Hamilton Kirikiriroa (Māori) |
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— Metropolitan Area — | |
Hamilton City / Lake Rotoroa / Waikato River | |
Nickname(s): Hamiltron, The Tron,[1] H-Town,[1] Cowtown[1] | |
Hamilton
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Coordinates: | |
Country | New Zealand |
Island | North Island |
Region | Waikato Region |
Territorial authority | Hamilton City |
Government | |
- Mayor | Bob Simcock |
Area | |
- Territorial | 98 km2 (37.8 sq mi) |
Population (June 2010 estimate)[2] | |
- Territorial | 143,000 |
- Density | 1,459.2/km2 (3,779.3/sq mi) |
- Urban | 203,400 |
- Demonym | Hamiltonian |
Time zone | NZST (UTC+12) |
- Summer (DST) | NZDT (UTC+13) |
Area code(s) | 07 |
Local iwi | Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa, Tainui |
Website | http://www.hamilton.co.nz http://www.ew.govt.nz |
Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately 130 km (80 mi) south of Auckland. It sits at a major road and rail nexus in the centre of the Waikato basin, on both banks of the Waikato River.
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The area now covered by the city was originally the site of a handful of Māori villages (Kaianga), including Pukete, Miropiko and Kirikiriroa ("long stretch of gravel'), from which the city takes its Māori name. Local Māori were the target of raids by Ngapuhi during the Musket Wars,[3] and several pā sites from this period can still be found beside the Waikato River. By the time British settlers arrived after 1863, most of these villages had been abandoned. Missionaries arrived in the area in the 1830s.[4] At the end of the Waikato Campaign in the New Zealand Wars the four regiments of the Waikato Militia were settled as a peace-keeping force across the region.[4] The 1st Regiment was at Tauranga, the 2nd at Pirongia, the 3rd at Cambridge and the 4th at Kirikiriroa.[4][5] The settlement was founded on 24 August, 1864 and named by Colonel William Moule after Captain John Hamilton[6], the popular Scottish commander of HMS Esk, who was killed in the battle of Gate Pa, Tauranga.
The road from Auckland reached Hamilton in 1867 and the railway in December 1877. That same month, the towns of Hamilton West and Hamilton East merged under a single borough council. [7] The first traffic bridge between Hamilton West and Hamilton East, known as the Union Bridge, opened in 1879. It was replaced by the Victoria Bridge in 1910. The first railway bridge, the Claudelands Bridge, was opened in 1884. It was converted to a road traffic bridge in 1965.[8] Hamilton reached 1,000 people in 1900, and the town of Frankton merged with the Hamilton Borough in 1917.[9]Between 1912 and 1936, Hamilton expanded with new land in Claudelands (1912), Maeroa (1925), and Richmond - modern day Waikato Hospital and northern Melville (1936).[10] Hamilton was proclaimed a city in 1945.[4]
The city is near the southernmost navigable reach (by the settlers steam boats) of the Waikato River, amidst New Zealand's richest and now fertile agricultural land that was once largely Raupo and Kahikatea swamp[11] Initially an agricultural service centre, it now has a growing and diverse economy.
Community archives and historic photograph collections are maintained and are available at Hamilton City Libraries.
The centre of the city, on the Waikato River, is a bustling retail precinct. The entertainment area is quite vibrant due to the large student population. The 2008 Lonely planet guide states that "the city's main street has sprouted a sophisticated and vibrant stretch of bars and eateries that on the weekend at least leave Auckland's Viaduct Harbour for dead in the boozy fun stakes."[12] Many of the city's venues and attractions are located on the old Town Belt, including Hamilton Gardens, Waikato Stadium, Seddon Park, Founders Theatre and the Hamilton Lake Domain.
As of 2010, the city continues to grow rapidly. Development is focused on the northern end of the city. Traffic congestion is increasing due to population growth, though the council has undertaken many road development projects to try and keep up with the rapid growth.[13]. State Highway 1 runs directly through the city, which contributes to congestion. A bypass is planned, but Transit New Zealand, the national road funding agency, has repeatedly delayed this project. In August 2009, $1 billion was allocated to fast track the Waikato Expressway from Auckland to Cambridge which includes design work on the Hamilton bypass.
The rapid growth of Hamilton has brought with it the side effects of urban sprawl especially to the north east of the city in the Rototuna area. Further development is planned in the Rototuna and Peacockes suburbs.[14] The area around the city has seen the recent development of lifestyle blocks, in particular the Tamahere Ward of the Waikato Region.[15]
An affectionate nickname is "Hamiltron: City of the Future".
