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

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Hone Tuwhare

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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]

His first book was published two years later, in 1964, to immediate critical acclaim.[6]

Cyclone Cook

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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

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Te Mahoe School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[9] with a roll of 48 as of August 2024.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Fraser, Cleo (11 July 2018). "Man accused of Bay of Plenty murder dead toddler's father". MediaWorks New Zealand. Newshub.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Shand, Matt (4 July 2018). "Not guilty plea over death of toddler found in Rangitaiki River". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  4. ^ Hunt, Janet (29 April 2020). "Haere ra, Jean McCormack". newsroom.co.nz.
  5. ^ a b "The poet and boilermaker". whakatanemuseum.org.nz. Whakatane Museum.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Schools and early childhood education centres remain closed". Māori Television. Te Kaea. 13 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Live: Cyclone Cook strikes NZ – Storm makes landfall, tracks down east coast". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. 13 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  10. ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.

38°06′32″S 176°48′57″E / 38.109008°S 176.815941°E / -38.109008; 176.815941