68-496: The Ngaruroro River is located in the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It runs for a total of 164 kilometres southeast from the Kaweka Range , Kaimanawa Range and Ruahine Range and then east before emptying into Hawke Bay roughly halfway between the cities of Napier and Hastings , near the town of Clive (drainage area 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi) above Tutaekuri River confluence). About 40% of
136-502: A bachelor's or higher degree, 66,924 (48.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 32,769 (23.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 42,200, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 13,599 people (9.8%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 72,741 (52.6%) people were employed full-time, 16,971 (12.3%) were part-time, and 5,346 (3.9%) were unemployed. The main area of population growth
204-475: A city in 1945. In the latter 19th century, the areas of Te Rapa and Pukete were important sites for the kauri gum trade of the late 19th/early 20th centuries, being some of the southern-most locations where gum could be found. Beale Cottage is an 1872 listed building in Hamilton East. From 1985 MV Waipa Delta provided excursions along the river through the town centre. In 2009 Waipa Delta
272-605: A hospital at Kirikiriroa. Hamilton was settled by the 4th Waikato Regiment Militia, led by Captain William Steele. The 1st Regiment was at Tauranga , the 2nd at Pirongia , the 3rd at Cambridge and the 4th at Kirikiriroa. The first military settlers arrived on the Rangiriri on 24 August 1864. Members of Ngāti Wairere assembled on the banks of the river as the Rangiriri arrived and threw peaches at her. One of
340-782: A large area of the Heretaunga Plains. The settlements of Omahu , Waiohiki and Pakowhai were severely affected with dozens of homes being destroyed. Large areas of orchards and vineyards were ruined and homes in Taradale were evacuated. Bridges 216 and 217 (Waitangi Washout) on the Palmerston North–Gisborne railway line and Waitangi Park Bridge on SH51 were damaged. North Island The North Island ( Māori : Te Ika-a-Māui [tɛ i.kɐ ɐ mɑː.ʉ.i] , lit. 'the fish of Māui', officially North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui or historically New Ulster )
408-511: A major flood. In 1969, the bottom four kilometres (2.5 mi) of river was diverted more directly to the coast (near Pakowhai Road) in an effort to reduce flooding. The river is now contained within flood banks in these lower reaches from Fernhill, Hawke's Bay to the mouth of the river. The Karamu and Clive remain as rivers, but drain a smaller catchment. The river breached its flood banks during Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, inundating
476-546: A major junction with State Highway 3 south of the city centre, which contributes to congestion. The Hamilton City Council is building a 2/4-lane arterial road, Wairere Drive, through the northern and eastern suburbs to form a 25 km suburban ring road with State Highway 1, which is due for completion in early 2015, while the New Zealand Transport Agency plans to complete the Hamilton section of
544-601: A population of 174,741 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 13,830 people (8.6%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 33,129 people (23.4%) since the 2013 census . There were 85,437 males, 88,497 females and 807 people of other genders in 60,897 dwellings. 3.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 33.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 36,570 people (20.9%) aged under 15 years, 40,836 (23.4%) aged 15 to 29, 75,549 (43.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 21,783 (12.5%) aged 65 or older. Of those at least 15 years old, 30,033 (21.7%) people had
612-623: A water wheel constructed, though possibly the flour mill wasn't completed. However, one article said Kirikiriroa flour was well known. Magistrate Gorst, estimated that Kirikiriroa had a population of about 78 before the Invasion of Waikato via the Waikato Wars of 1863–64. The government estimated the Waikato area had a Māori population of 3,400 at the same time. After the war in the Waikato, large areas of land (1.2 Million Acres), including
680-709: A whole. During the Last Glacial Period when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, the North and South islands were connected by a vast coastal plain which formed at the South Taranaki Bight . During this period, most of the North Island was covered in thorn scrubland and forest , while the modern-day Northland Peninsula was a subtropical rainforest . Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating
748-439: Is oceanic (Köppen: Cfb ), with highly moderated temperatures due to New Zealand's location surrounded by ocean. As the largest inland city in the country, winters are cool and mornings can feature the lowest temperatures of the North Island's main centres, dropping as low as −3 °C (27 °F) several times per year, experiencing on average 17.1 nights that drop below freezing. Nighttime temperatures are even cooler outside of
