New Zealand - Wairoa - Nurses Home and Hospital, Rural setting, Hawkes Bay - Frank Duncan? Photographer - 1920 Period - Real Photo Post Card Format #500274 - Wairoa is a town and territorial authority district in New Zealand's North Island. The town is the northernmost in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of Mahia Peninsula. It is 118 kilometres northeast of Napier, and 92 kilometres southwest of Gisborne. Percentage-wise, it is often known for being New Zealand's most Maori town, with over 62.29% of the population identifying themselves as Maori. At the same time, it is also the largest town within the district of Wairoa. - The district has been known historically as 'Te Wairoa'. In keeping with the district's vision of being bilingual by 2040, the use of the phrase 'Te Wairoa' when referring to the district is steadily increasing. Wairoa itself is Māori for "long water", referring to the length of the tranquil river that runs throughout the town. - The Ruakituri River and the Mahia Peninsula are tourist destinations found in Te Wairoa. - Wairoa was originally a Māori settlement. The ancestral waka (canoe) Tākitimu travelled up the river and landed at Mākeakea, near where Tākitimu meeting house stands today. The Wairoa river (full name: Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Matangirau) was an important source of food as well as a transport route for the local iwi (people). - Early settlement in the area included a whaling station and trading post, dealing largely in flax. These establishments offered sufficient income and attraction. Its initial name was Clyde, but this was changed largely to avoid confusion with Clive near Napier and Clyde in the South Island. The north part of the town is called North Clyde. The town rose to prominence during the New Zealand Wars, during which time it was a garrison town. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wairoa)