Temuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch.

It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town.

Temuka is accessed by New Zealand's State Highway Number 1 and the Main South Line railway allowing for major cargo handling.

Temuka has recently had the redevelopment of the local Domain by incorporating a skate park to join the other facilities which include a swimming pool, mini golf, golf, netball, outdoor bowls and tennis.

Initial industries included a tannery works, a cheese factory, a flour mill and potteries.

[9] Temuka was described in 1903 as having two doctors, two chemists and one dentist in the town, which has a well kept park and domain, with a bicycle track, and tennis, cricket and football grounds.

At one time Temuka supported wool scouring plants, it had a flour mill and manufactured electric power transmission insulators.

Recently, the council has been redeveloping Temuka in the form of cleaning waterways, new walkways, redeveloping of existing walkways, new gardens, domains, new tennis courts, complete skate park and general modernisation of the large service town.

[11] It includes Te Hapa o Niu Tireni wharenui (meeting house).

[12] In October 2020, the Government committed $50,232 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae, creating 16 jobs.

[14] The Trinity Presbyterian church was damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquakes and was subsequently demolished.

[17] The Sunday school hall was built after 1915 and funded by the Guild family, of Temuka.

A public school for both primary and secondary students opened in 1866, and moved to the current site in the late 1870s.

[21] St. Joseph's School is a Catholic state-integrated full primary for years 1 to 8[22] with a roll of 126 students.

[26] The Temuka Rugby Club was established in 1875 with four players representing the All Blacks: Lachie Grant, Tom Coughlan, Archie Strang and Gus Spillane.

[32] The Temuka summer pool is open between mid November and late March each year.

Temuka houses NZI's corporate headquarters, South Island warehouse, and local factory.