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Hamilton has a temperate, damp climate, with about 1,184 mm (46.6 in) of rainfall annually. B. J. Garnier said it had the worst human climate in NZ, but conceded that the reliable rainfall of 850mm minimum (1949) and 2000mmm maximum (1956), was ideal for dairy farming. Thick fog is common on winter mornings, and often lasts until late morning. Daily maximum temperatures range from about 22° to 26 °C (72°–79 °F) in January and February to 10° to 15 °C (50°–59 °F) in July and August. Summer occasionally sees temperatures of more than 30 °C (86 °F), while on clear winter mornings temperatures may drop to as low as −5 °C (23 °F). Ground frosts are common but snow however is practically unknown.Typically summers are warm and dry and winters cool and wet.Average sunshine hours are 2150 hours PA ,which is very high by UK standards(highest in SE England -1600hours PA).Being an inland area ,wind strength is much lower than in Wellington or Auckland.
With the exceptions of low hills around the University of Waikato, Hamilton Lake and to the west of the city, and an extensive network of gullies, the terrain of the city is relatively flat. The 64 hectare lake is formed in the crater of an ancient volcano. The formation of the crater saw the erupted material deposited in a Tuff Ring forming low hills around three sides of the lake. Water drains into the lake from streams that drain the extensive peatland to the West and also from direct rainfall. Subsequently the crater was infilled with deposits of sediment when the ancient Waikato River flowed through the area about 15,000 years ago. The lake averages 2.4 m deep but is 6 m at the deepest point. Water seeps out of the lake through an underground fissure to the North, which drains into the headwaters of Maeroa Gully. The present channel of the Waikato River is relatively new in Geological terms. Its former path was north through the Hinuera Valley and out to the sea at Thames. The soils of the Waikato were largely formed from volcanic material eroded from the Volcanic Plateau at the end of the last ice age. The melting ice sent vast volumes of outwash material north to the Waikato.
In its natural state Hamilton and environs was very swampy in winter. Early photos of Hamilton East show carts buried up to their axles in thick mud. The site had numerous small lakes which have now been drained. Up until the 1880s it was possible to row and drag a dinghy from the city to many outlying farms to the North east. This swampy, damp environment was ideal breeding ground for the TB bacillus which was a major health hazard in the pioneering days. The first Hamilton hospital was constructed on a hill to avoid this problem.
In the 1930s Garden Place Hill, which ran from the present Wintec site eastwards to the old post office (now casino), was removed by unemployed workers working with picks and shovels and a model T Ford trucks. The Western remains of the hill are retained by a large concrete wall. The earth was taken 4km north to partly fill the Maeroa gully adjacent to the Baptist Church on the main road.
Hamilton is on the same latitude as Melbourne, Australia, and is one of the few cities in the world that has a near-exact antipodal city – Córdoba, Spain.
Hamilton is growing annually, with populations of 203,400 for the urban area and 143,000 for the territorial authority (June 2010 estimates).[2]
According to official census figures,[16] Hamilton's population is 65.3% Pākehā/European, 19.9% Māori, 10.6% Asian, 4.2% Pacific Peoples and 1.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.The main area of population growth is in the North East Flagstaff-Rototuna area.Growth to the south is limited by the proximity of Hamilton Airport.With its large tertairy student population at Wintec and Waikato University Hamilton has a significant transient population.Hamilton is the third fastest growing population centre after Auckland and Tauranga.
Hamilton is located in the administrative areas of the Hamilton City Council. The Council administers the seventh most populous territorial authority in the country. The council consists of thirteen councillors and a mayor (currently Bob Simcock), and last faced election in 2007. Council elections are held every three years. In July 2007, former mayor Michael Redman became the CEO of the Council.
The council has six standing committees: City Development, Community and Leisure, Statutory Management, Transport, Finance and Audit, and Stadiums Management. There are also five sub-committees.
Hamilton City is itself part of the Waikato Region, controlled administratively by Environment Waikato.
Hamilton has three electorate MPs in the New Zealand Parliament. The electorates are currently represented by:
General electorates:
Māori electorate:
Education and research are important to the city, through the University of Waikato, and the Wintec. Research at the Ruakura center has been responsible for much of New Zealand's innovation in agriculture. Hamilton's main revenue source however is from the Dairy industry situated as it is in the centre of New Zealand's largest dairying area (the Waikato).
Hamilton annually hosts the National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek, the southern hemisphere's biggest agricultural trade exhibition. Mystery Creek is the country's largest event center and hosts other events of national importance, such as the National Car Show and the National Boat Show.
Manufacturing and retail are also important to the local economy, as is the provision of health services through the Waikato Base Hospital. The city is home to New Zealand's largest aircraft manufacturer, Pacific Aerospace who manufactured their 1,000th aircraft in August 2009, and Max Clear Aviation who manufacture and export high quality micro light aircraft.It also has its largest concentration of trailer-boat manufacturers such as Buccaneer.
