Waihi is a town of about 5,000 people in the north-east of New Zealand's North Island. It is in the east corner of the Hauraki District, in the Waikato Region, close to the Kaimai Range south of the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula.
A nearby coastal settlement, Waihi Beach, is in the Western Bay of Plenty District in the Bay of Plenty Region.
History[]
European settlement was given a boost in the late 19th century with the discovery of gold-bearing quartz in 1878. The Martha Mine operated from 1879 till 1952, producing 174 tonnes of gold and 1,193 tonnes of silver from about 12 million tonnes of ore. Mining is still a dominant force in the town.
However, as the gold yield declined, new enterprises arose. Notable was the Akrad Corporation, founded in 1932 by Keith Marsden Wrigley, which manufactured radios and other electronic devices and became associated with PYE of England. The country's first television broadcast was from Waihi in 1954.
Genealogy[]
The area has an informal genealogy group.
Education[]
- Secondary school: Waihi College, Kensington Rd
- Primary schools:
- St Josephs Catholic School, Mueller St
- Waihi East School, Donnelly St
- Waihi South School, Moresby Ave
- Waimata School, Tauranga Rd