1. Gold prospecting AT Mt. Te Aroha in KAIMAI RANGE  

During the 1850s, unsubstantiated rumours of gold being found near Mount Te Aroha by local Māori and visiting Europeans began to circulate. The gold rushes in Otago and the West Coast in the 1860s led to an influx of prospectors who also began searching other parts of NZ, including Thames and the Kaimai Range. The discovery of a quartz reef embedded in rock in 1881, led to the establishment of mines and mills to extract and crush the rock to extract the gold. However, who had ownership of the land upon which the gold was found  - local iwi or the Crown - had implications as to who could prospect for gold and mine on that land. When gold mining experienced a downturn towards the end of the nineteenth century, some miners left the district whilst others ventured into farming - flax, wheat, dairying, cattle and sheep. There was a brief resurgence of gold mining with new discoveries during 1900s. Financial difficulties led to gold mining operations ceasing towards the end of World War II.

2.  Kaimai gold formed by geothermal activity

For an account of the formation of the Coromandel and Kaimai Ranges through a series of volcanic eruptions beginning 25 million years ago, and geothermal activity leading to quartz reefs, see: Ballance, Peter. New Zealand geology: an illustrated guide. (Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication No. 148), 2009, updated 2017 (PDF)

3.  Rumours of gold near Te Aroha

3.1  Gold found by iwi who settled on Kaimais 

 The earliest iwi to settle in the Hauraki region at the northern end of the Kaimai Range were Ngāti Hako, who are thought to be of Te Tini o Toi people who were descendants of navigator Toitehuatahi (lived 13th-14th Century). The eastern and western slopes of the Kaimai Range were settled by iwi who had migrated from Hawaiiki in 1350. After each waka arrived at its landing place, iwi explored inland and their descendants gradually settled in the Hauraki region and on the slopes of the Kaimai Range. The western slopes were settled by Te Arawa, followed by Tainui. The eastern slopes were also settled by Te Arawa, as well as Tākitimu and Mataatua. Skirmishes and intermarriage took place (Te Uri-o-Pou were descended from Poutekateka or Poutukeka, a chief of both Arawa and Tainui origins). 

The clustering of iwi  led to the forming of hapū or subdivisions in the Hauraki district: Te Arawa formed Ngāti Huarere and Ngāti Hei; Mataatua people took the name Ngāti Rahiri Tumutumu; and Tainui formed the Marutūahu confederation of five iwi (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Rongoū, Ngāti Tamaterā and Ngāti Whanaunga). The Tainui confederation in the eastern Waikato also formed  Ngāti Hauā. Mataatua also formed Ngāi Te Rangi in Tauranga. The Marutūahu confederation fought battles mainly with Te Uri-o-Pou, Ngāti Hako and Ngāti Huarere, and dominated the Hauraki region. However, Te Arawa kept their land in Te Aroha under the protection of Marutūahu. 

Iwi would venture around the foothills and through the bush across the Kaimai Range on tracks they had formed, hunting and gathering food and bathing in the hot springs. There were rumours that they also found flakes of gold. 

3.2   Gold found by European visitors, 1850s

Colonel Chesney's discovery, 1852 

In 1852, Colonel Francis Rawden Chesney of the 58th Regiment had visited Mt. Te Aroha and found what he thought was gold. However, there were conflicting accounts of when the gold was discovered, the location of the gold, and the type of gold found.

 Find out more:

• Philip Hart (2016), "Rumours of gold at Te Aroha", (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 60), Historical Research Unit Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The University of Waikato
• New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, vol. 36, p. 13 (6 July 1880) 
• James Mackay, Report by Mr Commissioner Mackay relative to the Thames gold fields", AJHR, 1869 A-17 
• Papers Past: Thames Advertiser, Vol XIII, Issue 3729, 5 Nov 1880, p.3 

Charles & Frederick Ring discover gold in 1852 & 1854 

 In 1852 "some Aucklanders offered a reward of £100 for the discovery of a payable goldfield near Auckland. When the reward was increased to £500, a sawmiller named Charles Ring claimed it after he found golden flakes in his pan at Driving Creek, near Coromandel town." (Source:  Carl Walrond, 'Gold and gold mining - Coromandel Peninsula', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/gold-and-gold-mining/page-5 

Tasmanian sawmiller Charles Ring and his brother Frederick had returned from the Californian goldrush, "at a considerable labour and pecuniary outlay, and no little risk from native hostility, systematically prospected the whole country between Coromandel and Te Aroha, discovering gold in various places, as far as Ohinemuri and beyond".  (Source: Papers Past: Thames Advertiser, 31 August 1877, p. 2)  

During 1854, the Ring brothers also "found gold in the direction of the Aroha mountain".  (Source: Charles Heaphy cited by Philip Hart, "Rumours of gold at Te Aroha", op cit , p.4) 

The find by the Ring brothers led to the arrival of other prospectors in the Coromandel and Te Aroha areas.  