Recent years have seen the firm establishment of the New Zealand base of the British flight training organisation CTC Aviation. CTC trains over 100 airline pilots a year at its "Crew Training Centre" at Hamilton Airport.
Tainui Group Holdings Ltd the commercial arm of the Waikato tribe, is one of Hamilton's largest property developer's and investor's. The Waikato tribe is one of the city's largest landowners, they own the land at The Base, Centre Place, The Warehouse Central, University of Waikato, Wintec, the Courthouse,Fairfield College and the Ruakura AgResearch center.[20] The Waikato tribe are a major shareholder of the Novotel Tainui and the Hotel Ibis Tainui and are the tangata whenua(local Maori people) of Hamilton.They have developed the large retail centre "the Base"in the old Te Rapa airforce base site which was gifted to Tainui as part of the treaty settlement.In mid 2010 The Base was further expanded with Te Awa Mall complex stage 1.Stage 2 is under construction.Many large retailers such as Farmers have located at Te Awa.The city council attempted to bring in legislation(varation 21)which would prevent the relatively uncontrolled development of retail outlets on the city fringe.They are concerned at the decay of the CBD retail core.The Waikato Times reports that foot traffic has dropped in the CBD by 35% since 1999.There have been ongoing concerns at the high cost of rental and parking in the CBD compared to the 2 mall complexes in the suburbs.<Waikato Times Aug 2010>
In 2004, Hamilton City Council honored former resident Richard O'Brien with a life-size bronze statue of him as Riff Raff in his space suit, from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The statue was designed by WETA Workshops, who had done the props for the Lord of the Rings films. It stands on the former site of the Embassy Cinema, where Richard watched science fiction-double features.[21]
Several Maori Pa have been part restored at Pukete,Hikuwai and Miro piko along the banks of the Waikato river.All have information boards explaining their history.
The city is host to a large number of small galleries and the Waikato Museum. The latter includes Te Winika, one of the best-preserved waka (Māori war canoe) from the pre-colonisation era.
The local rugby union teams are Waikato (ITM Cup) and the Chiefs (Super 14, to become Super 15 in 2011). The local colours are red, yellow and black, and the provincial mascot is Mooloo, an anthropomorphic cow. Both teams play at Waikato Stadium. Hamilton is also home to a soccer club, Waikato FC, that competes in the New Zealand Football Championship and used to play at Waikato Stadium, but now, because of financial constraints, play at Centennial Park in Ngaruawahia.
Seddon Park (formerly Westpac Park) is Hamilton's main cricket venue and hosts Test matches and One Day Internationals. It is the home ground of the Northern Districts Cricket Association.
Hamilton is fast becoming a motorsport venue as well. A round of the WRC was held in 2006 and the annual V8 Supercars race on a street circuit started in 2008.
Sailing takes place on Hamilton lake for 9 months of the year.The Hamilton yacht club has its clubrooms, slipway and ramp on the western side of the lake.Motor boats, apart from the yacht club rescue boats, are not allowed on the lake.
Each year in April, Hamilton supports the '5 Bridges' swimming challenge. The course starts in Hamilton Gardens, and continues for 6 kilometres finishing at Ann St Beach. The swim is assisted by the current, with the full distance typically covered in under an hour. The event celebrated in 71st year on 11th April 2010.
Hamilton's only public hospital is Waikato Hospital with 600 beds and a staff of approximately 2,500 located between Melville and Hamilton West.[23] There are two other major private hospitals in Hamilton City - Braemar Hospital, located in the same area that Waikato Hospital is located, Southern Cross Hospital, located in Hamilton East. A new Cancer hospital is due to open in November 2010, on the previous Braemar Hospital campus. Hamilton also has a private primary maternity hospital, which is fully funded by the Waikato DHB. [24]
Hamilton Gardens is the region's most popular tourist attraction and hosts the Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival each year.
Other local attractions include Hamilton Zoo, the Waikato Museum, the Hamilton Astronomical Society Observatory, the Arts Post art gallery, and the SkyCity casino. Just 20 minutes' drive away is Ngaruawahia, the location of Turangawaewae Marae and the home of Māori King Tuheitia Paki.
Hamilton has 6 public libraries located throughout the city with the Central Library housing the main reference and heritage collection.
Hamilton City Theaters provides professional venue and event management at three theatrical venues in the city: Founders Theater, Clarence St Theater, and The Meteor theater.
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Temple View, Hamilton. It was opened along with the Church College of New Zealand, a large high school owned by the church, in the late 1950s. Both the college and the temple were built by labour missionaries. The school was closed in December 2009. Every year, the temple hosts a large Christmas lighting show which attracts large crowds from all over the country.
