Whitianga (pronounced "Fitianga") is the main settlement of Mercury Bay on the North Island of New Zealand. According to the Census of New Zealand 2001 the population was 3078, a small increase over the 1996 census. The town has undergone considerable growth since 2001 and this is expected to be reflected in the census figures from 2006.
Social
Since 2001 there has been an increased development of new commercial areas, as well as dwellings. Two distinct trends can be seen in the development of accommodation.
History
Maori History
Whitianga has been continuously occupied for more than a thousand years since Maori explorer Kupe’s tribe settled here after his visit in about 950 AD. Following this visit, many of Kupe's tribe settled here. Te Whitianga a Kupe is the original place name of the town, meaning Kupe's crossing place. There is still a passenger only ferry crossing from Whitianga to Ferry Landing, close to Cooks Beach. The alternative to the two minute ferry crossing is a 45 drive.
Captain Cook's visit - 1769
The people of Hei commemorated their leader in a few place names, one being the bay at the head of which he had settled, Te Whanganui A Hei, (the Great Bay of Hei). This large sheltered bay was later renamed by Captain James Cook when he came here in November 1769 to observe the transit of Mercury. Cook was accompanied by Charles Green, the Royal Society expedition astronomer who died on the homeward journey in 1771.
From Cook's journal - "my reasons for putting in here were the hopes of discerning a good harbour and the desire I had of being in some convenient place to observe the Transit of Mercury, which happens on the 9th instant and will be wholly visible here if the day is clear between 5 and 6 o'clock." Cook also named the Whitianga Harbour "River of Mangroves" and this area is still referred to as "The River".
The sighting of the Transit of Mercury is commemorated at Cooks Beach by a cairn of Coromandel granite which tells the story ; "In this bay was anchored 5 Nov 1769, HMS Endeavour, Lieutenant James Cook RN, Commander. He observed the transit of Mercury and named this bay."
European Settlement
The original European settlement was situated on the opposite side of the river from approximately 1836 to 1881.
Geography
Whitianga is located on the Eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula, 208 km from Auckland, 93 km from Thames, 42 km from Tairua. It is situated on the coast of Mercury Bay, the body of water stretching from the Mercury Islands in the north to approximately Tairua.
Industry
Historically Whitianga was a centre for boat building, kauri milling, flax milling, gold mining and gum digging. For many years, it was a leading timber port, with sailing ships from Norway, Sweden, France, Italy and Great Britain coming to load...