4.  Gold mining legislation introduced, 1858 

4.1   Gold found near Nelson in Dec 1856

Rumours of gold being found in New Zealand led to an influx of prospectors. Gold was discovered in the Aorere Valley near Collingwood at Golden Bay (near Nelson) in December 1856 and within a year a thousand prospectors were working there. This led to the Government introducing legislation in anticipation of further discoveries. 

4.2  Gold Fields Act 1858

The Gold Fields Act 1858 authorised the Governor to proclaim a "Gold Field" on “any portion of the Colony” and lease auriferous Crown-owned land to others for mining purposes.  Gold wardens were appointed to oversee goldfields, and disputes were heard in the warden’s court.  As large portions of Otago had been acquired by the Crown by 1861,  this enabled the application of the Act during the Otago goldrush at Gabriel's Gully in 1861.  Discoveries of gold followed at Wakamarina in Marlborough (1864) and at Greenstone Creek on the West Coast (1864).   

5.  Ongoing rumours of gold at Te Aroha, early 1860s

From the early 1860s, Māori claimed to have found gold at Te Aroha. In July 1862, Donald McLean (Chief Land Purchase Commissioner) informed Sir George Grey  that "Manaia and the whole of the range up to the Aroha" was "spoken of as a very rich goldfield". 

Source: Donald McLean to Sir George Grey, 7 July 1862, Purchase of Coromandel Goldfield, Legislative Department, LE 1, 1862/101, ANZ-W.)   Cited by Philip Hart (2016), "Rumours of gold at Te Aroha", (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 60)  (Historical Research Unit Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The University of Waikato), p. 1.   

A newspaper report on prospecting at and near Thames in 1865 mentioned that Te Aroha "has always been spoken of as gold-producing, both by the natives and white men who have resided in the locality". 

 Source: Papers Past: "Gold prospecting at Thames (From our own correspondent) Kauaeranga, October 24. Daily Southern Cross, Vol XXI, Issue 2588, 3 November 1865, p. 5 

Prospectors from Otago & West Coast search Thames & Kaimai Range, 1860s

After gold was found in Otago and the West Coast, prospectors began searching other parts of New Zealand, including Thames and the Kaimai Range. 

Find out more:  Carl Walrond, ''Gold and gold mining', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/gold-and-gold-mining  

6.  Land sale disputes led to NZ Wars, 1860-1864

Hauhaus take refuge in Kaimais & find gold

7. Legislation on gold-mining on iwi-owned land

7.1  Gold Fields Amendment Act, 20 Oct 1868

From the mid-1860s, newspapers reported that local Māori had been finding nuggets of gold and that prospecting parties had begun searching for gold on Crown and non-Crown land in the Kaimai area. The Gold Fields Amendment Act was passed on 20 October 1868, to enable the Governor to proclaim that goldmining  was permitted on Māori-owned land where the owner had given authorisation. 

7.2  King Tāwhiao placed an aukati (boundary) on Kaimai district, Dec 1868

The Taranaki and Waikato wars from 1860-64 forced the Kingitanga to withdraw from large areas of their ancestral lands which were then confiscated by the Crown. Kingitanga established new defence lines along the confiscated boundary, which became known as the King Country, to intercept intrusion by the Crown, runholders and prospectors. In December 1869, King Tāwhiao placed an aukati or boundary on the Kaimai district for discovering gold or developing gold mines.  

Find out more: Cathy Marr (2011), "Te Rohe Potae Political Engagement 1864 – 1886":  A report commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal for the Te Rohe Potae district inquiry, November 2011   

7.3  Authorisation to grant gold-mining rights contested between iwi 

The  iwi that owned the land upon which gold was found had the rights to negotiate with the Crown whether mining would be granted. However, which iwi owned the Te Aroha block of land following the New Zealand Wars (1860-1864) when confiscated land was being returned was contested between iwi in the Native Land Court. 

