Te Aroha

Te Aroha is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand with a population of 3,906 people in the 2013 census. It is around 50km northeast of Hamilton and 50km south of Thames. It sits at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai Range.

The name Te Aroha comes from the eponymous Mount Te Aroha. The name of the mountain is shortened from Te Aroha-a-uta (love flowing inland). This name is accepted as describing a longing for a homeland. 

Gold was discovered near Te Aroha in 1880. Compared to other gold rushes the rush at Te Aroha was described as tame and peaceful. Despite the hype around the discovery of gold it was soon discovered that there was a fault crush and nothing more was found. Miners started moving away as little gold was discovered. 

Thermal and mineral springs are both found close to the centre of the town. The springs have been used by the Māori for many years before becoming popular with European settlers. The construction of a railway line led to Te Aroha becoming a popular tourist destination by the late 1890s. People came to Te Aroha for both leisure and health reasons.

The area around Te Aroha was originally swampland, but it was drained and became productive agricultural land, this led to Te Aroha becoming a service town for the wider rural area.