TaurangaDowntown.co.nz
Title
Tauranga Mainstreet :: Bay of Plenty's largest shopping mall
Description
Tauranga is the Maori word for "landing place". The name dates back to the 12th century when the earliest settlers arrived from the Takitimu and Mataatua waka. The harbour is a taonga (treasure) that anchors the identity of the three iwi- Ngaiterangi, Ngati Ranginui and Ngati Pukenga. Part of Tangaroa's sea domain, the harbour has always been an important source of food. Tauranga harbour is a tidal estuary, mostly shallow, covering 218 square kilometres. At all times - when the tide is coming in or going out, when it is full or when it is low - the harbour is a place of great natural beauty. For the past 800 years the sub-tropical climate, bountiful seafood and the pleasant lifestyle surroundings have lured people to settle here.
For over six centuries the area supported a significant Maori population. Many of the great canoes stopped at Tauranga during their epic voyages. In 1769, Captain Cook commented on the thriving settlements and activity along the Bay of Plenty coast. Purukupenga, whose name alone survives, were the first people to live in this area. The visit of the missionary schooner 'Herald' in 1828 was probably the first European vessel to enter the harbour. Captain Drury in HMS Pandora surveyed and chartered the coast and harbour in 1853. Port of Tauranga was officially established in 1873 by order of the Governor of New Zealand.
While Tauranga was established as a town in the 1860's, it was not until after the First World War that it slowly began growing . The area has enjoyed rapid and sustained growth since the 1950's. The first holiday homes began appearing at Mount Maunganui shortly after the end of World War One. Timber mills and dairy factories provided early prosperity. Construction of the deep-water wharves in Tauranga Harbour began in 1953. Since 1966 the port has been New Zealand's largest export port. A rail link through the Kaimai ranges completed in 1978 strenghtened the port's position. In 1963, Tauranga became a city with a population of 21,500.