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#1732790333961816-566: Is also home to Vickers Aircraft Company , a startup aircraft manufacturer making a carbon fibre amphibious aircraft called the Wave . Recent years have seen the firm establishment of the New Zealand base of the British flight training organisation L3. L3 trains over 350 airline pilots a year at its crew training centre at Hamilton Airport . Tainui Group Holdings Ltd, the commercial arm of
884-487: Is common during winter mornings, especially close to the Waikato River which runs through the city centre. Hamilton is one of the foggiest cities on earth, however, fog usually burns off by noon to produce sunny and calm winter days. Hamilton also has the lowest average wind speed of New Zealand's main centres as a result of its inland location, in a depression surrounded by high hills and mountains. Hamilton had
952-402: Is focused on the northern end of the city although in 2012 the council made a decision to balance the city's growth by approving an urban development to the south. Traffic congestion is increasing due to population growth, though the council has undertaken many road development projects to try to keep up with the rapid growth. State Highway 1 runs through the western and southern suburbs and has
1020-584: Is home to New Zealand's largest aircraft manufacturer, Pacific Aerospace , which manufactured its 1,000th aircraft in August 2009, and previously Micro Aviation NZ which manufactured and exported high-quality microlight aircraft. It also has its largest concentration of trailer-boat manufacturers such as Buccaneer. Hamilton is also the home of Gallagher Group Ltd, a manufacturer and exporter of electric fencing and security systems. Employing 600 people Gallagher has been doing business in Hamilton since 1938. Hamilton
1088-716: Is home to two institutes of higher education, the University of Waikato and the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). Research at the Ruakura research centres have been responsible for much of New Zealand's innovation in agriculture. Hamilton's main revenue source is the dairy industry, due to its location in the centre of New Zealand's largest dairying area. Hamilton annually hosts the National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek,
1156-698: Is in the Flagstaff -Rototuna area. With its large tertiary student population at Wintec and Waikato University , approximately 40,000 tertiary students, Hamilton has a significant transient population. Hamilton is the second fastest growing population centre after Auckland. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 58.5% European ( Pākehā ); 25.4% Māori ; 6.8% Pasifika ; 22.8% Asian ; 2.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
1224-465: Is in the North Island", "my mother lives in the North Island". Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use North Island without "the". According to Māori mythology , the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui . Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a great fish and pulled it right up from
1292-715: Is joined by the Maraekakaho River . The Ngaruroro shares a river mouth with the Tutaekuri , Clive River and Muddy Creek. The meeting of these rivers forms the Waitangi Estuary. The Ngaruroro River recharges freshwater to the Heretaunga groundwater aquifer (in the order of four cubic metres per second (140 cu ft/s)). This aquifer feeds several streams in the area (e.g. Raupare, Irongate), in addition to pumping that supports extensive orchards of
1360-462: Is now considered the fastest growing city in the country. The area now covered by the city began as the site of several Māori villages, including Kirikiriroa, from which the city takes its Māori name. By the time English settlers arrived, most of these villages, which sat beside the Waikato River, were abandoned as a result of the Invasion of Waikato and land confiscation ( Raupatu ) by
1428-474: Is one of the two main islands of New Zealand , separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait . With an area of 113,729 km (43,911 sq mi), it is the world's 14th-largest island , constituting 43% of New Zealand's land area. It has a population of 4,077,800 (June 2024), which is 76% of New Zealand's residents, making it the most populous island in Polynesia and
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#17327903339611496-448: The 28th-most-populous island in the world. Twelve main urban areas (half of them officially cities) are in the North Island. From north to south, they are Whangārei , Auckland , Hamilton , Tauranga , Rotorua , Gisborne , New Plymouth , Napier , Hastings , Whanganui , Palmerston North , and New Zealand's capital city Wellington , which is located at the south-west tip of the island. The island has been known internationally as
