Te Mahoe is a rural settlement in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island, next to Lake Matahina.
The community consists of about 150 people,[1] including 30 families in the village at the base of the Lake Matahina Dam.[2] Locals describe the community has close-knit and centred around the local school.[3]
History
[edit]Hone Tuwhare
[edit]Poet Hone Tuwhare lived in Te Mahoe during the 1950s and 1960s with his wife, writer Jean McCormack, and their three sons.[4] He worked as a boiler-maker on the construction of the Matahina hydroelectric dam.[5]
In 1962, the Whakatane Beacon newspaper published one of Tuwhare's poems. It began:
- Up at the dam site, at Te Mahoe,
among the clatter of pneumatic drills,
the settling dust and the raw earth,
a man is writing poetry.[5]
- Up at the dam site, at Te Mahoe,
His first book was published two years later, in 1964, to immediate critical acclaim.[6]
Cyclone Cook
[edit]The area was affected by Cyclone Cook in April 2017. The school was closed for several days.[7] A boil water notice was issued for residents due to sediment from floodwaters contaminating water supplies.[8]
Education
[edit]Te Mahoe School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[9] with a roll of 26 as of February 2024.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Fraser, Cleo (11 July 2018). "Man accused of Bay of Plenty murder dead toddler's father". MediaWorks New Zealand. Newshub.
- ^ Arthur-Worsop, Stephanie (11 July 2018). "Name suppression lapses for man charged with 2-year-old Arnica Savage's murder". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Rotorua Daily Post.
- ^ Shand, Matt (4 July 2018). "Not guilty plea over death of toddler found in Rangitaiki River". Stuff. Waikato Times.
- ^ Hunt, Janet (29 April 2020). "Haere ra, Jean McCormack". newsroom.co.nz.
- ^ a b "The poet and boilermaker". whakatanemuseum.org.nz. Whakatane Museum.
- ^ Heine, Conrad (21 January 2008). "Hone Tuwhare: Maori poet whose 'No Ordinary Sun' catapulted him to celebrity". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022.
- ^ "Schools and early childhood education centres remain closed". Māori Television. Te Kaea. 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Live: Cyclone Cook strikes NZ – Storm makes landfall, tracks down east coast". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. 13 April 2017.
- ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
- ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.