The township of Temuka is situated on State Highway 1, 19 kilometres north of Timaru, with a population of 3,981 people. It functions as a service town for the surrounding rural area. Its main industry is the manufacture of ceramic wares from local clays.

Temuka has a reputation for fine fishing rivers. The main attractions are the magnificent quinnat salmon, trout and at the river mouths, whitebait.

The first European settlers arrived in 1853 to take up farming on the rich and fertile land. The area has built a reputation for dairy farming - the first butter factory opened in 1883. Today the cheese factory manufactures a large range of cheeses for home and abroad.

Arowhenua, just south of the Temuka township, has long been the home of the Ngai Tahu Maori tribe whose descendants form the last remaining Maori community in the district. Their marae has been the traditional meeting place for centuries, dating back to an old fortified Pa at Milford near the coast. The community is still very active and the people of Ngai Tahu host groups from all walks of life. The area is used for many ceremonial occasions.

A few kilometres west of Temuka is a monument to Richard Pearse, local farmer and pioneer aviator. Doubt remains over whether the shy young farmer achieved powered flight just before or after the Wright brothers in the first years of last century. But the fact that he did so without any of the technological or financial backing the Wrights enjoyed has made his feat all the more remarkable. Only a few excited neighbours watched in 1903 or 1904 as Pearse taxied his home built machine into position, opened the throttle, lifted off, and flew a short distance before landing on a gorse hedge.

His first aircraft was built on his farm using scrap metal and hand made tools. It had a steerable tricycle undercarriage, variable pitch airscrew, and a power to weight ratio better than any aircraft designed for years afterwards by planemakers with far greater resources.

Richard Pearse died a recluse in 1953, his genius unrecognised at this time.

In March 2003 centenary celebrations were held to acknowledge the "Centenary of Flight"