Te Mahoe
Te Mahoe is a rural settlement in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island, next to Lake Matahina.
In 2018, the larger community consisted of about 150 people, including 30 families in the village at the base of the Lake Matahina Dam. Locals describe the community as close-knit and centred around the local school.
History
Hone Tuwhare
Poet Hone Tuwhare lived in Te Mahoe during the 1950s and 1960s with his wife, writer Jean McCormack, and their three sons. He worked as a boiler-maker on the construction of the Matahina hydroelectric dam.In 1962, the Whakatane Beacon newspaper published one of Tuwhare's poems. It began:
His first book was published two years later, in 1964, to immediate critical acclaim.
Cyclone Cook
The area was affected by Cyclone Cook in April 2017. The school was closed for several days. A boil water notice was issued for residents due to sediment from floodwaters contaminating water supplies.Demographics
Te Mahoe covers. It is part of the Te Teko Lakes statistical area.Te Mahoe had a population of 96 in the 2023 [New Zealand census], an increase of 12 people since the 2018 census, and unchanged since the 2013 census. There were 45 males and 51 females in 24 dwellings. The median age was 25.5 years. There were 30 people aged under 15 years, 24 aged 15 to 29, 36 aged 30 to 64, and 9 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 21.9% European, 100.0% Māori, 3.1% Pasifika, and 9.4% Asian. English was spoken by 90.6%, Māori by 37.5%, and other languages by 3.1%. No language could be spoken by 6.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 3.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 9.4% Christian, and 34.4% Māori religious beliefs. People who answered that they had no religion were 46.9%, and 9.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 9 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 36 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 24 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $32,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 33 full-time, 9 part-time, and 6 unemployed.