Kamo is a small township north of Whangarei, approximately five minutes drive from the Whangarei CBD. The name is a Māori word meaning "eyelash", but has also been said to mean "to bubble up", referring to hot springs in the area. Mount Parakiore is a volcanic dome rising 391 m to the northwest of the town. It is about one million years old, and part of the Harbour Fault which also includes Mount Hikurangi near Hikurangi, and Parihaka in Whangarei.
Demographics
Kamo had a population of 9,855 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,254 people since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,379 people since the 2006 census. There were 3,402 households. There were 4,695 males and 5,166 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. Of the total population, 2,187 people were aged up to 15 years, 1,713 were 15 to 29, 3,864 were 30 to 64, and 2,097 were 65 or older. Figures may not add up to the total due to rounding. Ethnicities were 76.7% European/Pākehā, 30.7% Māori, 4.1% Pacific peoples, 6.5% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.6, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 49.1% had no religion, 38.1% were Christian, and 6.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,116 people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 1,683 people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,378 people were employed full-time, 930 were part-time, and 345 were unemployed.
History
Coal mining was an early industry in the area. Tunnelling first started in 1875, but it was not practical to carry the coal over the unmetalled roads to Whangarei wharf. In 1882 a short railway line was completed between Kamo and Whangarei to carry the coal. This was one of Northland's first railways. The railway still exists as part of the North Auckland Line. The mine closed in 1955, with the seams worked out. Limonite was also quarried at Kamo. A Wesleyan church was built in 1881, the AnglicanAll Saints Church in 1886, and a Presbyterian church in 1911. The first Roman Catholic church in the Whangarei area opened in Kamo about 1881. Kamo became a Town District in 1884, at which point it had a population of 410, slightly smaller than Whangarei. The town was known for its hot springs in the early 20th century, although several people died of suffocation in covered baths between 1901 and 1920. The iron-rich water was promoted as a health tonic. In the early 1960s the boundaries of Whangarei city expanded to include Kamo.
Education
is a secondary school with a roll of. The school was established in 1960. Kamo Intermediate is an intermediate school with a roll of. This school has a friendly rivalry with its two neighbouring schools, Whangarei Boys' High School and Whangarei Girls' High School. Kamo Primary School, Totara Grove School and Hurupaki School are contributing primary schools with rolls of, and respectively. All these schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of Totara Grove has a decile rating of 2. Hurupaki School has a decile of 8. The others all have a decile rating of 5. Kamo Primary School opened in July 1873 in a private house. It had grown to 64 students by the time it moved into Kamo Public Hall in 1877. and it moved to its own building in 1881. In 1946, it moved to its present site. The older students were split to Kamo Intermediate in 1964. Kamo East School opened in 1966, and was later renamed to Totara Grove School.
