Hamilton New Zealand

Hamilton ( Kirikiriroa in Maori) 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 miles) 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 .

History

The area now covered by the city was originally the site of a handful of Maori villages, including Kirikiriroa ("long stretch of gravel'), from which the city takes its Maori name. By the time British settlers arrived, most of these villages, which sat beside the Waikato River, were abandoned. Missionaries arrived in the area in the 1830s. 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. The 1st Regiment was at Tauranga, the 2nd at Pirongia, the 3rd at Cambridge and the 4th at Hamilton.The settlement founded on 24 August, 1864 and named after Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton , 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 the same month Hamilton became a borough. Hamilton was proclaimed a city in 1945.

The city is near the southernmost navigable reach of the Waikato River , amidst New Zealand 's richest and most fertile agricultural land. 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.

Hamilton today

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." Hamilton has the second-largest collection of cafés in the country-second only to Ponsonby Road in Auckland . However, Hamilton still struggles with the arguably undeserved nickname of 'Cowtown' due to its origins as a rural service centre. A more common nickname is "Hamiltron: the city the future".

As of 2007, 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 road development and planning has kept up with the rapid growth in most places, 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 to the dismay of Hamilton residents

The rapid growth of Hamilton has brought with it the side effects of urban sprawl. This type of growth is likely to continue consuming Waikato 's profitable farmland as Hamilton City does not have a natural or legislated growth boundary.

The area around the city has seen some recent development into lifestyle blocks.

Culture

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.

Museums and theatre

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 (Maori war canoe) from the pre-colonisation era.

Annual Events

• January: Parachute music festival
• February: Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival
• April: Hamilton 400, V8 Supercars street race
• April: Balloons over Waikato hot air ballooning festival
• June: National Agricultural Fieldays
• August World Rally Championship
• September: Hamilton Underground Film Festival
• November: The Great Race (rowing)

Sport

Waikato Stadium, Lions vs. NZ Maori, 2005

The local rugby union teams are Waikato (Air New Zealand Cup) and the Chiefs (Super 14). 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. The WRC was held in Hamilton in 2006 and the V8 Supercars will race on a temporary street circuit from 2008 onwards.

Hospitals

Hamilton 's main hospital is Waikato Hospital with 600 beds and a staff of approximately 2,500. There are two other major private hospitals in Hamilton City - Braemar Hospital , located currently in the Lake Area but soon moving to Hospital Area and Southern Cross Hospital, located in Hamilton East.

City facilities and attractions

Hamilton Gardens , Italian Renaissance Garden

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 Arts Post art gallery, and the SkyCity casino. Just 20 minutes' drive away is Ngaruawahia, the location of Turangawaewae Marae and the home of Maori King Tuheitia Paki.

Hamilton has 6 public libraries located throughout the city with the Central Library housing the main reference & 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. 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.

Transport

Air

Hamilton International Airport serves as both a domestic and international airport. There are direct flights to Wellington and Christchurch and regular flights to other destinations throughout the North Island . International flights are largely restricted to trans-Tasman destinations.

Cycling

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.

Road

Private cars are the transport medium of choice in this flat, spread-out city.

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 holding up progress [ citation needed ] . Recent additions to the bus system include audio-posts at bus-stops to provide arrival times, and improved weather shelters. A new service called "The Orbiter" provides a circuit round major centers in the city outskirts.

New Zealand 's main road artery State Highway 1 runs through Hamilton 's western suburbs and connects with State Highway 3 within the city boundaries.

Bridges

The main geographical barrier in the city is the Waikato River . The six road bridges that cross the river are often the focus of morning and evening traffic delays. The six road bridges are:

• Pukete Bridge
• Fairfield Bridge
• Whitiora Bridge
• Claudelands Bridge
• Victoria Bridge
• Cobham Bridge

The river is also crossed by a rail bridge and a pedestrian bridge:

• Claudelands Rail Bridge
• Flagstaff Pedestrian Bridge

Rail

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. Rail passenger services are confined to The Overlander service which operates between Auckland and Wellington .

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.

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 .

Education

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. As well as state and private primary, intermediate and high schools, it also notably includes a number of Kura Kaupapa Maori primary schools offering education in the Maori language. A complete list of schools in Hamilton city can be found here.