During the Musket Wars, which broke out between 1807-1837 when chiefs from the northern Ngāpuhi launched attacks on other iwi, battles had taken place between iwi resulting in land occupation changes. The conflicts between Ngāti Maru (of Hauraki region), Ngāi Te Rangi (an iwi of the Mataatua waka in Tauranga) and Ngāti Hauā (of Tainui confederation in eastern Waikato) were summarised by James Mackay in 1898: 

 The lands in the neighbourhood of Te Aroha were originally occupied by the tribes who were conquered and nearly exterminated by the Ngatimaru of Hauraki, the Ngaiterangi of Tauranga, and the Waikato of Central Waikato. The western side of the range became the property of the Ngatimaru tribe, the eastern side of the Ngaiterangi tribe, and the lands to the southwest extending towards Matamata, Hamilton, and Cambridge, that of the Ngatihaua division of Waikato. Murders, and wars resulting from them and other causes, were of frequent occurrence between the three tribes above-mentioned. The Ngaiterangi generally allied themselves with the Waikato tribes, as against the Ngatimaru of Hauraki. The Ngatimaru, however, continued in occupation of the western side of Te Aroha for several generations. 

Source:  James Mackay, 'Te Aroha. A Historical Perspective', Auckland Weekly News, 4 June. 1898, p. 8 

In January 1869, when Commissioner Mackay signed a preliminary agreement with  Ngāti Hauā (Tainui) for rights to mine at Te Aroha, this was contested by other iwi leading to hearings and rehearings by the Native Land Court.

Find out more: 

• Philip Hart, "Ngati Rahiri versus Ngati Tamatera," Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 15), Historical Research Unit Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences The University of Waikato, 2016  
• NZETC: Native Land Court, "Native Land Court [Aroha], April 1871" In: "Important judgements: Delivered in the Compensation Court and Native Land Court, 1866-1879. (Auckland, 1879), p. 109-133

7.4  Prospectors turned away from non-Crown land, 1876-1877

7.5  Crown signs deed of sale for 53,908 acres at Te Aroha with Ngāti Rahiri, 28 Aug        1878

8.  GOLD SPECKS FOUND NEAR TE AROHA, 1880s  

9. Number of settlers in Te Aroha grew

Initially the township became known as Aroha Gold Field Town, Morgan-town, and Aroha, and eventually became known as Te Aroha.  The population  of Te Aroha increased during the 1880s with the mining of gold.  Te Aroha's Town Board was established in 1880 and it was constituted a town on 28 Dec 1886.  The growing popularity of the hot springs led to large numbers of tourists visiting Te Aroha. The development of the farmland for produce to supply the miners, followed by wheat, dairy, beef and sheep farming further increased the settlement of the township.  “The Te Aroha and Ohinemuri News" was founded in 1883 and printed news and advertisements twice weekly from the 'Te Aroha News" office in Whitaker Street.   

"According to the March 1886 census, the population of Te Aroha Riding, which included Waiorongomai and other areas close to Te Aroha, comprised 667 men and 536 women, including ten half-castes, two Chinese, and one Maori wife."  

Source:  Philip Hart (2016), Te Aroha: 1882 to 1889. (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 114),  Historical Research Unit Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The University of Waikato (p.3)  

10. Gold in Waiorongomai Valley, 1881 - Early 1900S 

10.1   Buck Reef found in 1881

In 1881, Hone Werahiko discovered the gold reef in the Waiorongomai Valley near Te Aroha, which he called the "New Find". The Buck Reef, as it became known, is 5.5km long and 600m deep. This led to a resurgence of activity by prospectors in the excavating of mines. As the gold was chemically bound to other elements alongside the quartz deposits, it required processing to release the gold.

Find out more:

• A.G. Matheson, "History of  the Waiorongomai Goldfield", Ohinemuri. 
• Department of Conservation, "Gold Mines  of the Waiorongomai Valley: Education Resource." Bay of Plenty, 2008
• Philip Hart, "The geology of the Te Aroha mining district", (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 2), Historical Research Unit Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences The University of Waikato, 2016   
• Philip Hart, "Maori Te Aroha before the opening of the goldfield (mostly through Pakeha eyes)."(Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 26), Historical Research Unit, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The University of Waikato, 2016.    
• Philip Hart, "Hone Werahiko: The discoverer of gold at Te Aroha."  (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 61), Historical Research Unit, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The University of Waikato, 2006.  Revised on December 11, 2017 
• The University of Waikato - Research Commons:  Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers 

10.2   Piako County Tramway built 1882-1883

10.3  Firth & Clark Battery, 1882-1888 

10.4   New Era Battery, 1883-1892

10.5   Te Aroha Silver and Gold Mining Company, 1888 -1890  

10.6  Company has ownership changes, 1890 - 1898

11. NUMBER OF SETTLERS IN WAIORONGOMAI GREW 

Many of the miners on the Waiorongomai field had first arrived to work at Te Aroha gold field. When gold was discovered at Waiorongomai  they travelled daily from Te Aroha where their families continued to stay. Others set up tent camps in the hills.