1564-595: The Claudelands Bridge , was opened in 1884. It was converted to a road traffic bridge in 1965. Hamilton reached 1,000 people in 1900, and the town of Frankton merged with the Hamilton Borough in 1917. Between 1912 and 1936, Hamilton expanded with new land in Claudelands (1912), Maeroa (1925), and Richmond – modern day Waikato Hospital and northern Melville (1936). Hamilton was proclaimed
1632-623: The Heretaunga Plains . Eventually the aquifer discharges to the sea in submarine springs some 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the coast. The Ngaruroro is one of several rivers that helped form the alluvial Heretaunga Plains at the south end of the coast of Hawke Bay. The course of the Ngaruroro has changed several times, originally flowing down what is now the Clive River . It changed to much of its present course in 1867 during
1700-566: The North Island for many years. The Te Reo Māori name for it, Te Ika-a-Māui , also has official recognition but it remains seldom used by most residents. On some 19th-century maps, the North Island is named New Ulster (named after Ulster province in northern Ireland) which was also a province of New Zealand that included the North Island. In 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with
1768-712: The Waikato tribe, is one of Hamilton's largest property developers. The Waikato tribe is one of the city's largest landowners. Tainui owns land at The Base , Centre Place, The Warehouse Central, University of Waikato, Wintec, the Courthouse, Fairfield College, and the Ruakura AgResearch centre. The Waikato tribe is a major shareholder of the Novotel Tainui and the Hotel Ibis . It has developed
1836-596: The Waikato Expressway by 2019, easing congestion taking State Highway 1 out of the city and bypassing it to the east. 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 Peacocke suburbs. There has been significant development of lifestyle blocks adjacent to
1904-419: The Waikato region . With a territorial population of 192,000, it is the country's fourth most-populous city . Encompassing a land area of about 110 km (42 sq mi), Hamilton is part of the wider Hamilton Urban Area , which also encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia , Te Awamutu and Cambridge . In 2020, Hamilton was awarded the title of most beautiful large city in New Zealand. Hamilton
1972-590: The 2023 census, 63.1% of North Islanders identified as European ( Pākehā ), 19.8% as Māori , 10.6% as Pacific peoples , 19.3% as Asian , 1.9% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, and 1.1% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity. Māori form the majority in three districts of the North Island: Kawerau (63.2%), Ōpōtiki (66.2%) and Wairoa (68.5%). Europeans formed
2040-575: The CBD, Chartwell Shopping Centre and most recently Te Awa at The Base . After Farmers Hamilton moves from its existing site on corner of Alexandra and Collingwood streets into the redeveloped Centre Place in late 2013, each major mall will have the department store as an anchor tenant . The western suburb of Frankton is home to a smaller shopping centre and long-standing local furniture and home department store Forlongs . There are many other small suburban shopping centres or plazas, often centred on
2108-594: The Crown. The settlers developed the city as an agricultural service centre, but it now has a diverse economy. Hamilton Gardens is the region's most popular tourist attraction. Education and research and development play an important part in Hamilton's economy, as the city is home to approximately 40,000 tertiary students and 1,000 PhD-qualified scientists. The settlement was named by Colonel William Moule after Captain John Fane Charles Hamilton ,
Ngaruroro River - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-597: The Hamilton Hills, was removed by unemployed workers working with picks and shovels and model T Ford trucks. The Western remains of the hill are retained by a large concrete wall. The original hill ran from the present Wintec site eastwards to the old post office (now casino). The earth was taken 4 km north to partly fill the Maeroa gully adjacent to the Central Baptist Church on Ulster Street,
2244-610: The Hamilton Urban Area, in particular Tamahere , and Matangi . Hamilton's geography is largely the result of successive volcanic ash falls, plus debris, which swept down the Waikato River in at least two massive floods, created by ash blocking the outlet of Lake Taupō . In its present form the landscape originated around 20,000 years ago (20 kya ), after the Oruanui eruption of the Taupō Volcano . The dates given for
2312-490: The North Island is provided by fifteen District Health Boards (DHBs) . Organised around geographical areas of varying population sizes, they are not coterminous with the Local Government Regions . Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton ( Māori : Kirikiriroa ) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand . Located on the banks of the Waikato River , it is the seat and most populous city of
