The History of Ōruawhata

Ngāti Whakaue

Ōruawhata was once a deep thermal pit within the area we know today as the ‘Government Gardens’. It was said to be filled with furiously hot water, and it emitted poisonous gases. It was also a burial place where the remains of tūpuna (ancestors) where laid, to ensure their bones were never taken by the enemy.

The pool no longer exists and many years ago was filled in. However, the heat from the underground source was used by the early engineer Camille Malfroy (after whom Malfroy Road was named) to create a series of three impressive geysers in this area.

These geysers played for many years. However, after Malfroy’s death, the geysers were neglected and were eventually destroyed. Te Runanga Tea Rooms was built in 1903, as a tea pavilion, and was a social centre for many years. The building was carefully restored and re-opened in 1993, 90 years after its original opening.

A local master carver, Albert Te Pou, carved the three figures that stand on the apex of each main gable. Each figure is an individual memorial to the three great Ngāti Whakaue chiefs, Te Roro-o-te-Rangi, Te Kata and Tūnohopū, who all fought courageously at Tāwharakurupeti.

This story comes from the original Great Te Arawa Stories website created by Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru (NPeW) Education Trust in 2018. To ensure consistency, minimal updates were made to the text before it was transferred to this new site.