The major Ngāi Tahu settlement in South Canterbury was Te Waiateruati, a pā between the coast and the Arowhenua bush. By the mid-1840s the pā was partly abandoned, and today nearby Arowhenua is the site of the marae. The first rugby match played in South Canterbury was between Timaru and Temuka and played at Arowhenua on 15 Oct 1867
Meaning of place name
Translated as 'Aro': face, front; 'whenua': land
