Whitikahu
Hamlet
Whitikahu from Pukemokemoke
Whitikahu from Pukemokemoke
Coordinates: 37°36′47″S 175°20′47″E / 37.61298°S 175.34627°E / -37.61298; 175.34627
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWaikato
DistrictWaikato District
WardHukanui-Waerenga Ward
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityWaikato District Council
 • Regional councilWaikato Regional Council
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode
3792
Area code07

Whitikahu is a settlement scattered along Whitikahu Rd in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island.

It has a blueberry farm, a winery, the Senton Sawmill, a fire station, a petrol station and a hall.[1][2][3][4]

It is in the Hukanui Waerenga Ward of Waikato District Council.[5]

1 to 250,000 geology map

Geology

Pukemokemoke hill is formed of greywacke[6] of the Jurassic Manaia Hill Group (shown as Jm on map).[7] The rest of the Whitikahu area is largely on a drained peat bog, which lies on ash from Lake Taupō.

Taupiri Fault is an inferred fault separating the peat from the Taupiri Range. Seismic testing in 2017 added evidence of the fault's position.[8]

Whitikahu is at the north end of an alluvial fan of the ash, which drops about 60 m (200 ft) from Karapiro.

After the Oruanui eruption, some 26,500 years ago, Lake Taupō was about 145 m (476 ft) above the present lake. Around 22,500 years ago the ash dam eroded rapidly and the lake fell about 75 m (246 ft) in a few weeks, creating a series of massive floods. The ash they carried formed the main Hinuera Surface (Q2a) into the fan.

From then until about 17,600 years ago the Waikato would have been about 25 m (82 ft) higher than at present due to aggradation, resulting from remobilisation of pyroclastic material from Taupō, deposited as well-bedded, creamy-white pumice sands, silts and gravels with charcoal fragments.[9]

One of its channels from that period followed the Mangawara Stream[10] via the present air-gap at Mangawara. This earlier gorge was buried beneath alluvium but has since been partly re-exposed by the Mangawara Stream as the Waikato has deepened Taupiri gorge.[10]

The Waikato eroded its present valley for about 3,500 years, at a time when the sea was around 100 m (330 ft) below its present level. The Walton Sub-Group (eQa) of pumiceous fine- grained sand and silt with interbedded peat, pumiceous gravelly sand, diatomaceous mud, and non-welded ignimbrite and tephra[9] formed low hills, up to 50 m above the Hamilton Basin plain, on and around which younger sediments have been deposited. In this area they are named the Puketoka Formation. It is highly pumiceous, and, due to silica case-hardening, is able to form vertical bluffs, now weathered, eroded, dissected and largely buried by younger sediments.[10]

Taupo Formation (Q1a) was laid down in the trench cut through the Hinuera surface. Taupo Formation alluvium is the top layer on which most of the peat bogs formed.[9]

History and culture

Pre-European history

From the 1600s: Ngati Koura and Ngati Wairere Waikai occupied the area, mainly for eel fishing.[11] An old waka was discovered in 1937.[12]

European settlement

After the invasion of the Waikato, the area was confiscated in 1863[13] and cut up into lots for the military settlers, though deemed too swampy for occupation.[14] In 1873 the 1,604 acres (649 ha) Tauhei Block was returned to the hapū to farm.[11]

Much of the area was in the Eureka Estate, which the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency bought from the government in 1874. It was then owned by the Waikato Land Association, later known as NZ Land Association. Its 86,502 acres (35,006 ha) extended from Te Hoe to Tauwhare and Tamahere.[1] In 1876 Whitikahu was described as a deep swamp,[14] but a condition of the sale was that NZLMA should build drains and roads.[1] Kauri gum was being dug in 1893, when about half the area had been drained.[15] Kauri stumps of up to 6 ft (1.8 m) diameter and 53 ft (16 m) long are thought to have died due to flooding after the Waikato changed its course.[16]

20th century

Flax was milled in the area from 1890 until a 1908 fire and again from 1918.[11] A new Orini mill opened in 1936[17] and flax was still being grown in 1938, when there was another fire.[18] The drained peat has also caught fire from time to time.[19][20]

By 1912 over 30 voters were recorded,[21] there was a twice-weekly post delivery[22] and there were three sheep farms.[23]

Electricity came in 1923.[24] A hall was built[25] and a bus service to Hamilton, started in 1937[26] and was still running in 1964[27] and into the 1970s.[28]

