History of Hamilton l City l Living

The Hamilton settlement began when the vessel Rangiriri landed a group of settlers at Kirikiriroa on August 24, 1864. The smallest of three large Maori villages in the area, Kirikiriroa was first settled by the Ngatiwairere, a sub-tribe of Tainui, around 1700, on the western side of the river. At that time the river was the major means of communication and connection with other settled areas.

In the 1860s the land wars started along with raupatu (land confiscation), which resulted in subsequent European settlement. A military outpost developed in Hamilton East until the evolution of land transport and the development of agriculture. In 1867 a road was opened to Auckland and a regular coach service commenced, followed in 1877 by a rail service. The town gradually changed in character to a market and service centre, and became a major transport link for surrounding districts.

 In 1877 the Borough of Hamilton was formed through the amalgamation of the East and West Hamilton settlements. Hamilton was named by Colonel Moule, commanding officer of the 4th Waikato Regiment, in honour of Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton, commander of HMS Esk, who was killed while leading a naval brigade at the Battle of Gate Pa near Tauranga in 1864. First mayor of the fledgling city was Isaac R. Vialou, an architect and businessman. He held office until February 1878. Growth continued and Hamilton achieved city status in 1945 with 22,000 residents. The city continued to grow in size and by 2001 had a population of around 117,000. Hamilton is now the main city of the Waikato province, with three large tertiary institutions, a large commercial centre, a large hospital, and an international airport.

Hamilton, heart of the Waikato Province, is the centre of one of the richest agricultural and pastoral areas in the world, and is the largest inland city in New Zealand. As a major commercial and industrial centre with a population of around 117,000, Hamilton can draw on 1.6 million people from within a radius of 150 kilometres.

 The Waikato Province had a population of 357,726 in 1996 (Statistics New Zealand). More than 80% of Hamiltonians are of European descent and 11% are Maori. The rest of the population is a diverse mix of many races. Hamilton is a major centre of tertiary education, so it has a large transient population, including students from all around the world.

The city is strategically located on four major highways, and has the biggest railway junction in New Zealand, serving the country's two busiest railway lines: the North Island Main Trunk Line and the East Coast Main Trunk Line. The city's export markets are serviced by two large ports at Auckland and Tauranga. Hamilton is serviced by daily flights into and out of Hamilton International Airport, as well as daily bus and rail services. Hamilton is also within 90 minutes drive of Auckland International Airport, the largest international airport in the country. New Zealand’s dairy industry is centred in Hamilton, which has strong technology-based research and development capability. Research facilities are located in and around the city, including Landcare Research, AgResearch, and Dairy Research Corporation. The city is also home to the University of Waikato and Waikato Institude of Technology(Wintec).

The wealth of the Waikato comes from its primary produce. However, Hamilton also places emphasis on manufacturing, ensuring that new companies can maintain equipment, purchase supplies and receive expert advice and assistance of the highest standard. A major drawcard for visitors is the Fieldays held at Mystery Creek, a national agricultural trade show, held at Hamilton every year. This is a world-class agricultural exhibition, the largest of its type in the southern hemisphere.

Hamilton is a great place to live and to study. It has a temperate climate with daytime temperature ranging from 20° - 25° celsius in the summer, to 10° - 15° celsius in the winter. Extremes can reach 30° in the summer, and 0° in the winter. It does not snow in Hamilton during the winter. However, the Waikato River makes winter mornings quite foggy. On clear winter mornings there can be frost on the ground, so it pays to dress warmly.

 Worldwide, the least costly westernized cities are found in New Zealand and Australia. The cost of living in Hamilton is average in comparison to cities across New Zealand.

New Zealand’s two official languages are English and Maori. About 50,000 Maori New Zealanders speak Maori as their first language, though all of these also speak English, which is the main New Zealand language in daily usage.