Te Mata, Waikato District
| Te Mata | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
Te Mata in 2010, viewed from the west, with Pirongia in the background.
The 1905 hall is towards the left. |
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 Te Mata
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| Coordinates: 37°53′S 174°52′E / 37.883°S 174.867°ECoordinates: 37°53′S 174°52′E / 37.883°S 174.867°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Waikato Region |
| District | Waikato District |
| Elevation | 150 m (490 ft) |
| Population (2013 census) | |
| • Territorial | 132 |
| Time zone | NZST (UTC+12) |
| • Summer (DST) | NZDT (UTC+13) |
Te Mata is a small settlement 47 km (29 mi) from Hamilton and 15 km (9.3 mi) from Raglan.
Te Mata's meshblock (0861900, which extends from Te Mata to Pakoka Landing) had these census results -
The village lies in the Te Mata Stream valley, which is the main tributary of the Opotoru River. Nearly all the rocks in the area are volcanic, the exception being chert (see History), though it is not marked on the geological map. The village is on Okete Volcanics, on a flat area on formed by volcanic damming, with Karioi Volcanics on the higher land immediately to the west. Some basaltic scoria includes iron oxide bands with up to 51.74% iron content.
Te Mata was part of the rohe of Ngāti Māhanga. Until the early twentieth century the area was largely covered in kahikatea bush. The archaeology map shows only one site near the present village, the great bulk of sites being near the coast. However, that one site, just north of the village, was of importance for its chert and the origin of the name, Te Mata, which translates as chert, flint or obsidian. Chert tools from the area have been identified at 18 sites from Manukau South Head to Awakino.
European settlement began in the 1850s. The Raglan County history said, "On 22 March 1851, eighteen chiefs of Ngati-Mahanga and Ngati-Hourua, headed by William Naylor, sold to Queen Victoria for the sum of £400 (modern equivalent about $50,000), 19,680 acres (7,960 ha) of country bordering on the southern shores of the harbour. The western boundary of the Whaingaroa Block, as it came to be known, began at Putoetoe (the point on which the town of Raglan now stands) and followed the Opotoru Stream inland. Leaving that stream at its junction with the Hutewai, the line ran south beyond Te Mata to a point "marked by a hole dug by the side of the path to Aotea. Here it turned north-eastward to run (again in a straight line) for eight miles through dense forest to meet the Waitetuna River, the last few miles of which formed the eastern boundary."
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Wikipedia