Around 1650, young chief Taua-iwi, direct descendant of Hotunui, and friends were attacked while portaging their waka during a journey from Tamaki through Waiuku enroute to Hamilton.  The spot where Taua-iwi was slain was an old pit. The full name given to this place was Te Takanga-o-Taua-iwi meaning ‘the fall of Taua-iwi”. This has been abbreviated to Otaua.

Otaua School was originally established in 1895 and was a single room school for the farming families in the community.
The school house is now part of a collection of buildings owned by the Waiuku Museum. 

Below are some pictures of the school and community including the Church across the road from our current location and farmers with their milk outside the old dairy factory. Also a picture of the school visiting Hoods landing and taking a ferry across to Port Waikato.