Paeroa
Encyclopedia
Paeroa is a small town in New Zealand
, in the northern Waikato
region of the Thames Valley
. Located at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula
, it is close to the junction of the Waihou
and Ohinemuri River
s, 20 kilometres from the coast at the Firth of Thames
. The population is 3900.
Paeroa is known for its mineral spring
s, which provide the water used in a local soft drink
, Lemon & Paeroa
.
explored the Waihou River in 1779, taking a long-boat up as far as Netherton, just a couple of miles from where the town of Paeroa was built 100 years on.
The area was briefly explored in October 1826 by Captain James Herd, in command of the Lambton and the Isabella (or Rosanna). Herd was sent on an exploratory mission by the first organisation to be known as the New Zealand Company
and claimed to have bought one million acres (4000 km²) of land from local Māori in Hokianga and Manukau.
By 1869, anticipating the rush to the Ohinemuri Goldfields, considerable numbers of miners camped at Cashell’s Landing "Puke".
In 1870, Asher Casserels, a Lithuania
n, leased the block of land known as Paeroa from Māori. This included Primrose Hill and most of what is now the town centre.
When James Mackay (surveyor) and Sir David McLean (Minister of Mines) completed negotiations six years later with the Māori Chiefs, Tukukino and Taraia, the fields were declared open. Six hundred miners rushed to Karangahake, considered to be the El Dorado
, on March 3, 1875. A canvas town of 1,600 people with about 20 stores and grog shops set the area going. The big gold reefs like Talisman and Crown were discovered but proved hard to work. Heavy machinery required for hard quartz mining had to be brought via the Waihou River and up to Paeroa. The river was the only highway and with two shipping companies in operation, Paeroa became a thriving transport and distribution centre.
When the Northern Steamship Company combined with its opposition, the wharves from near the Bank of New Zealand
(Wharf Street) had to be shifted two miles (3 km) downstream in 1892, and eventually to just below Puke Bridge due to the silting from mining operations. A busy freight business developed with four ships regularly running from Auckland
to Thames to Paeroa. The Thames Branch
railway line reached the town in 1881 and gradually ships gave way to steam, which in turn gave way to road transport. However, as late as 1928, the Waihou River
was still navigable for larger ships all the way up to the town, and the Kopu Bridge
was therefore constructed as a swing bridge
.
When Brenan and Company, the largest horse and wagon operator, moved to trucking, they bought out the steamship company and named their trucks after the ships that plied the Puke River. Waimarie and Taniwha were always painted on the new International or Ford trucks that came into their fleet. When transport operator Sarjant’s amalgamated with Brenan, a large truck centre evolved in Paeroa.
As the passenger rail service dwindled, Paeroa eventually lost its railway, so much of the town had its beginnings in supply and transport to the Hauraki and District. The swings of time have enabled the town to boom and revert a number of times.
in Willoughby Street. The building is now a private home and business, hidden from street level view by a ponga
fence.
In 1911 the National Bank formed joint venture with the New Zealand Mining Trust and the bank purchased a section with a 97 ft (29.6 m) frontage by 125 ft (38.1 m) deep in Arthur Street (now Willoughby Street) for 200 pounds.
By February, 1914, a Ferro-cement building 80 ft (24.4 m) by 40 ft (12.2 m), with an iron roof and a 40 ft (12.2 m) tall smokestack was completed. Inside was the main refining chamber, two assay office, weighting room, accounting room, engine and dynamo rooms, two officers' bedrooms, sitting room and bathroom. Detached from the main building was a store room and coal hopper.
and the Karangahake Gorge
. More recently Paeroa has been the base for many adventurers in and around the Coromandel/Waikato area.
and ‘Pipe Band Tattoo’ events both attract participants and crowds from all over New Zealand and overseas.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, in the northern Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
region of the Thames Valley
Thames Valley, New Zealand
The Thames Valley is a non-administrative region in the North Island of New Zealand. Broadly, it is the valley component of the Waihou River catchment . The lower part of the valley is more commonly known as the Hauraki Plains. Geographically the valley extends as far as Piarere, although this is...
. Located at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
, it is close to the junction of the Waihou
Waihou River
thumb|The Waihou River near [[Putaruru]]The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook....
and Ohinemuri River
Ohinemuri River
The Ohinemuri River is located in the north of New Zealand's North Island.The river source is north-east of the town of Waihi, close to the shore of the Bay of Plenty, but flows west rather than into the bay. It runs through the steep-sided Karangahake Gorge, forming a break between the Coromandel...
s, 20 kilometres from the coast at the Firth of Thames
Firth of Thames
The Firth of Thames is a large bay located in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the firth of the rivers Waihou and Piako, the former of which was formerly named the Thames River, and the town of Thames lies on its southeastern coast....
. The population is 3900.
Paeroa is known for its mineral spring
Mineral spring
Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce water containing minerals, or other dissolved substances, that alter its taste or give it a purported therapeutic value...
s, which provide the water used in a local soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
, Lemon & Paeroa
Lemon & Paeroa
Lemon & Paeroa, also known as L&P, is a sweet soft drink manufactured in New Zealand. Traditionally made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, it is now manufactured by multi-national Coca-Cola....
.