2380-519: The South Island, the North Island had no official name. After a public consultation, the board officially named it North Island, or the aforementioned Te Ika-a-Māui, in October 2013. In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island , with the definite article. It is also normal to use the preposition in rather than on , for example "Hamilton
2448-437: The South Island, this is solely due to the North Island having higher natural increase (i.e. births minus deaths) and international migration; since the late 1980s, the internal migration flow has been from the North Island to the South Island. In the year to June 2020, the North Island gained 21,950 people from natural increase and 62,710 people from international migration, while losing 3,570 people from internal migration. At
2516-462: The South Island, with the country's largest city, Auckland, and the capital, Wellington, accounting for nearly half of it. There are 30 urban areas in the North Island with a population of 10,000 or more: The sub-national GDP of the North Island was estimated at NZ$ 282.355 billion in 2021 (78% of New Zealand's national GDP). Nine local government regions cover the North Island and its adjacent islands and territorial waters. Healthcare in
2584-646: The area of the present city of Hamilton were confiscated by the Crown under the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863. Over the next year, most of these villages were abandoned as a result of the land confiscation , also known as Raupatu . After the Invasion of the Waikato and confiscation of the invaded land, militia-settlers were recruited in Melbourne and Sydney. On 10 August 1864 the government advertised for tenders to build 10 huts and
2652-508: The catchment is pasture, and 55% native forest. The meaning of Ngaruroro is obscure. The upper Ngaruroro drains the Kaweka Forest Park and it is used for trout fishing (mostly rainbow), rafting, tramping and deer hunting. The river is mostly a single-thread channel down to Whanawhana (45 kilometres (28 mi) from the coast), flowing through a greywacke rock gorge. Below Whanawhana, the river opens to wide braided channel and
2720-632: The census question. Hamilton is located in the administrative area of the Hamilton City Council . The current mayor of Hamilton is Paula Southgate , who was first elected to the position in 2019 and re-elected in 2022 . The current deputy mayor is Angela O'Leary. Hamilton City is itself part of the Waikato region, controlled administratively by the Waikato Regional Council . The city's coat of arms has received some criticism, being accused of not reflecting
2788-411: The circumnavigation of New Zealand. The maps described the North Island as " Ea Heinom Auwe " and " Aeheinomowe ", which recognises the "Fish of Māui" element. Another Māori name that was given to the North Island, but is now used less commonly, is Aotearoa . Use of Aotearoa to describe the North Island fell out of favour in the early 20th century, and it is now a collective Māori name for New Zealand as
Ngaruroro River - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-558: The city takes its Māori name. Local Māori were the target of raids by Ngāpuhi during the Musket Wars , and several pā sites from this period can still be found beside the Waikato River. In December 2011 several rua or food storage pits were found near the Waikato River bank, close to the Waikato museum. In 1822, Kirikiriroa Pa was briefly abandoned to escape the Musket Wars. However, by the 1830s Ngati Wairere ’s principal pa
2924-514: The city to many outlying farms to the North East. This swampy, damp environment was at the time thought to be an 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. One of the reasons why population growth was so slow in Hamilton until the 1920s was the great difficulty in bridging
2992-410: The city. Likewise, summers can be some of the warmest in the country with on average 51.6 days with temperatures exceeding 25 °C (77 °F). Hamilton also features very high humidity (similar to tropical climates such as Singapore ) which can make temperatures feel much higher or lower than they are. Ground frosts are common and snow is possible but rare. The only recorded snowfall in modern times
3060-550: The commander of HMS Esk , who was killed in the battle of Gate Pā , Tauranga . On 10 March 2013 a statue of Captain Hamilton was given to the city by the Gallagher Group ; a gesture that has since been viewed as controversial by some. On 12 June 2020, the Hamilton City Council removed the statue at the request of local Māori iwi Waikato Tainui . The statue's removal has been linked to calls for
3128-451: The conclusion of the Otago gold rush in the 1860s, New Zealand's European population growth has experienced a steady 'Northern drift' as population centres in the North Island have grown faster than those of New Zealand's South Island. This population trend has continued into the twenty-first century, but at a much slower rate. While the North Island's population continues to grow faster than
