[7] Kupa Kupa was the name used at the 1860s compensation hearings for the 9,280 acres (3,760 ha)[8] area north of Te Awa o te Atua[9] (River of God[10] - now Firewood Creek), and stretching to what is now Huntly,[11] as it included the former village of that name near Huntly.

[12] Te Akatea (translates to white rata, which was plentiful) village settlement of 22 settlers was formed in 1887,[13] spread along much of the route between Ngāruawāhia and Waingaro.

The name is still retained by a hamlet about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of what is now Glen Massey.

[16] The geology of Glen Massey accounts for its rise and fall as a former coal mining centre.

[23] Glen Massey's coal was known of by 1867, when it was suggested a tramway should be built down the Mangaohei valley.

[27] A start was made on a tramway in 1908,[28] soon described as a light railway[29] for the Co-operative Coal Co Ltd, set up by 3 farmers,[30] soon renamed Ngaruawahia Coal Co Ltd.[31] and merged into Waipa Railway and Collieries Ltd.[32] An adit into an 11 ft (3.4 m) seam had been started by 1911.

[34] The archaeology map shows no sites between Ngāruawāhia and Waingaro,[35] though many stone axe heads were found on nearby Te Akatea farm, which was largely bush until it was burnt after 1905.

[36] Therefore, it's likely the area was largely bush until the arrival of the first settlers, being used by the surrounding populations for food and clothing, including birds, bracken, karaka, hinau, nīkau, kahikatea, raupo, kiekie; flax, dyes from muds, bark, or berries and oils from seeds such as titoki.

These settlements extend from Firewood Creek to within 7 miles of the Hot Springs, and about the same distance from Ngāruawāhia.

They erected 12 timber houses, felled bush, sown grass, orchards, gardens, fenced, grew wheat.

[41] At its peak Glen Massey had a general store, butcher, post office (replacing Te Akatea in 1914),[42] hall, church and a fire station.

[45] A 1919 Board of Trade report described Glen Massey's poor housing, saying it, "is totally inadequate for the needs of the workers, and overcrowding exists.

[59] Electricity supply was investigated in 1925[60] and, in 1930, it was said a line to Wilton Collieries and the village, "would be undertaken as early as possible".

It is now growing slightly and becoming more prosperous, presumably as, like other parts of the Waikato Western Hills area (up from 1026 in 2006 to 1242 in 2013), it has more commuters to Hamilton.