Hautapu

Hautapu is a township in the Waipa District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, located just north of Cambridge across State Highway 1.

The area was identified as the Hautapu Parish on a militia farm map published in 1864 during the Waikato War, named after the Hautapu Rapids which previously occupied the site of the current Karapiro Power Station. A cemetery was established in June 1866.[1]

A Fonterra dairy factory is a key feature of the township. The factory was proposed in August 1884 and began processing milk on 20 December 1884 as the Cambridge Produce and Dairy Factory. In 1886, the factory was sold to new owners and was expanded to produce butter, cheese and bacon after running into problems with milk supplies. In 1901, it was sold to a new dairy co-operative which replaced the factory with a new brick factory in 1908. The factory began specialising in cheese in 1915, and came under the ownership of the new national dairy co-operative in 1919.[1][2]

Jas Taylor was one of the first and most significant early settlers; several others followed as the area became more densely populated between the 1910s and 1930s.[3] This trend then reversed, as smaller farms consolidated into larger farms.[1][4]

A 56.7 hectare industrial plant is being developed at Hautapu between 2019 and 2024, which is expected to employ 1150 jobs once completed.[5] Most of these jobs will be at a new 44m² ALP aluminium factory being constructed to replace a 1970s plant in Te Rapa, once of the largest factories ever built in New Zealand.[6]

The township has its own rugby, netball and hockey club.[7][8] The rugby club plays in a local tournament with other local town clubs.[9][10]

There is a Returned and Services' Association memorial in the town, listing people from Cambridge killed during the Boer War, World War I and World War II.[11] Ten World War I casualties and two World War II casualties are buried at the local cemetery.[12]