3196-608: The eruption vary. A 2007 study said it was between 22.5 and 14 kya. Another in 2004 put it 26.5 kya. After the eruption Lake Taupō rose to about 145 m (476 ft) above the present lake. Around 20 kya. the ash dam eroded and the lake rapidly fell some 75 m (246 ft), creating massive floods. The ash they carried formed the main Hinuera Surface into an alluvial fan of volcanic ash, which extends north of Hamilton and drops about 60 m (200 ft) from Karapiro . The Waikato changed its course from flowing into
3264-600: The first brickworks opened in Hamilton. 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. 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,
3332-474: The history and diversity of the city, with suggestions that it should be changed. Hamilton has three electorate MPs in the New Zealand Parliament . Both Hamilton East and Hamilton West electorates are considered bellwether seats . The electorates are currently represented by: General electorates: Māori electorate : Education and research are important to the city—Hamilton
3400-660: The islands and linking the Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea . The North Island has an estimated population of 4,077,800 as of June 2024. The North Island had a population of 3,808,005 at the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 213,453 people (5.9%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 570,957 people (17.6%) since the 2013 census . Of the total population, 733,893 people (19.3%) were aged under 15 years, 743,154 (19.5%) were 15 to 29, 1,721,427 (45.2%) were 30 to 64, and 609,534 (16.0%) were 65 or older. Ever since
3468-1129: The lake are ideal for jogging, walking, and cycling. These trails offer stunning views of the lake and surrounding landscapes, providing a tranquil setting for exercise enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Beerescourt ; Bader; Crawshaw ; Deanwell ; Dinsdale ; Fitzroy ; Forest Lake ; Frankton ; Glenview ; Grandview Heights ; Hamilton Central ; Hamilton North ; Hamilton West ; Livingstone ; Maeroa ; Melville ; Nawton ; Peacocke ; Pukete ; Rotokauri ; St Andrews ; Stonebridge ; Te Rapa ; Temple View ; Thornton ; Western Heights ; Whitiora . Ashmore ; Callum Brae ; Chartwell ; Chedworth Park ; Claudelands; Enderley ; Fairfield ; Fairview Downs ; Flagstaff ; Hamilton East ; Harrowfield ; Hillcrest ; Huntington ; Magellan Rise ; Queenwood ; Ruakura ; Riverlea ; Rototuna; Silverdale ; Somerset Heights ; St James Park ; St Petersburg . Cambridge ; Te Awamutu ; Ngāruawāhia ; Taupiri ; Horotiu ; Horsham Downs ; Huntly ; Gordonton ; Ōhaupō ; Ngāhinapōuri ; Te Kowhai ; Whatawhata ; Tamahere ; Matangi ; Tauwhare ; Rukuhia ; Kihikihi . Hamilton's climate
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#17327903339613536-562: The large retail centre The Base in the old Te Rapa airforce base site which was returned to Tainui, following confiscation in the 1860s, as part of a 1995 Treaty of Waitangi settlement. In mid-2010, The Base was further expanded with Te Awa Mall complex stage 1. Many large retailers such as Farmers and other nationwide speciality chains have located at Te Awa. In 2011 a further stage was opened, with cinemas, restaurants, shops and an underground carpark. The city's three major covered shopping malls are Centre Place (formerly Downtown Plaza ) in
3604-421: The main road heading north. Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake) began forming about 20,000 years ago (20 kya). Originally it was part of an ancient river system that was cut off by deposition material and became two small lakes divided by a narrow peninsula. With higher rainfall and drainage from the extensive peat land to the west, the water level rose so the narrow peninsula was drowned so forming one larger lake. To
3672-416: The many arms of the deep swampy gullies that cross the city. Hamilton has 6 major dendritic gully complexes with the 15 km long, 12 branch, Kirikiriroa system being in the north of the city and the southern Mystery creek-Kaipaki gully complex being the largest. Others are Mangakotukutuku, Mangaonua and Waitawhiriwhiri. In the 1930s, Garden Place Hill, one of the many small hills sometimes referred to as
3740-439: The north the lake is 8 m deep and in the southern (hospital) end 6 m deep. The old dividing peninsula, the start of which is still visible above water on the eastern side, is only 2 m below the surface. Lake Rotoroa offers a diverse range of recreational activities, including walking trails , picnic areas, and water sports , making it a popular destination for both locals and tourists. The well-maintained paths around
3808-417: The passengers, Teresa Vowless, passed her baby to another passenger and leapt overboard in order to be the first settler ashore. Many of the soldier/settlers who intended to farm after the 1863 war, walked off their land in 1868 due to its poor quality. Much of the land was swampy or under water. In 1868 Hamilton's population, which was about 1,000 in 1864, dropped to 300 as farmers left. On 22 December 1875
