihou Valley and were given refuge in Ngāti Haua territory. Tensions rose as they occupied a strongly fortified pā on Maungatautari and showed no inclination to return home. This culminated in the Battle of Taumatawiwi. Ngāti Haua were victorious but, fearing their dead would fall into enemy hands, burnt the bodies on a pyre of rocks near the Waikato River (in front of the present-day rowing facilities in Karapiro Domain). Ngāti Maru later returned to the Thames area.

When the river was dammed in 1947, the sacred rocks were submerged. An agreement with allowed the rocks to be removed for the 1978 World Rowing Championships and relocated. One rock is now at the Maungatautari Marae and others at the memorial site at the Karapiro Domain.

Te Wera A Te Atua

The Reverend Alfred Brown established a mission on this site in 1838. It was run by Māori while Brown visited three or four times a year from his base at The Elms in . The settlement was surrounded by wheat fields and gardens. Today, the mission site is marked by a totara and an oak tree planted during a religious commemoration in 1941.

23 24 East Waipa / Cambridge District Maungatautari mountain. the traverses which track summit the as well as signs information with tracks short of network a are There the northern access is via Hicks Road, Maungatautari. and Road, Tari via is access southern The Reserve. the to points access public two are There Island Trust. Ecological Maungatautari the of commitment the and status island ecological mountain’s the without first time in a century. This would not have happened the for Maungatautari of slopes the to returned kiwi create a predator-free ecological island. In late 2005, to fence proof predator long km 47 a by enclosed the around positioned maunga. In recent are times the forested cone has been marae to three significance and spiritual Iwi great of is mountain The Waipā’s natural heritage. of jewels the of one is reserve bush-clad hectare 3,400 the Now Basin. Waikato the in activity volcanic was there when ago years million 1.8 formed Mountain Maungatautari 42

Mountain 43 Horahora Power Station

Beneath the waters of Lake Karapiro, beside Epworth and Finlay Park camps, are the remains of the Horahora Power Station. It was built between 1910-1913 by the Waihi Gold Mining Company at the Aniwaniwa Rapids to power the Victoria Battery at Waikino and the Martha Mine in Waihi. Although small (6.3 MW) by today’s standards, it was the largest single power development in New Zealand at that time. It was later upgraded to 10.3 MW to meet the rapidly growing electricity needs of the Waikato, including Cambridge, Hamilton and Thames.

The Horahora Hydro Village was a thriving community for 37 years with homes, school, hall and tennis courts. The station was submerged in 1947 after the Karapiro Power Station was built and Lake Karapiro filled.

25 Photo: K.Broome 26 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District long lakepopularforfishingandwatersports. km 13.7 a Arapuni, Lake forming Gorge, Paturuahine former the across built was dam high metre 64 The increase capacity to 100 MW. to 1946 in added were others two the while needs, Arapuni when electricity Island’s North 1938 the half than more supplied in commissioned were Two wasextended 1934houseintofour more generators. powerhouseThe MW. 15 generating production into went River Waikato the on station power hydro built Government- first the 1929, in and contract the over took Government the 1927 In River. Waikato the on for the construction of this hydro-electric power station A contract was let in 1924 to a private engineering firm and dam

Arapuni Dam Arapuni Photo: collection Council District Waipa Photo: Pukeatua

Two large holdings of 520 hectares and 4,000 hectares were purchased from Māori in the 1890s. These two estates were subsequently purchased by the Crown in 1907 for closer settlement and were surveyed into 33 farms forming the Tautari settlement.

In 1908 the farms were sold by ballot and a central position for the village planned. It was named Tautari but changed to Pukeatua with the opening of a post office in 1912. Pukeatua is the peak opposite the school and translated means ‘The Hill of the Gods’.

Kahuwera Pā

The south-western slopes of Maungatautari were first settled by Tainui in the 16th century. The remains of a well-formed pā near to the Arapuni Road is Kahuwera, a classical outline of a hilltop pā with deep, wide ditches.

