Roto-o-Rangi

Roto-o-Rangi or Rotoorangi is a rural community in the Waipa District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, located south of Cambridge and north-east of Te Awamutu.

Parts of northern Roto-o-Rangi have been undergoing urban development since the construction of the State Highway 1 Cambridge Expressway, as part of the expansion of Cambridge.[1] The rest of Roto-o-Rangi is sparely populated with a small number of homes and businesses, including a furniture shop run out of a converted dairy farm barnhouse.[2]

Roto-o-rangi translates to Lake of Heaven, referring to a lake that once covered the area.[3]

History

European settlement

A European farmer and three of his workers arrived in 1864 and drained the lake to create rolling farm, under a lease agreement with local Māori that some Māori did not agree to.[3]

The area became the site of conflict during the Waikato War. A fortification was built to accommodate 60 men on the main road between Cambridge and Te Awamutu.[3] The last recorded European death from the war was farm worker Tim Sullivan on 24 April 1873; the pocket knife he had been carrying shortly before his death is on display at Cambridge Museum.[4]

Modern history

The Gricelands cream skimming factory was built at Roto-o-rangi in 1903. Settlers had to built their own roads to the factory. A Cambridge-based teacher and post-master opened a school in the settlement two years later, in February 1905, sending children home once a week with letters from their parents.[3]

The Roto-o-Rangi Memorial Hall was opened on 8 September 1938, following a fundraising campaign by the local community. A supper room was added in 1949, and the hall was expanded with a new roof in 1958.

The hall has been a venue for many community events. Dances were held at the hall through the decades, with women usually outnumbering men. The local school, Country Women's Institute, Federated Farmers, Young Farmers Club, Playcentre, The Ping Pong Club, Indoor Bowls,Tennis Club, church groups, jazz musicians, ballet classes and politicians have also used the hall for events.[5]

Roto O Rangi Road has recently been the site of fatal crashes.[6]

Education

Roto-o-Rangi School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[7] with a roll of 99 as of March 2020.[8]

References
  1. Lewis, Geoff (18 April 2018). "Council offers land for more Cambridge development". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  2. James, Emma (4 August 2017). "Waikato barn turns into unique furniture shop". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  3. Parker, Elis. "Roto-o-rangi". cambridgemuseum.org.nz. Cambridge Museum.
  4. "Pocket Knife Donated by Miss Annie Arnold". cambridgemuseum.org.nz. Cambridge Museum.
  5. Bain, Mike (24 March 2017). "War time period no barrier for Roto-o-Rangi to establish its community hall". Stuff. Waikato Times.
  6. "Motorcyclist killed in crash near Te Awamutu". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. 8 October 2016. "The human toll of the darkest week on our roads". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. 11 April 2019.
  7. "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  8. "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.

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