Te Ākau is a small farming settlement in the North Island of New Zealand, located north west of Hamilton, south west of Huntly, south of Port Waikato and , or by ferry and road, north of Raglan. It has a hall and a school.
(Te Ākau (officially, Te Ākau / Black Beach) is also the name of a beach in the Marlborough Region of the South Island.)
Boundaries Te Ākau's only defined boundaries are as a New Zealand census 'statistical area' and a former station. Te Ākau hamlet is near the centre of both, but has no defined boundary. This article covers the southwestern part of the statistical area.
Historically the name was applied to a sheep and cattle station extending from Port Waikato to Raglan, as shown on maps of 1905 (south) and 1906 (north).
Politically it is part of the Onewhero-Te Akau ward of Waikato District Council (Onewhero is the statistical area to the north, extending to the Waikato River and including Limestone Downs, Naike, Port Waikato and Pukekawa) and most of the area unit has been in the Taranaki-King Country general parliamentary constituency since 2014, though the northern area remains in Hunua. The Māori electorate is Hauraki-Waikato.
Demographics Te Ākau is in two SA1 statistical areas which cover . The SA1 areas are part of the larger Te Ākau statistical area.
The SA1 areas had a population of 273 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 27 people (−9.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 9 people (3.4%) since the 2013 census. There were 141 males and 129 females in 105 dwellings. 1.1% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 60 people (22.0%) aged under 15 years, 36 (13.2%) aged 15 to 29, 132 (48.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 42 (15.4%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 90.1% European (Pākehā), 15.4% Māori, 1.1% Pasifika, 2.2% Asian, and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.7%, Māori language by 3.3%, and other languages by 1.1%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 13.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 26.4% Christian, 1.1% Hindu, 3.3% Māori religious beliefs, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 61.5%, and 8.8% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 39 (18.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 120 (56.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 51 (23.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 24 people (11.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 111 (52.1%) people were employed full-time, 36 (16.9%) were part-time, and 9 (4.2%) were unemployed.
Te Ākau statistical area Te Ākau statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Te Ākau had a population of 1,668 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 48 people (3.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 231 people (16.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 882 males, 777 females and 9 people of other genders in 621 dwellings. 1.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 315 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 243 (14.6%) aged 15 to 29, 867 (52.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 243 (14.6%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 86.2% European (Pākehā); 22.8% Māori; 2.3% Pasifika; 1.4% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.5%, Māori language by 5.6%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 4.3%. No language could be spoken by 2.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 25.2% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 2.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 0.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 62.8%, and 8.3% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 252 (18.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 753 (55.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 354 (26.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $40,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 135 people (10.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 741 (54.8%) people were employed full-time, 192 (14.2%) were part-time, and 39 (2.9%) were unemployed.
Geology The main geological groups represented in the area are the Kaihu Group of Holocene and Pleistocene pumiceous sands, silts, lignite, and dune sands, the Waitemata Group of Early Miocene sandstones, siltstones and limestones and Te Kuiti Group of Oligocene siltstones and limestones. There are also a couple of small intrusions of Okete Volcanics on the fault to the north of Whaingaroa Harbour, at Te Kaha Point and Horea.
Te Ākau hamlet is mostly on Te Kuiti Group rocks of Waimai Limestone, with Carter Siltstone and Raglan Limestone on the higher ground.
Ironsand Following the successful smelting of 100 tons of ironsand in 1866, in 1873 the station leaseholder asked the Government for a lease of the whole foreshore, including permission to use the ironsand, but was refused. The major iron ore mineral is titanomagnetite.
In 1957 New Zealand Steel Investigating Co started investigating creation of a steel industry in New Zealand, using N Island W coast ironsands. Its 1962 report led to Glenbrook steelworks and ironsand working at Taharoa and at Waikato North Head. However, in the Raglan North Head area it is estimated there are 25.5 million tons of iron ore concentrate and in the Waikorea/Waimai area 20 million tons.
Caves The 1946 one-inch map showed many tomos and the cave in Elgood Limestone, which is now used by Adventure Waikato.
Hot spring Waikorea Hot Spring is about , with some 150 mg/kg Na, 185 mg/kg Cl, 9 mg/kg SO4, 33 mg/kg HCO3, 63 mg/kg SiO2 and a flow of about . It has been suggested that Waikorea, Naike and Waingaro may all source their water from depths of more than , as they all have similar chemical composition.
Wildlife A 1909 map showed a mixed podocarp-hardwood forest made up of kahikatea, rimu, rātā and tawa. One of the requirements listed on the map was to 'improve' the land. As early as 1912 there was a petition to protect of pūriri bush. Bill Richards moved to Ruakiwi in 1912 and described, "The kākā, or bush parrot, was killed and eaten in large numbers. If by chance one was wounded it would hang by its beak on a limb and call out. In a matter of minutes thousands would answer its call. It was often possible to fill a sack (or run out of ammunition, whichever happened first) without shifting from that one tree." He also described how the bush was cleared and how soon kiwi and kaka became rare.
