About Us

The Bay of Plenty Times is the 6th largest read daily publication with 5 years in a row of circulation growth. In 2001 and 2003 it won the Qantas Media Award for Best Daily Newspaper up to 25,000. Each month over 22,000 advertisements are published

The Bay of Plenty Times is an intrinsic part of the Bay of Plenty experience. The region's most successful daily newspaper, covering all aspects of news from local, national and international events to a full round up of sporting results and a wide range of reader interests.

The Bay of Plenty Times celebrated 130 years of publishing in September 2002. It employs 164 full time, and 296 part time employees, and is one of the top 5 employers in the region. The first issue of the Bay of Plenty Times was printed on Wednesday September 4, 1872 and was a four page tabloid newspaper published twice a week.

The paper had fluctuating fortunes for several years but since 1950, the most dramatic change has seen new technology speed up the paper's production and improve the quality. The paper was printed on a series of flat-bed presses until 1955 when the first rotary press was installed. The offset press and first computer were introduced in 1976.

Today, all news and advertising copy are set on computers, and the newspaper is printed by the Printcorp division of APN New Zealand Limited on a Goss Community offset press.

Bay of Plenty Publishing publishes approximately 200,000 editions every week - including the Bay of Plenty Times (daily), Bay News (weekly), Katikati Advertiser (weekly), Coastal News (Weekly), Waihi Leader (Weekly), Te Puke Times (weekly), TV Times (weekly), and Country News (monthly). We publish almost 250 broadsheet pages and print over 5000 advertisements every week covering all publications.

In a typical week over 84% aged 15+ of all people in the Western Bay of Plenty will read at least one of our publications.

There are four branch offices - situated at Katikati, Te Puke and Waihi and Whangamata

History

Maori discovered the Bay of Plenty around 1350, at the end of their epic voyage across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaiiki. This was the first region in New Zealand where the Maori made their home. More than 400 years went by before Bay of Plenty was to be given its name. The main responsible was Captain James Cook during his circumnavigation of New Zealand in 1769.

European settlement began in 1834 when a mission house was built at a place the Maori called Tauranga (meaning sheltered anchorage). With its natural harbour, it was the logical location for pioneer settlers to disembark from ships and start making their way inland to begin their new life. Early European dispersion was slowed by land wars with the Maori in 1860s. Military bases were established and when the conflicts ended they developed into towns to service the growing numbers of settlers many of whom were ex soldiers. Great areas of majestic forests were burned and cleared to create pastoral farms. Maori started to move from their traditional village settlements to be nearer towns.

Today, visual evidence of early Maori settlement and habitation is mostly confined to the hilltops and peninsulas around the harbour and throughout the surrounding areas. These sites stand as guards over a modern landscape and remind us all of a dynamic past.