Te Puke /tɛˈpʊkɛ/ is a town located 18 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for the cultivation of Kiwifruit.^[3]

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Te Puke
The giant kiwifruit in Te Puke
Coordinates: 37°46′S 176°19′E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Bay of Plenty
Territorial authority	Western Bay of Plenty District
Ward	Maketu-Te Puke
Community	Te Puke Community
Settled	pre-European
Founded	1880
Electorates	Rotorua Waiariki (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Western Bay of Plenty District Council
• Regional council	Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Area [1]
• Total	13.39 km2 (5.17 sq mi)
Population  (June 2023)[2]
• Total	10,250
• Density	770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	3119
Area code	07
Website	tepukegoodnessgrowshere

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Te Puke is close to Tauranga and Maketu, which are both coastal towns/cities, as well as the small townships of Waitangi, Manoeka, Pongakawa, and Paengaroa. The Tauranga Eastern Link, completed in 2015, moved State Highway 2 away from Te Puke and removed large volumes of traffic from its streets.

The town's name comes from the Māori language, and should be pronounced "teh-pook-ee", not "te-pyook". It translates to the hill; it is on a hill near the Papamoa Hills.^[4]

Te Puke covers 13.39 km² (5.17 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 10,250 as of June 2023,^[2] with a population density of 765 people per km².

Te Puke had a population of 8,688 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,296 people (17.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,728 people (24.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,793 households, comprising 4,368 males and 4,326 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female, with 1,809 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 1,893 (21.8%) aged 15 to 29, 3,423 (39.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,569 (18.1%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 62.2% European/Pākehā, 26.5% Māori, 4.8% Pacific peoples, 19.4% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 24.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 42.2% had no religion, 30.9% were Christian, 3.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.6% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.9% were Buddhist and 13.0% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 783 (11.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,638 (23.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 570 people (8.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,363 (48.9%) people were employed full-time, 1,023 (14.9%) were part-time, and 276 (4.0%) were unemployed.^[5]

In July 1880, work commenced on the Tauranga to Te Puke Road, via Welcome Bay. It was constructed by the Armed Constabulary and local Māori who worked on their land. Before this, access to Te Puke was made across the Papamoa Hills from Ngapeke to Manoeka, following an ancient Māori trail. Peter Grant had been contracted by the Tauranga County Council to form this track into a bridle path in 1879.

Stores and passengers for the town could also come from Tauranga by boat, first to Maketu, then up the Kaituna River to Canaan Landing and then by Māori canoe up the Waiari Stream to the site of the present road bridge just to the south of the town.

By late 1881, Te Puke boasted 25 wooden buildings including two hotels, two general stores, a butcher, a post office and a smithy. The settlers quickly settled upon the land and by 1884 had established a butter factory. Draining of the swamps began and the area was found to be very suitable for crops, and maize and wheat were grown extensively. Later much of the farming land was found to be "bush sick" but was cured with the use of cobalt in the 1930s.

Flax milling had begun in the 1870s and became a major industry in the area until the early 1940s. Saw milling began in 1905 and is still a major industry in the area. In 1883 gold-bearing ore was discovered on the Papamoa Hills and during the 1920s a gold mine operated at Muir's farm on No 4 Road. With the building of the railway a large Public Works quarry operated in Te Puke and was a major employer. The freezing works at Rangiuru opened in 1968 and HortResearch opened on No 1 Road in 1971.

Disaster struck in the early hours of the 10 June 1886 with the eruption of Mount Tarawera. Te Puke residents were awoken with the noise and the many related earthquakes. Many had a good view of the eruption and paintings survive of their memories. Ash and mud showered over crops and pastures up to 12 inches deep in places. The sun was not seen until 1pm.

Stock faced starvation and many farmers were forced to let their animals free to fend for themselves. Some stock was shipped from the area but many died. The settlers became short of food and water themselves and help was gratefully received from Tauranga. Evidence of the Tarawera eruption can still be found in disturbed ground in the area today. (Te Puke was again covered in ash during the 1995 Mount Ruapehu eruption though not to the same scale.)

Te Puke town-ship began to grow and a mission/town hall was built in 1883. This was used for town meetings and as a church by three of the congregations. The first school, (Te Puke Primary) was opened in 1883. The Te Puke Times was first printed in 1912. The fire brigade and town boards were both formed in 1913.

A jockey club was formed in 1890, the brass band in 1903, the A. & P. Society in 1905, the rugby union in 1906, the bowling club in 1908, and the golf club in 1912. Planting of the trees down the centre of the main street, a major feature of the town today, began during 1914-1918 as a war memorial to the fallen. A nursing home was opened in Boucher Avenue in 1918 but any major cases were railed to Tauranga Hospital.

Agriculture is the backbone of the district's economy. The warm, moist climate and fertile soils are favourable for horticulture, with production of kiwifruit, avocados and citrus fruit such as lemons and oranges. The town markets itself as the "Kiwifruit capital of the world". Dairy cattle and other livestock are also farmed.

Today, Te Puke is a thriving town with a reasonably large main shopping street, Jellicoe Street, which is also the main road passing through Te Puke. There are a number of schools, religious organisations, cultural groups, and a variety of clubs in the town.

A large number of residents work picking or packing kiwifruit during April or May, as well as others coming from other nearby towns and cities. It can swell past 10,000 some seasons.^[4]

Te Puke High School is the town's co-educational state high school for Year 9 to 13 students,^[12][13] with a roll of 760 as of February 2024.^[14]

Te Puke has two state primary schools for Year 1 to 6 students: Fairhaven School,^[15][16] with a roll of 444,^[17] and Te Puke Primary School,^[18][19] with a roll of 303.^[20]

It has one state intermediate school for Year 7 to 8 students: Te Puke Intermediate,^[21] with a roll of 238.^[22]

Te Kura Kaupapa o Te Matai is a co-educational state Māori language immersion primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,^[23] with a roll of 37.^[24]