The Department of Conservation has listed 66 plant species as characteristic of coastal Te Ākau. A 2007 study for the proposed windfarm listed 102 native plants and noted the main bush remnants as at Te Kotuku Stream and at Matira Road. Waikorea Stream wetland has banded dotterel, paradise shelduck, pied stilt, spotless crake and seagulls. Natural areas in Te Ākau, apart from Lake Waikare, have no legal protection.
History and culture
Early history
The area has been inhabited since the 15th century, but was greatly disrupted by war and colonisation in the 19th century.
The archaeology map shows that most pre-colonial settlement was along the coast, especially around Whaingaroa harbour, with over 250 recorded archaeological sites along the coast between Port Waikato and the harbour and 151 in the proposed windfarm area. Carbon from a camp fire at Waikorea was dated to between 1400 and 1440. Fragments of stone tools have been found; most of the obsidian recorded came from Tuhua Island, chert from Te Mata and adzes of metasomatised argillite from Marlborough. Obsidian also came from Taupō and Coromandel and its distribution suggests transport over land, more than by river.
In Māori tradition the Tainui waka sailed down the west coast from Manukau, where Poututeka, son of the leader of Tainui Hoturoa, was left behind, along with his son Hapopo. Their descendants, Ngati Pou, were defeated at Whakatiwai on the Firth of Thames and then settled in the Whangape – Te Ākau area.
The name "Te Ākau" translates as "beach" (of which there are several on this coast), but doesn't seem to have been used to describe this area until a report in 1862. Prior to that, only Rangikahu, in the Waimai valley, a little to the north of Te Ākau, was shown on maps and no mention was made of Te Ākau when the Bishop of New Zealand walked down the coast in 1855. By the time of an 1883 trip through Te Ākau, Rangikahu was only a block of the station.
Later history was investigated by a Te Ākau Commission in 1904. It reported that Ngāti Tāhinga were the original owners of Te Ākau Block, but Ngāti Koata acquired a right to a portion, until Waikato defeated Ngāti Koata. In 1817 Ngāti Koata were again attacked and about half fled to conquer both sides of Cook Strait. The other half (since called Tainui) went to Matakitaki, until Hongi Hika's 1822 musket war. Ngāti Māhanga then occupied Horea, though allowing some Tainui to live there, possibly because otherwise Waikato would have taken the land, or possibly as vassals. In 1849 C. W. Ligar, the Surveyor-General, paid £50 to Ngāti Mahuta. A 2011 Waitangi Tribunal report reached much the same conclusion as in 1904, saying, "The resulting payment to Te Wherowhero and Ngati Mahuta does not seem have subsequently been regarded by the Crown as a valid sale."
New Zealand Wars
Te Ākau was confiscated in 1863. In 1866 a map, showing about 158,600 acres (extending inland to Whangape Lake) claimed by Ngatitahinga and Tainui, was produced in Court. The Court decided there were 77 'loyal' and 44 'rebel' owners (possibly the source of an 1870 return showing 133 of Ngatitahinga and Tainui living in the area between Port Waikato and Raglan. It also showed 108 of Tainui, Te Paitoka, Ngatitekore and Ngatikoata living at Horea). Thus 94,668 acres were returned and 63,932 acres were kept by the Crown. A later survey reduced the area to 90,360 acres. On 23 October 1874, a grant was made to 88 of Ngatitahinga, Tainui and Ngati Mahuta. On a raid to Taranaki prisoners had been brought back as Taurekarekas or slaves. Even when freed, many remained. After confiscation chiefs entered them on the 'loyal' list to increase the area of land returned. Some were displeased when they claimed their share.
In 1894 Te Ākau was divided into 3 pieces. In 1903 an Assessment Court valued the Te Ākau estate at £100,967. The 1904 evidence is still disputed. The report on the windfarm said Ngaati Tahinga have extensive interests from Port Waikato to the Tauterei Stream and Tainui Awhiro south from there, but also claiming interests north of the stream, as "hapu traditionally did not have immutable boundaries, but that their interests were at places permeable and overlapped with neighbours, particularly where they're closely related". The Waitangi Tribunal is yet to report.
Mission station
Christianity spread to this area after 1828, due to missionary work in the north, and release of slaves taken north after the Musket Wars, some of whom returned to their former homes. James and Mary Wallis started a mission station at Te Horea in 1835, but left it in 1836, due to a dispute with the Anglican Church.
Cattle and sheep station