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Town on the north bank of the Waikato River, 9 km south-east of Pukekohe. Tūākau was originally a trading centre for passing waka, but after war broke out in 1863 it was occupied by British troops. They built the Alexandra Redoubt, which still stands, on a tall bluff above the river. After the confiscation of surrounding Māori land, Tūākau became a farming service centre.
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Meaning of place name
Tū: to stand; ākau: shore, river bank. The reference may be to the high bluff on which the Alexandra Redoubt was built during the Waikato War, which lends a commanding view down the river.