Marae

The local Tauhei Marae and its Māramatutahi meeting ground are a traditional meeting place of the Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Makirangi and Ngāti Wairere.[29][30]

In October 2020, the Government committed $95,664 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the Tauhei Marae, creating an estimated 7 jobs.[31]

Demographics

Whitikahu census area was reduced in 2018 by loss of areas to Huntly rural

The statistical area of Whitikahu, which also includes Orini and Netherton, covers 253.64 km2 (97.93 sq mi)[32] and had an estimated population of 2,240 as of June 2023,[33] with a population density of 8.8 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20061,794—    
20131,884+0.70%
20181,968+0.88%
Source: [34]

Whitikahu statistical area had a population of 1,968 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 84 people (4.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 174 people (9.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 645 households, comprising 990 males and 975 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female. The median age was 33.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 495 people (25.2%) aged under 15 years, 384 (19.5%) aged 15 to 29, 921 (46.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 168 (8.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 81.9% European/Pākehā, 13.1% Māori, 1.4% Pacific peoples, 12.0% Asian, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 15.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.7% had no religion, 30.2% were Christian, 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.0% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 7.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 225 (15.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 288 (19.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $40,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 321 people (21.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 846 (57.4%) people were employed full-time, 276 (18.7%) were part-time, and 45 (3.1%) were unemployed.[34]

Education

Whitikahu School opened in 1912.[35] It is a primary school for years 1 to 8[36] with 92 students as of April 2023,[37][38] and now has a swimming pool, tennis courts, playgrounds, sports fields, 5 classrooms, a library and multi-media suite.[39]

Drainage

The drainage begun by NZLMA was continued by drainage boards set up under the Land Drainage Act 1908[40] and the Taupiri Drainage and River Board Empowering Act, 1936.[41] By 1926 some of it was described as fine dairying land.[42] In the 1930s the board aimed to drain the whole of the wetland.[43] With government grants,[44] they used unemployed workers[45] to drain an area south of Te Hoe and create roads and farms from 1936[46] to 1938.[47] However, although drains, floodgates and dams were built, flooding remains a problem.[48]

The Mangatea Catchment Restoration Project, led by Tauhei Marae, aims to reduce pollution of the local streams which run into the Waikato River.[49] 19 km (12 mi) of fencing beside the Mangawara and Tauhei streams will reduce pollutants entering them.[50]

Pukemokemoke Bush Reserve

Since 1990 Pukemokemoke Bush Trust has been restoring the reserve,[11] which rises to 166 m (545 ft) above Whitikahu, which is at about 30 m (98 ft).[51] The greywacke[6] here is of the Jurassic Manaia Hill Group.[52]

The hill was logged by Roose Shipping Co[11] from 1949,[53] into the 1950s, but kauri, mataī, kahikatea, rimu, tōtara, tawa, rewarewa, titoki, pukatea and taraire remain and about 15,000 native trees[54] have replaced privet[55] and other weeds. 110 species were listed in 1962.[53]