3876-470: The plurality in the Auckland region (49.8%) and are the majority in the remaining 39 districts. The proportion of North Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census were 29.3%. The most common foreign countries of birth were England (15.4% of overseas-born residents), Mainland China (11.3%), India (10.1%), South Africa (5.9%), Australia (5.5%) and Samoa (5.3%). The North Island has a larger population than
3944-532: The removal of statues of figures associated with colonialism and racism in New Zealand and the world, which were precipitated by the protests related to the murder of George Floyd . A local Māori elder Taitimu Maipi, who had vandalised the statue in 2018, has also called for the city to be renamed Kirikiriroa, its original Māori name. The area now covered by the city was originally the site of several Māori villages (kāinga), including Te Parapara, Pukete, Miropiko and Kirikiriroa ("long stretch of gravel'), from which
4012-406: The sea at Thames at about that time, possibly just because sediment built up. The peat lakes and bogs also formed about that time; carbon dating gives maximum ages of 22.5 to 17 kya. Due to an ice age , vegetation was slow to restabilise the ash, so dunes formed up to 25 m (82 ft) above the local Hinuera surface. The current Waikato valley had cut into the debris by about 12 kya. and
4080-486: The sea. While he was not looking, his brothers fought over the fish and chopped it up. This great fish became the North Island, and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui ("The Fish of Māui"). The mountains and valleys are believed to have been formed as a result of Māui's brothers' hacking at the fish. During Captain James Cook 's voyage between 1769 and 1770 , Tahitian navigator Tupaia accompanied
4148-609: The southern hemisphere's biggest agricultural trade exhibition. Mystery Creek is the country's largest event centre and hosts other events of national importance, such as Parachute Christian Music Festival , 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 Hospital. The city
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#17327903339614216-423: The west of the city, and an extensive network of gullies, the terrain of the city is relatively flat. In some areas such as Te Rapa, one old path of an ancient river can be traced. The relatively soft and unconsolidated soil material is still being actively eroded by rain and runoff. In its natural state, Hamilton and environs was very swampy in winter with 30 small lakes connected to surrounding peatlands. Hamilton
4284-537: Was Kirikiriroa, where the missionaries, who arrived at that time, estimated 200 people lived permanently. A chapel and house were built at Kirikiriroa for visiting clergy, presumably after Benjamin Ashwell established his mission near Taupiri. Between 1845 and 1855, crops such as wheat, fruit and potatoes were exported to Auckland, with up to 50 canoes serving Kirikiriroa. Imports included blankets, clothing, axes, sugar, rum, and tobacco. Millstones were acquired and
4352-528: Was further modified by the 181 CE Hatepe eruption , when again Lake Taupō level fell 34 m (112 ft), generating a 20 km (4.8 cu mi) flood, equivalent to 5 years' normal flow in just a few weeks. About 800 years ago, aggradation began raising the river bed by about 8 m (26 ft). With the exceptions of the many low hills such as those around the University of Waikato , Hamilton Lake, Beerescourt, Sylvester Road, Pukete, and to
4420-408: Was light snowflakes in mid-August 2011 during a prolonged cold period that saw snowfall as far north as Dargaville . Hamilton receives considerable precipitation amounting to around 1,100 mm over 125 days per year. This coupled with annual sunshine hours of around 2,000 makes Hamilton and the surrounding Waikato an extremely fertile region. Typically summers are dry and winters are wet. Fog
4488-409: Was moved to provide trips on Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, but replaced by a smaller boat. That too ceased operation and the pontoon at Parana Park was removed in 2013. The Delta moved to Taupō in 2012. The former Golden Bay vessel, Cynthia Dew, ran 4 days a week on the river from 2012, but was in liquidation in December 2022. As of 2016, the city continues to grow rapidly. Development
4556-557: Was spoken by 94.0%, Māori language by 6.8%, Samoan by 0.9% and other languages by 20.6%. No language could be spoken by 2.6% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 30.1, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 32.4% Christian , 4.4% Hindu , 2.7% Islam , 1.5% Māori religious beliefs , 1.3% Buddhist , 0.4% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 3.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 47.8%, and 6.3% of people did not answer
4624-460: Was surrounded by 7 large peat bogs such as Komakorau to the North and Rukuhia and Moanatuatua to the South, as well as many smaller ones all of which have now been drained with only small remnants remaining. The total area of peat bog was about 655 km . Early photos of Hamilton East show carts buried up to their axles in thick mud. Up until the 1880s it was possible to row and drag a dinghy from
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