Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place" or "anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century and colonised by Europeans in the early 19th century. It was constituted as a city in 1963.
The city lies in the northwestern corner of the Bay of Plenty, on the southeastern edge of Tauranga Harbour. The city extends over an area of , and encompasses the communities of Bethlehem, on the southwestern outskirts of the city; Greerton, on the southern outskirts of the city; Matua, west of the central city overlooking Tauranga Harbour; Maungatapu; Mount Maunganui, located north of the central city across the harbour facing the Bay of Plenty; Otūmoetai; Papamoa, Tauranga's largest suburb, located in the Bay of Plenty; Tauranga City; Tauranga South; and Welcome Bay.
Tauranga is one of New Zealand's main centres for business, international trade, culture, fashion and horticultural science. The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's largest export port and plays a major role in the country's freight and supply chain system. Tauranga is one of New Zealand's fastest-growing cities, with an 11% increase in population between the 2006 census and the 2013 census, and 19% between the 2013 and 2018 census. Due to its rapid population growth, Tauranga has become New Zealand's fifth-largest city, overtaking Dunedin and the Napier-Hastings urban areas.
History
Settlement The earliest known settlers were Māori, who arrived in the 13th century at Tauranga in the Tākitimu and the Mātaatua waka.
At 9 am on Friday, 23 June 1826, was the first European ship to enter Tauranga Harbour. The Revd Henry Williams conducted a Christian service at Otamataha Pā. In December 1826 and again in March 1827, the Herald travelled to Tauranga from the Bay of Islands to obtain supplies of potatoes, pigs and flax. In 1835 a Church Missionary Society mission station was established at Tauranga by William Wade. Rev. Alfred N. Brown arrived at the CMS mission station in 1838. John Morgan also visited the mission in 1838.
Europeans trading in flax were active in the Bay of Plenty during the 1830s; some were transient, others married local women and settled permanently. The first permanent non-Maori trader was James Farrow, who travelled to Tauranga in 1829, obtaining flax fibre for Australian merchants in exchange for muskets and gunpowder. Farrow acquired a land area of on 10 January 1838 at Otūmoetai Pā from the chiefs Tupaea, Tangimoana and Te Omanu, the earliest authenticated land purchase in the Bay of Plenty.
In 1840, a Catholic mission station was established. Bishop Pompallier was given land within the palisades of Otūmoetai Pā for a church and a presbytery. The mission station closed in 1863 due to land wars in the Waikato district.
New Zealand Wars The Tauranga Campaign took place in and around Tauranga from 21 January to 21 June 1864, during the New Zealand Wars. The Battle of Gate Pā, the best known battle, was an attack on the well fortified pā and its Māori defenders on 29 April 1864 by British forces made up of approximately 300 men of the 43rd Regiment and a naval contingent. The British casualties were 31 dead (including 10 officers), and 80 wounded – the highest loss of life suffered by the British military in the New Zealand Wars. The Māori defenders abandoned the pā during the night with casualties estimated at 25 dead and an unknown number of wounded.
Fires
A fire broke out in a store at 8:00pm on 31 May 1881 and spread, destroying all the buildings in one block in the town and others in adjacent blocks. There was no fire brigade available.
In November 1916, a large fire broke out on The Strand, destroying the Commercial Hotel and 11 other buildings.
In 1936 another large fire occurred which started in the hotel's staff quarters and drew large crowds.
Modern era Under the Local Government (Tauranga City Council) Order 2003, Tauranga became legally a city for a second time, from 1 March 2004.
In August 2011, Tauranga received Ultra-Fast Broadband as part of the New Zealand Government's rollout.
Geography
Tauranga is located around a large harbour that extends along the western Bay of Plenty, and is protected by Matakana Island and the extinct volcano of Mauao (Mount Maunganui). Ngāumuwahine River is located 19 kilometres southwest of Tauranga.
Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty are situated along a faultline and so experience (infrequent) seismic activity. There are a few volcanoes around the area, including both dormant volcanoes such as Mauao, nicknamed "The Mount" by locals, and active volcanoes such as White Island.
Tauranga is roughly the antipode of Jaén, Spain.
Suburbs
Tauranga City consists of the following suburbs, sorted by 2018 general electoral ward:
Te Papa / Welcome Bay Ward: Gate Pa Greerton Hairini Maungatapu Merivale Motuopuhi Island (Rat Island) Ohauiti Poike Tauranga Tauranga South Waikareao Estuary Welcome Bay
Otumoetai / Pyes Pa Ward: Bellevue Bethlehem Brookfield Judea Matua Omanawa Otūmoetai Pyes Pa Tauriko The Lakes Village
Mount Maunganui / Papamoa Ward: Arataki Kairua Matapihi Mount Maunganui Moturiki Island Motuotau Island Omanu Papamoa Beach Waitao
Notes
Climate Tauranga has an oceanic or maritime temperate climate (cfb) in the Köppen Climate Classification. Though in the Trewartha Climate Classification it is subtropical (cfbl)
During the summer months the population swells as holidaymakers descend on the city, especially along the popular white coastal surf beaches from Mount Maunganui to Papamoa.
