Te Wairoa: The Buried Village of New Zealand

Te Wairoa Village was established by the Christian missionary in 1848, but by the time the eruption of Mt. Tarawera buried the site in volcanic debris, it had survived for less than 40 years.

Its intended layout, dictated by Revered Spencer, was based on the English village with the whares (simple dwellings) and fenced gardens laid along streets. Early photographs, as well as archaeological finds, suggest the village developed into a remarkable combination of traditional Maori and English settlements. The architectural features were also mixed and the settlement became a mash of differing styles and materials.

A new mission station and a school were established in 1852 to cater for the Maori who moved to the fertile Te Wairoa Valley, while an increasing number of tourists visited the Pink and White Terraces.

Reverend Spencer introduced wheat to the Te Wairoa valley and a flour mill was set up beside the Te Wairoa Stream in 1857, but it had been abandoned for several years by the time of the eruption as residents turned from agricultural to tourism as their primary income.  

Te Mu Church was completed 1862 just when signs of conflict flared up in the area between the Maori people and the crown. Apart for occasional services for the next 22 years, the church stood idle until it, too, was destroyed by the volcano.