The neighbouring Tauhei quarry has been owned by Fulton Hogan since 2016.[56] It was formerly operated by Perry Group[57] for Waikato District Council.[58] Production was increased to supply aggregates for the Waikato Expressway in 2017 and 2018.[59]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "WDC District Plan Review – Built Heritage Assessment Historic Overview – Eastern Sector" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 2018.
  2. ↑ "Fire brigade struggles to crew trucks". Stuff. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  3. ↑ "Cigarettes and cash the target of aggravated robbery at Gull Whitikahu petrol station". The New Zealand Herald. 5 August 2017. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  4. ↑ "Community halls". www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  5. ↑ "Hukanui Waerenga Ward" (PDF). Waikato District Council.
  6. 1 2 van Blerk, P. G. L.; Fletcher, E.; Costello, S. B.; Henning, T. F. P. (2017). "Ethylene Glycol Accelerated Weathering Test: An Improved, Objective Aggregate Durability Test Method" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Edbrooke, S. W. (2005). "Geology of the Waikato area 1:250 000 geological map 4". Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences.
  8. ↑ Vicki Moon, Willem de Lange (5 July 2017). "Final Report on EQC Potential shallow seismic sources in the Hamilton Basin Project 16/717" (PDF). Earthquake Commission.
  9. 1 2 3 "Waikato River Bank Erosion" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. 17 April 2007.
  10. 1 2 3 "The Geology of the Tuakau-Mercer Area, Auckland (Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 1948-01-01)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Irving, Robin (2010). "Pukemokemoke Bush Learning Resource for Primary School teachers" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "OLD WAR CANOE FOUND (New Zealand Herald, 1937-03-18)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  13. ↑ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Confiscation map, 1869". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  14. 1 2 "THE Daily Southern Cross. (1876-06-23)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "THROUGH WAIKATO (New Zealand Herald, 1893-04-22)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "The Native Flora of Maungatautari and the Kaimai Range, and the Distribution of Native Plants in the Waikato. (Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand : Botany, 1963-09-26)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "FLAX INDUSTRY (New Zealand Herald, 1936-12-31)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "FLAX FIRE (New Zealand Herald, 1938-03-10)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "WAIKATO PEAT FIRES. (New Zealand Herald, 1924-01-28)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  20. ↑ "SWAMP FIRES. (Auckland Star, 1928-01-12)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  21. ↑ "RAGLAN. (Waikato Argus, 1911-12-08)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  22. ↑ "Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1912 Session II — F-03 INLAND MAIL-SERVICES, 1912-1913". atojs.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  23. ↑ "Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1912 Session II — H-23 Page 12". atojs.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  24. ↑ "ELECTRIC POWER WORKS. (Matamata Record, 1923-09-10)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "NEW HALL AT WHITIKAHU (New Zealand Herald, 1937-07-07)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  26. ↑ "TRANSPORT LICENCES (New Zealand Herald, 1937-04-19)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  27. ↑ "LESLIE BUSES". www.omnibus.org.nz. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  28. ↑ Butler, Michael. "The New Zealand Bus Museum". www.geocities.ws. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  29. ↑ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
  30. ↑ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
  31. ↑ "Marae Announcements" (Excel). growregions.govt.nz. Provincial Growth Fund. 9 October 2020.
  32. ↑ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  33. ↑ "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  34. 1 2 "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Whitikahu (171700). 2018 Census place summary: Whitikahu
  35. ↑ "EDUCATION NOTES (New Zealand Herald, 1911-05-15)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  36. ↑ "Whitikahu School - 08/09/2015". Education Review Office. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  37. ↑ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  38. ↑ Education Counts: tWhitikahu School
  39. ↑ "Welcome | Whitikahu School". www.whitikahu.school.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  40. ↑ "Land Drainage Act 1908 No 96 (as at 01 March 2017)". www.legislation.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  41. ↑ "Taupiri Drainage and River Board Empowering" (PDF). 1936.
  42. ↑ "PROGRESS OF ORINI. (New Zealand Herald, 1926-07-15)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  43. ↑ "TAUPIRI DRAINAGE (New Zealand Herald, 1937-03-27)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  44. ↑ "DRAINING A SWAMP (New Zealand Herald, 1936-03-19)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  45. ↑ "DRAINING SWAMP AREA (New Zealand Herald, 1934-03-20)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  46. ↑ "NEW SETTLEMENT (New Zealand Herald, 1936-05-23)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  47. ↑ "NEW FARMS DEVELOPED. (Auckland Star, 1938-01-12)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  48. ↑ "Tauhei Flood Protection" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. March 2018.
  49. ↑ "Mangatea Catchment Restoration Project" (PDF).
  50. ↑ "Technical Report 2018/08 Waikato and Waipā River restoration strategy" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council.
  51. ↑ "Pukemokemoke, Waikato". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  52. ↑ Edbrooke, S.W. (2005). Geology of the Waikato area 1:250 000 geological map 4. (downloadable from website): Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences.
  53. 1 2 "Native Flora of Tauhei-Pukemokemoke (Middle Waikato Basin) (Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand : Botany, 1962-09-24)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  54. ↑ "Hill standing alone". Waikato Regional Council. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  55. ↑ "Pukemokemoke Bush Learning Resource Part 2" (PDF).
  56. ↑ "Fulton Hogan welcomes Waikato Quarries employees". Fulton Hogan. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  57. ↑ "Home - Perry Resources". www.perryresources.co.nz. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  58. ↑ "Waikato District Council's road company shuts, 13 jobs cut". Stuff. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  59. ↑ "Agenda for a meeting of the Policy & Regulatory Committee" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 20 June 2017.
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