12.  Tui mine provided Gold & lead flux for gold        smelters (1880s-1902) & reopened 1967-1973

The Tui Mine is located on the western slopes of Mount Te Aroha. Mining at Tui Mine began in the 1880s until the turn of the century.  The Thames Lead and Silver Company provided gold and lead flux to the Te Aroha Gold and Silver Company, however, the ore's high zinc content made it unsuitable. It later reopened in 1967, under a consortium called Norpac Mining Ltd, comprising a New Zealand company, an American company and a Canadian company. The mine extracted various metals including copper, lead and zinc. However, the levels of mercury impacted on sales and Norpac went into liquidation and abandoned the mine in 1975.

Find out more:

• Philip Hart (2016). "Denis Murphy: a miner and farmer in the Te Aroha district",  (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers No. 151), Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato, Historical Research Unit. 
•  Philip Hart, (2016). "The Tui Mines: a portion of the Te Aroha mining district." (Te Aroha Mining District Working papers, No. 107). Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato, Historical Research Unit. 
• Envirohistory NZ: "A tale of  mining in New Zealand - and the tragic tailings of Tui Mine"   (2 May 2010)
• Ministry for the Environment: Cleaning up Tui Mine

13.  FARMING OF LAND FOR PRODUCE TO SELL TO MINERS

The discovery of gold led to settlers wanting to acquire land to establish farms for supplying produce to the influx of miners. The Te Aroha Block of land was surveyed by the Crown in lots of up to 320 acres for sale to settlers beginning in January 1880. The lower swamp lands near the Waihou River were drained by contractors building drains. Land was cleared by the settlers of tea-tree, tussock, ferns and heath. Fences were erected, grass sown and shelter-belts planted.    

14. Mining experienced downturn at turn of century

The miners found the hardness of the rock made mining and crushing the ore difficult. As the gold was intermixed with other base metals - zinc, copper and lead - only a small amount could be extracted. Dry summers also reduced the supply of water for the network of water races that powered the turbines; thus halting work at the mills. When the amount and quality of the gold found began to decline during 1881-1882, some of the prospectors started to leave. 

There was a brief resurgence of mining with new gold discoveries during 1901 with the reef at Malcom Hardy's Premier mines, and 1908 with Denis Murphy's mine. Meanwhile, other claims began operating in the Waiorongomai Valley, such as the Bendigo Company from 1908 - c.1922. The Westralia operated from 1910 and was bought out by the Waitawheta Gold Prospecting Company in c.1912 and then sold to the Piako County Council in 1918 who operated and then closed the quarry in 1927. Hardy's Mines Ltd, which had new owners since January 1911 who were former shareholders, continued to crush the tailings at their plant throughout the First World War; then abandoned it in 1924. During 1934-35, the Waiorongomai Gold-Mines Ltd worked at the Cadman and Bonanza claims then suspended work due a lack of capital. During 1836-1937, attempts were made to revive the gold field with Malcom Hardy carrying out sampling which was sent to America for analysis and ore was extracted from the Hero lode and shipped to the Electrolytic Smelting and Refining CNO Ltd., Port Kembla, New South Wales, for treatment. He established Hardy's Mines in 1940 but a lack of financial backing saw mining operations in the Waiorongomai Valley ceasing towards the end of World War II.

Source: A. G. Matheson, History of the Waiorongomai Goldfield, URL: https://www.ohinemuri.org.nz/modern-texts/history-waiorongomai-goldfield

In total 68,961 ounces of bullion (less than 2000 kg) were extracted from Waiorongomai. The amount was low in comparison with the considerable capital outlay to mine the hard rock and extract the gold deposits. 

Source: Stephanie Twaddle, (2008), "Gold mines of the Waiorongomai Valley: education resource." (Tauranga, N.Z. : Dept of Conservation ). 

15. Some miners switched to farming 

When the gold mining began to wane, some miners left the district, whilst others requested the Government establish special farm settlements. They wanted portions of land reserves owned by Māori to be able to be leased for them to farm, with the future possibility of acquiring the freehold.   

“Kauri gum was dug, fleetingly, and the flax industry waxed and waned, but the arrival of dairying in the 1890s was an important step forward in the successful development of the district.

Source: Philip Hart (2016), "Developing the Te Aroha District until c.1910". (Te Aroha Mining District Working Papers  No. 7), Historical Research Unit Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences The University of Waikato     

This DigitalNZ story was compiled in November 2023