The once flourishing gold-miners' settlement of Waihi (pop. 4,500) lies in the southern foothills of the Coromandel Range, near the Bay of Plenty. Gold was found here in 1878, and the gold mine on Martha Hill, which was worked until 1952, was the most productive in the whole of New Zealand. Its deepest shaft goes down 550m and there are no fewer
than 160km of galleries and tunnels. In 1912 there were serious clashes between the miners and the mine owners, one consequence of which was the foundation of the New Zealand Labor Party.
When the Martha Mine closed in 1952, because it was no longer economic to work, there were fears for the future of the town. Since then, however, Waihi has developed into the main commercial center of a wide area and some industry has been established in the town. In 1988 gold mining was resumed.
The town has twice suffered severe damage from landslides. In 1846 Chief Tuwharetoa Te Heuheu Tukino and many members of his tribe were killed when a landslide dammed the stream and an avalanche of mud engulfed the village.
The village has a very handsome Roman Catholic church, St Werenfried's (1889), with a beautiful Maori-style interior and fine stained glass depicting the Virgin and Christ in Maori dress. The meeting house (1959) contains older carved decoration. Notable also is the tomb of Chief Te Heuheu Tukino.
Near the village are the 90m high Waihi Falls.