Town 10 km south of Stratford. Although Pākehā settlers began occupying nearby rural land from the late 1870s, the town was only established in 1884. Local businessman Charles Wilkinson had a major impact on the town both economically and politically. In 1887 Chinese merchant Chew Chong established the Jubilee dairy factory – one of New Zealand’s first – alongside the Waingongoro Stream, and in 1916 the New Zealand Co-operative Rennet Company was founded in the township.
Meaning of place name
Eltham was named after a village in Greenwich, England.