Demographics In 1976 Tauranga was a medium-sized urban area with a population of around 48,000. The completion of a harbour bridge in 1988 brought Tauranga and The Mount closer (they amalgamated in 1989) and re-energised the economies of both parts of the enlarged city. By 1996 Tauranga's population had grown to 82,092 and by 2006 had reached 103,635.Geonames Database , travelsradiate, 2010, accessed 2 January 2011. By 2023, it had reached 152,844.
In 2008 Tauranga overtook Dunedin to become the sixth-largest city in New Zealand by urban area, and the ninth largest city by Territorial Authority area. With continuing growth it has now surpassed the Napier-Hastings area to become New Zealand's fifth-largest city.
Tauranga covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Tauranga had a population of 152,844 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 15,714 people (11.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 37,683 people (32.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 73,821 males, 78,558 females and 462 people of other genders in 55,929 dwellings. 2.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 39.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 29,604 people (19.4%) aged under 15 years, 26,316 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 66,786 (43.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 30,138 (19.7%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 78.7% European (Pākehā); 19.3% Māori; 3.6% Pasifika; 10.3% Asian; 1.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.2%, Māori language by 4.5%, Samoan by 0.4% and other languages by 12.5%. No language could be spoken by 2.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 25.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 31.3% Christian, 1.5% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 1.9% Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 3.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 53.7%, and 6.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 22,431 (18.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 64,740 (52.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 29,052 (23.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $42,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 14,001 people (11.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 61,218 (49.7%) people were employed full-time, 17,007 (13.8%) were part-time, and 3,252 (2.6%) were unemployed.
+Individual wardsName Area(km2) Population Density(per km2) Dwellings Median age Medianincome Mauao/Mount Maunganui General Ward 18.34 16,005 873 6,174 38.9 years $47,900 Matua-Otūmoetai General Ward 7.87 18,942 2,407 7,044 41.0 years $44,400 Te Papa General Ward 10.88 18,522 1,702 6,960 37.4 years $38,100 Bethlehem General Ward 21.27 18,819 885 7,068 44.0 years $39,600 Tauriko General Ward 24.68 18,849 764 6,543 37.9 years $44,100 Welcome Bay General Ward 18.25 20,526 1,125 7,149 38.4 years $42,800 Arataki General Ward 19.44 18,816 968 7,215 43.5 years $38,500 Pāpāmoa General Ward 21.19 22,365 1,055 7,779 36.2 years $43,800 New Zealand 38.1 years $41,500
Government and politics For elections to the New Zealand Parliament, the city of Tauranga is in the Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, and Waiariki electorates.
Tauranga is located in the administrative area of the Tauranga City Council. The council consists of the Mayor of Tauranga and nine councillors. The mayor is elected by the city at-large, while the councillors are elected from nine wards (constituencies), each ward electing a single councillor. Elections are held via single transferable vote.
The present nine wards were first established for the 2024 local elections. There are eight general wards (Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay, Matua-Otūmoetai, Bethlehem, Tauriko and Te Papa) and one Māori ward (Te Awanui, covering the entire city).
Council elections are usually held every three years, most recently in 2024. The next local election for Tauranga is scheduled for 2028.
In December 2020, the Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta announced that, due to alleged "dysfunction" within the elected council, the council would be replaced by commissioners until the 2022 local elections. However, then Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said the appointment of commissioners was unnecessary and a "dramatic and draconian step." An independent review by law firm Russell McVeagh found that Mahuta's decision may have been unlawful. Her decision to reappoint the crown commission for a second term in 2022 through to July 2024 was subject to a legal review by Dentons Kensington Swan who found her decision was challengeable on the grounds of unlawfulness and unreasonableness.
Economy Much of the countryside surrounding Tauranga is horticultural land, used to grow a wide range of fresh produce for both domestic consumption and export. There are many kiwifruit and avocados orchards as well as other crops.
The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's largest export port. It is a regular stop for both container ships and luxury cruise liners.
Tauranga's main shopping malls are Bayfair, in Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Crossing in Tauriko. Most of the city's shopping centres are located in the suburbs. They include Fraser Cove, Tauranga Crossing, Bethlehem Town Centre, Papamoa Plaza, Fashion Island, Bayfair Shopping Centre, Bay Central and Greerton Village.
Tauranga has the following business innovation centres
The Kollective Newnham Park
The following companies have their head office in Tauranga: Ballance Agri-Nutrients Brother NZ C3 Limited Craigs Investment Partners Dominion Salt Genera Biosecurity Kiwi Bus Builders Port of Tauranga Shuzi New Zealand Limited Tidy International Trimax Mowing Systems Manawa Energy UNO Magazine Zespri International
Arts and culture
Religion