Waipā Stories capture the history of our district.

Rangiaowhia, a small journey east of Te Awamutu, was a thriving and productive village until 1864.  From the 1830’s Māori and invited European settlers worked collaboratively to develop this into one of the region’s most important agricultural areas. One of the most...

An outstanding personality in the history of Te Awamutu and Raglan districts was Doctor Walter Harsant. He was Government factotum for these districts from 1854 to 1878. Let us turn back and learn something of this Doctor’s background. He was born at Haverland,...

A Story of the Wives of the Waikato Missionaries By Joyce Neill. This is a tribute to the first European Ladies to make their homes in the Waikato. Most Church histories show the wives of the men who served them, as just a shadow behind their man; a few Maiden names...

In the late 1830’s the KihiKihi area was served by Father Pezant S.M. from the flourishing “Mission of the Holy Angels” at Rangiaohia the chief village of the Waikato District and it is on record that Bishop Pompellier confirmed 146 people there in 1844 and that...

Waikato Argus, 3.12.00. The Hon. Minister for Public Works (Mr. Hall-Jones) arrived at Te Awamutu yesterday afternoon by special train from Poro-o-tarao, having come the same day by road from Maramataha to the Tunnel….. On the arrival of the Ministerial party at Te...

Te Hokioi was part of the printed propaganda battle that preceded, and prompted, the Waikato wars of the 1860s.

A toothpaste pot lid from the 1880s.

Pamela Langmuir recalls helping her grandparents at the Railway Tearooms as an 8 year old in 1938.