Te Mahoe

Poet Hone Tuwhare lived in Te Mahoe during the 1950s and 1960s with his wife, writer Jean McCormack, and their three sons.[4] He worked as a boiler-maker on the construction of the Matahina hydroelectric dam.[5]

In 1962, the Whakatane Beacon newspaper published one of Tuwhare's poems. It began:

Up at the dam site, at Te Mahoe,
among the clatter of pneumatic drills,
the settling dust and the raw earth,
a man is writing poetry.[5]

His first book was published two years later, in 1964, to immediate critical acclaim.[6]

The area was affected by Cyclone Cook in April 2017. The school was closed for several days.[7] A boil water notice was issued for residents due to sediment from floodwaters contaminating water supplies.[8]

Arnica Savage, a two-year-old girl from the village, was reported missing on 1 July. She was found dead in the Rangitaiki River following an extensive search. Locals originally said she had been fishing her with father, Tewi Savage, when she fell into the river and he was unable to swim to save her.[9]

However, the father was later charged with her murder,[10] Prosecutors alleged the electrician was angry and frustrated about the relationship breakdown and separation from his wife, who had moved to Whakatane and begun a relationship with a mutual friend.[11] The defence lawyer argued he was working long hours while caring for five children, and had been suffering from undiagnosed bipolar disorder.[12] He was found guilty in March 2020.[13]