Taumarere

Taumarere was at the head of navigable tidal water on the Kawakawa River and a natural landing place, so a township developed here. It would likely have become the main town in the area,[2] but after coal was discovered at Kawakawa in 1864, a new town developed there, becoming more important than Taumarere.[3]

On 2 March 1868 a bush tramway line opened between Kawakawa and Taumarere wharf at what is now known as Derrick Landing[4] to carry coal for export. It was built to the international 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge and motive power was provided by horses that hauled wagons along wooden rails. It was converted into a metal railway in 1870. In 1875, the government purchased the line and converted it to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge two years later. The line was extended to Opua in 1884 and called the Opua Branch. In 1925, it became part of the North Auckland Line.[5] This line has since become a part of the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, a tourist-oriented heritage railway.

Mary Tautari ran the Taumārere Native School in the locality from 1875 to 1906.[6]

St. Andrew's Church originally stood on the site of the Church Missionary Society's Paihia Mission Station.[7] In 1927 the building was transported by barge and bullock waggon to its present site.[8]

The statistical area of Matawaia-Taumarere surrounds but does not include the towns of Kawakawa and Moerewa. Matawaia-Taumarere covers 410.68 km² (158.56 sq mi)[9] and had an estimated population of 1,470 as of June 2023,[10] with a population density of 3.6 people per km².

Matawaia-Taumarere had a population of 1,374 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 228 people (19.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 150 people (12.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 441 households, comprising 714 males and 663 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age was 41.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 330 people (24.0%) aged under 15 years, 222 (16.2%) aged 15 to 29, 609 (44.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 213 (15.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 48.5% European/Pākehā, 65.1% Māori, 4.6% Pacific peoples, 1.3% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 45.2% had no religion, 40.2% were Christian, 4.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 117 (11.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 252 (24.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 78 people (7.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 471 (45.1%) people were employed full-time, 153 (14.7%) were part-time, and 66 (6.3%) were unemployed.[11]