Hamilton host a number of annual events that are centered around the Waikato River which flows through the city, These events include The Great Race (rowing), and The Bridge To Bridge Ski Race.
Hamilton International Airport serves as both a domestic and international airport. There are direct flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and regular flights to other destinations throughout the North Island. The airport also served as a major base for now defunct low-cost airlines Freedom Air and Kiwi Air. As of 1 September 2009, Pacific Blue now offers three international flights a week, to and from Brisbane Airport and Sydney Airport.[25]
Hamilton has extensive cycleways which link the city center with the outlying suburbs. These cycleways consist of a mixture of dedicated cycle lanes and mixed use cycle/walk ways.[26]
Private cars are the transport medium of choice in this flat, spread-out city.
An extensive bus network provides coverage of Hamilton City. Many routes extend radially from the central business district, while two ring routes encompass the central business district and the outer suburbs. While buses have been gaining in popularity in recent years, the relative lack of congestion compared to other cities, ample availability of parking and inconvenient bus schedules have been limited uptake. Recent additions to the bus system include audio-posts at bus-stops to provide arrival times, and improved weather shelters.
New Zealand's main road artery State Highway 1 runs through several of Hamilton's suburbs and connects with State Highway 3 within the city boundaries.
The main geographical barrier in the city is the Waikato River.Before the first bridge people and stock crossed the river in a wooden box attached to 2 pontoons which was guided by a cable .Photos at the Waikato museum show this punt was located near the present Traffic Bridge (Bridge St bridge).The first bridge ,the Union Bridge was a wooden structure built in 1879 made from Kahikatea. It was a toll bridge. It was built immediately to the south of the traffic bridge. The stumps of its piles are still visible on the east side. <Waikato museum display Sept 2009>
The six road bridges that now cross the river[27] are often the focus of morning and evening traffic delays. The six road bridges within the city are (from north to south):
In addition to the road bridges within the city, the Horotiu bridge is located approximately 10km north of the city centre and the Narrows Bridge approximately 10km to the south.
The river is also crossed by a rail bridge and a pedestrian bridge:
Hamilton is the railway junction of the East Coast Main Trunk line with the North Island Main Trunk line. Rail passengers are served by a large station located at Frankton Junction, but rail passenger services are currently (2009) limited to The Overlander, a (mostly) daily service which operates between Auckland and Wellington, and is aimed primarily at tourists.
Hamilton also has an underground station in the central city located in a tunnel which runs from the Claudelands Rail Bridge through to Ward Park. The station is currently disused and is only accessible from the tunnel entrance. Up until the 1960's the railway cut across Victoria Street, the main road,disrupting traffic and covering property with oily smoke and fumes.[28]
Hamilton's rail network serves as a major hub for the distribution of dairy products to the ports of Auckland and Tauranga. This hub is located at Crawford St.
Hamilton is home to more than 25,000 tertiary students, mostly enrolled in one of the city's three main tertiary institutes, the University of Waikato, Waikato Institute of Technology and Te Wananga o Aotearoa.The campus of the university reflect the nature of Hamilton-the land previously being a dairy farm.The swampy paddocks have been drained and several small lakes created.Large areas that have been landscaped and planted with native trees and walkways to create a park like environment.The university has extensive sports grounds on site to help create a relaxed semi rural feel. As well as state and private primary, intermediate and high schools, it also notably includes a number of Kura Kaupapa Māori primary schools offering education in the Māori language.The new secondary school proposed for Rototuna(eel lake)in the booming north east of Hamilton has been delayed for several years.The government has announced it is exploring a joint construction and operation with private enterprise whereby the school would be built and managed by a private firm.The area is currently served by Fairfield College State school ,St Pauls Collegiate , Diocesan School for Girls and Hamilton Christian School.Fairfield College has the largest school grounds in NZ but its roll is now less than in 1975 due to ongoing concerns about principal Julie Small,regular reports of pupil violence,2 reports of teachers having affairs with students,serious financial concerns ,declining NCEA pass rates and NCEA fraud. The Board of Trustees resigned and the school currently has a commissioner but an ERO report in 2010 reported some dissatisfaction with his performance.St Pauls has opened its roll to girls,with yr11 girls starting in 2010.The government has bought the land for the new Rototuna school which will be part of a new NE development including a local shopping complex in the vicinity of Hamilton Christian School and Te Totara Primary<Waikato Times 2010.FFC ERO report 2010> . A complete list of schools in Hamilton city can be found here.Waikato University Law School which has been housed in temporary buildings for the last 20 years is planning to build a new facility.The old buildings will be demolished and a green space provided.
Hamilton has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
Garnier BJ; The Climate of New Zealand
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