McLaren Falls (Place)

SummaryMcLaren Falls is a waterfall, hydro-electric site and recreation area on the Wairoa River at Ōmanawa, southwest of Tauranga. It lies within the ancestral landscape of Ngāti Ranginui, including Ngāti Hangarau in the Ōmanawa area and the Wairoa hapū Ngāti Kāhu, Ngāti Pango and Ngāti Rangi along the Wairoa River, with Pirirākau also holding interests in the wider Kaimāī catchment.

Development of the McLaren Falls Power Scheme between 1923 and 1925 created Lake McLaren and established the second hydro-electric power station serving Tauranga. The site later became part of the Wairoa River hydro-electric scheme and, from the 1960s, was developed as McLaren Falls Park through land acquisition by Tauranga City Council and tree planting by the Bay of Plenty Tree Society. Today the area includes the historic powerhouse, Lake McLaren, arboretum, native bush, walking tracks and recreational facilities.SourcesTauranga City Council, "History of McLaren Falls ParkTauranga City Council, “McLaren Falls Park” brochurePowerhouse Museum, Gallery and Cafe: McLaren Falls, Tauranga (1990)Tauranga City Council, Tauranga Reserves Management Plan, Part C: Reserve Specific Information.Bill Kennedy, “McLaren Falls Park,”Journal of the Tauranga Historical Society, no. 64, p. 31Tauranga City Council, Te Rere o Ōmanawa - Ōmanawa FallsWaitangi Tribunal, Bibliography of Research Reports, 1975–2016, Part 3.Manawa Energy, Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme Re-consenting: Fast-track referral application, 1 May 2024David de la Hyde: Kaimai Hydro Development Scheme

Captioned: Group taken at McLaren Falls site (1924).
Te Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries Photo 99-911

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Kaitiakitanga StatementWe ask that, in addition to normal copyright and privacy considerations, users of our heritage resources uphold the mana and dignity of the people, communities and places depicted within.CopyrightTe Ao Mārama - Tauranga City LibrariesLicenseCC BY 4.0AcknowledgementTe Ao Mārama - Tauranga City Libraries, McLaren Falls (Place)

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McLaren Falls (Place)