Te Aroha () is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand with a population of 3,906 people in the 2013 census, an increase of 138 people since 2006. It is northeast of Hamilton and south of Thames. It sits at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai Range. History The name Te Aroha derives from the Māori name of Mount Te Aroha. In one version, Rāhiri, the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, climbed the mountain and saw his homeland in the distance and felt a sense of love () for it. The town is properly named ; meaning 'inland', so the town is named "love flowing inland". In some Tainui traditions, Rakataura, a tohunga of the Tainui waka, was one of the first people to leave the waka, settling at Rarotonga / Mount Smart. After a period of time, Rakataura decided to leave Tāmaki Makaurau and travel south, however during the journey his wife Kahukeke died. Eventually Rakataura settled at Te Aroha, naming the area after the love he felt for Kahukeke. The European settlement was established in the late 1870s. The population grew quickly during the 1880s as a result of a gold rush. A spa was founded in 1883 but popularity had declined by the 1930s. Te Aroha Borough Council took over from the 1880 Town Board on 2 May 1898. Herriesville became part of Te Aroha Borough Council. The 1938 Council Chambers is now a Category 2 listed building. Matamata-Piako District Council took over under the 1989 local government reforms. Created in 1888, Te Aroha and Lemon was New Zealand's first local fizzy drink. It was produced up until the 1960s. On 17 February 1985 Te Aroha experienced a severe flash flood that washed boulders, mud, and trees through the town. Most shops and more than 50 homes were damaged, resulting in the death of three people. On 4 January 2022, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck south of Te Aroha, at a depth of . Bridges Coulter Bridge, over the Waihou River, on Kenrick St (SH26) was rebuilt in 1910 and the present bridge was built alongside it in 1928. The railway bridge was rebuilt in 1912, replacing the 1895 swing bridge. It is now a footbridge, but will not be replaced. Railway stations The Thames Branch reached Te Aroha in 1895 and the station opened on 1