Misplaced Pages

	Kauri, Springs Flat
Three Mile Bush	Kamo	Tikipunga, Totara Parklands
	Whau Valley	Otangarei

Kamo (officially Te Kamo) is a northern suburb of the New Zealand city of Whangārei. The town's name was legally changed to Te Kamo in 2023. It is approximately five minutes' drive from the centre of Whangārei. There was coal mining in the area between 1875 and 1955, and it was known for its hot springs in the early years of the 20th century.

Etymology

According to the oral traditions of the local Māori hapū (sub-tribe), Ngāti Kahu-o-Torongare, Te Kamo was an ancestor who resided in the now-eponymous area and the wider region. Considered an introvert, Te Kamo worked in the background to ensure the prosperity and safety of his people, including organising trade with other hapū from coastal areas. The name of the area was recorded as Te Kamo during the early years of European settlement, but it was subsequently unofficially shortened to Kamo. In 2023, the name of the suburb was officially changed to Te Kamo by the New Zealand Geographic Board.

History

Coal mining was an early industry in the area. Tunnelling first started in 1875, but it was not practical to carry the coal over the unmetalled roads to Whangārei wharf. In 1882 a short railway line was completed between Kamo and Whangārei to carry the coal. This was one of Northland's first railways. The railway still exists as part of the North Auckland Line. The mine closed in 1955, with the seams worked out. Limonite was also quarried at Kamo.

A Wesleyan church was built in 1881, the Anglican All Saints Church in 1886, and a Presbyterian church in 1911. The first Roman Catholic church in the Whangārei area opened in Kamo about 1881.

Kamo became a Town District in 1884, at which point it had a population of 410, slightly smaller than Whangārei.

The town was known for its hot springs in the early 20th century, although several people died of suffocation in covered baths between 1901 and 1920. The iron-rich water was promoted as a health tonic.

In the early 1960s the boundaries of Whangārei city expanded to include Kamo.

Geography

Parakiore is a volcanic dome rising to a height of 391 metres (1,283 ft) to the northwest of Kamo. It is about one million years old, and part of the Harbour Fault which also includes the peaks Hikurangi near Hikurangi, and Parihaka in Whangārei.

Demographics

Kamo covers 12.09 km (4.67 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 10,860 as of June 2024, with a population density of 898 people per km.

Kamo had a population of 10,734 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 570 people (5.6%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,926 people (21.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 5,133 males, 5,568 females and 33 people of other genders in 3,846 dwellings. 2.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 38.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 2,268 people (21.1%) aged under 15 years, 1,908 (17.8%) aged 15 to 29, 4,302 (40.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,256 (21.0%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 76.5% European (Pākehā); 31.3% Māori; 4.5% Pasifika; 7.5% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.7%, Māori language by 6.9%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 8.9%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 18.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 33.8% Christian, 1.0% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 2.1% Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 53.0%, and 7.5% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,164 (13.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 4,839 (57.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 2,091 (24.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 666 people (7.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,026 (47.6%) people were employed full-time, 1,023 (12.1%) were part-time, and 231 (2.7%) were unemployed.

Education

Kamo High School is a secondary (years 9-13) school with a roll of 728. The school was established in 1960. Kamo Intermediate is an intermediate (years 7-8) school with a roll of 790. This school has a friendly rivalry with its two neighbouring schools, Whangarei Boys' High School and Whangarei Girls' High School.

Kamo Primary School, Totara Grove School and Hurupaki School are contributing primary (years 1-6) schools with rolls of 450, 314 and 315 respectively.

All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of August 2024. Totara Grove has a decile rating of 2. Hurupaki School has a decile of 8. The others all have a decile rating of 5.

Kamo Primary School opened in July 1873 in a private house. It had grown to 64 students by the time it moved into Kamo Public Hall in 1877. and it moved to its own building in 1881. In 1946, it moved to its present site. The older students were split to Kamo Intermediate in 1964. Kamo East School opened in 1966, and was later renamed to Totara Grove School.

Notable people

All Blacks Bunny Finlayson, Bevan Holmes and Ian Jones played for Kamo Rugby Club as did Auckland Blues player Justin Collins and Auckland Blues coach Peter Sloane.

Michael Hill (Jeweller and Entrepreneur) attended Kamo High School.

Stacey Michelsen (Black Stick) attended Kamo Intermediate School

Ross Ihaka, Pickering Award recipient and co-originator of the R programming language, attended Kamo High School.

Park Kyung, a rapper and composer from South Korean boy group Block B, attended Kamo High School.

See also

• Hurupaki Mountain, a mountain 1.5 kilometres from the township.

References

1. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
2. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
3. "Place name proposal - Te Kamo | Toitū Te Whenua - Land Information New Zealand". www.linz.govt.nz. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
4. "Whangārei suburb Kamo now Te Kamo". Land Information New Zealand. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
5. Pickmere, Nancy Preece (1986). Whangarei: The Founding Years. p. 144.
6. "Mining and Mineral Resources - Coal". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).
7. "Mining and Mineral Resources - Other Metallic Ores". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).
8. Menefy, Diana (1994). Kamo: The Story of a Village. pp. 85–91. ISBN 0-473-02806-9.
9. Pickmere, p 133 gives the 1881 date, but Menefy, p 91, says the land was purchased in 1883.
10. Menefy, p 14
11. "Thermal pools and spas - Leisure and pleasure". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
12. "Thermal pools and spas - Health benefits". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
13. "Whangarei". Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia (4th ed.). 1995. p. 632.
14. Bruce Hayward; Mike Isaac; Keith Miller; Bernhard Spörli (2002). "Introduction to Whangarei geology" (PDF). Geological Society of New Zealand. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009.
15. "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Kamo West (105500), Kamo East (105800), Granfield Reserve (105900) and Kamo Central (106000).
16. ^ "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kamo (50180). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
17. "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
18. "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kamo West. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
19. "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kamo East. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
20. "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Granfield Reserve. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
21. "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. Kamo Central. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
22. Education Counts: Kamo High School
23. "School". Kamo High School. Archived from the original on 22 August 2006.
24. Education Counts: Kamo Intermediate
25. Education Counts: Kamo School
26. Education Counts: Totara Grove School
27. Education Counts: Hurupaki School
28. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
29. Menefy, pp 95-106
30. "Kamo Primary School - A Short History". Kamo Primary School. Archived from the original on 23 February 2001.

External links

• Te Kamo Website
• Kamo Heritage Trails

• Populated places in the Northland Region
• Whangarei District
• Suburbs of Whangārei