What's in a Name?

Hikutaia Street 

This is a Maori word - thrashing tail of the taniwha.  In Māori mythology, taniwha are large supernatural beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea. The street was first mentioned in the Te Aroha News on 5 May 1923.

Farmer Street   

Andrew John Farmer was Te Aroha Mayor 1902-1906.  He also purchased Kawau Island in 1904.  He is the brother-in-law of Thomas Stanley, another Te Aroha Mayor who Stanley Road is named after.  The street was first mentioned in the Te Aroha News on 23 Apr 1917.

Kōtuku Street   

The kōtuku is the white heron, a rare bird found on our $2 coin, that lived in tall kahikatea swamp forests.  It was also the name of one of the earliest steamers that brought goods and people up the Waihou to Te Aroha.  The street was first mentioned in the Te Aroha News on 7 May 1887.      

Wilson Street

George Wilson was the Govern-ment mine inspector for the Thames district which included Te Aroha. He was a miner, clerk for the Te Aroha warden’s and magistrate’s courts and lived in this street.   The street was first mentioned in the Te Aroha News on 11 September 1886.

Russell Avenue

Named after Major General Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell, the popular leader of the New Zealand Forces during WW1, initially the street name was with an 's. He was also the President of the NZ Returned Soldiers’ Association (RSA).

The block of land coming off Whitaker Street (this section is now Centennial Ave) was known as the Soldier’s Block. The street going towards the mountain was known locally as Diggers’ Avenue. Russell visited Te Aroha in 1933 as Dominion President of the RSA.

Bossons Road

Alfred Bossons, a farmer, and his first wife Mary came to New Zealand from Lancashire in England in 1887.  By 1890 the Bossons family were living in Te Aroha and Alfred had 60 acres of land.

Alfred had many fruit trees on his property including peaches, apples and quinces, and he often won prizes for his fruit at horticultural shows.

The earliest newspaper reference to Bossons Road was in the Te Aroha News on 20 November 1912.

Kenrick Street   

Henry (Harry) Kenrick was the Resident Magistrate and Goldfields Warden.  Henry had recommended to the govern-ment that they proclaim the district as a goldfield and in 1880 the Te Aroha Goldmining District was duly announced under the Goldmining Districts Act 1873.  

The street was first mentioned in the Te Aroha News on 18 June 1887.

Gordon Road

Read about Ada Margaret Gordon after whom the Gordon Road is named.  An article can be found on Our Stories page.

Ada Margaret Gordon