Te Wairoa Hopupu Honengenenge Matangi Rau means the long water which bubbles swirls and is uneven. That is the Māori name of the river. Welcome to Wairoa Bay. This bay is near the mouth of the Wairoa River. The town of Wairoa gets its name from this river.
The ancestral canoe Takitimu traveled up the Wairoa River. It landed near the Takitimu marae. Marae are Māori meeting houses. The river was an important food source for the community. It grew on the river’s banks.
In 1839, William Rhodes established a trading station here. In 1841, missionary William Williams visited. A permanent mission station was established in 1844. Early settlement included whaling and flax trading. The area offered sufficient income and attraction.
Originally, the area was named Clyde. The name changed to avoid confusion. There was already a Clive near Napier and a Clyde in the South Island.
Wairoa’s history is rich with Māori culture and early European settlement. The Wairoa River is central to Wairoa’s story. It provided sustenance and a pathway for travelers.
In 2016, Rocket Lab announced a launch site on the Mahia Peninsula. This was part of a program attracting high-tech industry. Mahia Peninsula is near Wairoa. This has provided more job opportunities for the population.
Wairoa has faced challenges. The ANZ bank closed in 2018. The BNZ and Westpac banks closed in 2021. Wairoa lost its only dentist in 2020. Locals now travel to Gisborne or Napier for treatment.
Cyclone Gabrielle hit Wairoa in February 2023. It was described as catastrophic. State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa closed until May 2023. It caused damage to much of the area.
Flooding hit Wairoa again in June 2024. Heavy rain and high tides led to 118 homes being flooded. The government allocated NZ3 million for disaster relief.
Wairoa covers 7.57 square kilometers. The population was about 4940 people in June 2024.
The meat processing plant in Wairoa was established in 1916. AFFCO bought it in 1990. It employs about 650 people during peak season. The plant processes various meats. It exports much of its product. Forestry is increasing in Wairoa’s economy. Farms are being converted to forests.
Wairoa hosts the annual Wairoa Māori Film Festival since 2005. It is New Zealand’s premiere indigenous film festival. The Gaiety Cinema and Theatre hosts part of the festival.
The Wairoa Museum focuses on local and Māori history. It includes a Māori flag from the 1865 land wars. The Wairoa Centennial Library was built in 1960.
Wairoa has several marae for the local Ngāti Kahungunu tribe. These include Hinemihi Hurumua and Tākitimu-Waihirere.
Wairoa Hospital has 12 beds. It provides maternity and acute medical care. The Wairoa airport is on the northern side of Wairoa. State Highway 2 connects Wairoa to Napier and Gisborne. The Napier to Gisborne railway line reopened in January 2020.
St Andrew’s Church is a category two historic place. St Peter’s Catholic Church was completed in 1882. It is an example of Gothic Revival architecture.
Wairoa College is a Year 7 to 13 high school. Wairoa Primary School is a Year 1 to 6 primary school.
Wairoa is a town of resilience and history. It embraces its Māori heritage. Wairoa is working toward a brighter future.