History
Captain James CookJames Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
explored the Waihou River in 1779, taking a long-boat up as far as Netherton, just a couple of miles from where the town of Paeroa was built 100 years on.
The area was briefly explored in October 1826 by Captain James Herd, in command of the Lambton and the Isabella (or Rosanna). Herd was sent on an exploratory mission by the first organisation to be known as the New Zealand Company
New Zealand Company
The New Zealand Company originated in London in 1837 as the New Zealand Association with the aim of promoting the "systematic" colonisation of New Zealand. The association, and later the company, intended to follow the colonising principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of...
and claimed to have bought one million acres (4000 km²) of land from local Māori in Hokianga and Manukau.
By 1869, anticipating the rush to the Ohinemuri Goldfields, considerable numbers of miners camped at Cashell’s Landing "Puke".
In 1870, Asher Casserels, a Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n, leased the block of land known as Paeroa from Māori. This included Primrose Hill and most of what is now the town centre.
When James Mackay (surveyor) and Sir David McLean (Minister of Mines) completed negotiations six years later with the Māori Chiefs, Tukukino and Taraia, the fields were declared open. Six hundred miners rushed to Karangahake, considered to be the El Dorado
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
, on March 3, 1875. A canvas town of 1,600 people with about 20 stores and grog shops set the area going. The big gold reefs like Talisman and Crown were discovered but proved hard to work. Heavy machinery required for hard quartz mining had to be brought via the Waihou River and up to Paeroa. The river was the only highway and with two shipping companies in operation, Paeroa became a thriving transport and distribution centre.
When the Northern Steamship Company combined with its opposition, the wharves from near the Bank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s largest banks and has been operating continuously in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in December 1861...
(Wharf Street) had to be shifted two miles (3 km) downstream in 1892, and eventually to just below Puke Bridge due to the silting from mining operations. A busy freight business developed with four ships regularly running from Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
to Thames to Paeroa. The Thames Branch
Thames Branch
The Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand, with Hamilton and was originally part of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway. Part of the line between Morrinsville and Waitoa remains open and is in use as the Waitoa Industrial Line, connecting to the Fonterra Dairy Factory at...
railway line reached the town in 1881 and gradually ships gave way to steam, which in turn gave way to road transport. However, as late as 1928, the Waihou River
Waihou River
thumb|The Waihou River near [[Putaruru]]The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook....
was still navigable for larger ships all the way up to the town, and the Kopu Bridge
Kopu Bridge
The Kopu Bridge is a single-lane swing bridge that spans the Waihou River, near its emergence into the Firth of Thames in the Thames-Coromandel District of New Zealand's North Island. The bridge was completed in 1928 and is part of State Highway 25...
was therefore constructed as a swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
.
When Brenan and Company, the largest horse and wagon operator, moved to trucking, they bought out the steamship company and named their trucks after the ships that plied the Puke River. Waimarie and Taniwha were always painted on the new International or Ford trucks that came into their fleet. When transport operator Sarjant’s amalgamated with Brenan, a large truck centre evolved in Paeroa.
As the passenger rail service dwindled, Paeroa eventually lost its railway, so much of the town had its beginnings in supply and transport to the Hauraki and District. The swings of time have enabled the town to boom and revert a number of times.
National Bank Gold Refinery
A historic Paeroa building, in the town centre, is the former National Bank of New Zealand's gold refinery, built in 1914in Willoughby Street. The building is now a private home and business, hidden from street level view by a ponga
Cyathea dealbata
Cyathea dealbata, or the silver tree fern or silver fern , is a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to New Zealand...
fence.
In 1911 the National Bank formed joint venture with the New Zealand Mining Trust and the bank purchased a section with a 97 ft (29.6 m) frontage by 125 ft (38.1 m) deep in Arthur Street (now Willoughby Street) for 200 pounds.
By February, 1914, a Ferro-cement building 80 ft (24.4 m) by 40 ft (12.2 m), with an iron roof and a 40 ft (12.2 m) tall smokestack was completed. Inside was the main refining chamber, two assay office, weighting room, accounting room, engine and dynamo rooms, two officers' bedrooms, sitting room and bathroom. Detached from the main building was a store room and coal hopper.
Location
At the intersection of State Highways 2 and 26, Paeroa is the central service location for the Hauraki District with the town being a midway stop for those travelling between Auckland and Tauranga/Rotorua. About half way between Auckland and Tauranga, Paeroa is also the southern gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, the eastern gateway to the Bay of PlentyBay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
and the Karangahake Gorge
Karangahake Gorge
The Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River. State Highway 2 passes through this gorge between the towns of Paeroa, Waikino and Waihi...
. More recently Paeroa has been the base for many adventurers in and around the Coromandel/Waikato area.
Events
Paeroa is known as the Events Capital of the Coromandel, as well as having a national reputation for horseracing. February is a busy event month in Paeroa and the motorcycle race ‘Battle of the Streets’Paeroa Street Circuit
Paeroa Street Circuit is a "Hacksaw" shape temporary street circuit in downtown Paeroa, New Zealand for motorcycle racing runs around Belmont Road, Normanby Road, State Highway 2, right turn into Arney Street and go over the hill into Princes Street...
and ‘Pipe Band Tattoo’ events both attract participants and crowds from all over New Zealand and overseas.