Athenree

Athenree
Rural settlement
Athenree Homestead
Athenree Homestead
Map
Coordinates: 37°26′38″S 175°57′47″E / 37.444°S 175.963°E / -37.444; 175.963
CountryNew Zealand
RegionBay of Plenty
Territorial authorityWestern Bay of Plenty District
WardKatikati-Waihi Beach Ward
CommunityWaihi Beach Community
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityWestern Bay of Plenty District Council
 • Regional councilBay of Plenty Regional Council
Area
 • Total1.26 km2 (0.49 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2024)[2]
 • Total920
 • Density730/km2 (1,900/sq mi)

Athenree is a rural settlement coastal town in the Western Bay of Plenty District of New Zealand. It is on the northern side of Tauranga Harbour, and separated from Waihi Beach by the Waiau River on its north and east side.[3]

The area includes a holiday park with hot springs[4] and Athenree Wetland, which includes a walking track.[5]

The settlement was named for Athenry in Country Galway, Ireland by settlers arriving in 1878, including Captain Hugh Stewart (a brother of George Vesey Stewart) and his wife, Adela Blanche Stewart, who wrote a book about her experiences called My Simple Life in New Zealand.[6] The settlement was initially successful due to the 1878 opening of the Martha gold mine in Waihi, and later because of dairy farming.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ Harriss, Gavin (August 2022). Athenree, Bay of Plenty (Map). NZ Topomap.
  4. ^ "Hot Springs and Holiday Park Accommodation". Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Athenree Wetland". Western Bay of Plenty District Council. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  6. ^ Hughes, Beryl. "Adela Blanche Stewart". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  7. ^ Discover New Zealand - A Wises Guide (9th ed.). Wises Publications. 1994. p. 86.