Hairini Battle site

The day after the battle at Rangiaowhia (22 February 1864) about 400 warriors returned from Paterangi and began digging in on Hairini Ridge, about one kilometre west of Rangiawhia. General Cameron attacked before the defensive work had progressed too far. Pounded by fire from Armstrong guns and backed by troops and cavalry, the Māori troops dispersed. Māori may have fought this as a rearguard action to allow them to get their people, guns and ammunition out of the area, but it also enabled the British to take complete control of this rich food bearing district.

27 28 West Waipa / Te Awamutu District

Photo: Te Awamutu Museum surveyed in 1865 and farm lots were allocated to men was land confiscated The hall. present the behind domain, the in built redoubt a and destroyed was on both sides. Following the battle, most of the village lost lives with overcome were but defence spirited a occupied up put who children and women men, old by mainly was village the time the fortified the At attacked settlement. and heavily 1864 February the in Pā Paterangi bypassed and troops British colonial importance, strategic its Recognising Kingitanga. the for food of source important an was Rangiaowhia , Waikato the of invasion the During both Anglican andCatholicchurchesin1856. had which settlement Awamutu the in Te active also in was Mission Anglican The Catholic existing Cemetery. the near school and presbytery below), (pictured church the a built of which Angels Mission Holy the on centered was region the in activity missionary Catholic War, Waikato the to Prior to AucklandviatheWaipāandWaikatoRivers. cultivated. were fruit on and dray by Rore Te to transported was Produce and grain vegetables, of acres many and developed farming European-style missionaries, of influence the under 1840s, the From Hinetū. Ngāti and Apakura Ngāti of people the for centre important an was this times, Rangiaowhia pre-European In 48 domain in1907. the on built was hall The site. school stands the beside still and 1900 school around built was The house 1939. 48 1874 from hall the near operated school state A Rangers stationed atKihikihi. Forest the Company of First the of 49 St Paul’s Church

St Paul’s Anglican church is the sister church to St John’s in Te Awamutu. Like St John’s, it is thought to have been designed by the Reverend . Building started in the early 1850s with a ₤100 grant from the Central Committee of the Church Missionary Society. It came into use in 1856 (two years after St John’s) and had its spire added in 1858. The church has a Category 1 classification from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Photo: :S.Frimmel

29 INDEX Heritage site: Page: Alexandra Armed Constabulary Redoubt 6 Alexandra East Redoubt 6 Alexandra Racing Club 5 Arapuni Dam 26 Dairy Factory - Fonterra 18 Hairini Battle Site 27 Harapepe District 2 Hīngakākā Battle Site 10 Homeward 3 Horahora Power Station 25 Kahuwera Pā 27 Kakepuku 8 Kihikihi Township 8 Lake Karapiro 22 Lake Ngāroto 11 Lakes Rotomānuka and Serpentine 12 Mangapouri Mission Station 7 Mangatoatoa Pā 7 MAP 14 Matakitaki Pā 5 Maungatautari Mountain 24 Moanatuatua Peat Bog 20 Monavale 20 Mt Pirongia 7 Narrows Gorge & Bridge 13 Ohaupo Township 12 Orākāu 9 Paterangi Pā 4 Pirongia Village 5 Pukeatua 27 Pukekura Butter Factory 21 Pukerimu 18 Rangiaowhia 28 Rewehetiki Pā 19 Roto-O-Rangi 21 Rukuhia 13 Sanatorium Hill - Pukemako 19 Stewart Reid Memorial Park 2 St Pauls Church 29 Taumatawiwi Battle Site 23 Taurangamirumiru Pā 10 18 Te Rore 3 Te Rore Landing 3 Te Tiki O Te Ihingarangi 22 Te Wera A Te Atua 23 Trecarne 21 Trelawney 22 Waiari Pā 4 30 Yarndley’s Bush 9

Notes For more information contact:

Waipa District Council

Private Bag 2402, Te Awamutu.

(07) 872 0030

isbn: 978-0-473-14254-4