| Hamilton
- New Zealand
Hamilton is situated in the North Island about an hours
drive south of Auckland. Hamilton is the centre of the
Waikato Region, one of New Zealand's richest agricultural
region's. Hamilton has a population of around 118,000
people. The city is built around the beautiful Waikato
river.
Originally called Kirikiriroa when the first Maori inhabited
the region, it was later renamed Hamilton after Captain
Fane Charles Hamilton, the popular commander of HMS Esk,
who was killed in the battle of Gate Pa, Tauranga. The
area has been settled by Maori from the Tainui iwi for
centuries. Several villages were situated on the banks
of the Waikato River. The rich soils were used extensively
to grow traditional crops such as kumara. Fortified pa
were built on strategic headlands, particularly on the
bends of the river. During the late 1840s to early 1860s
Waikato tribes used the river to transport large quantities
of flour, maize, pigs, potatoes, kumara, flax, timber
and fish to the markets Auckland.
The Waikato river was once Hamilton's only transport and
communications link. Now the main highway passes through
the city linking the whole of New Zealand. Hamilton also
has the largest railway junction in New Zealand, connecting
the North Island Main Trunk line and the East Coast Main
Trunk.
While agriculture has traditionally been the dominant
industry in Hamilton, other sectors (such as manufacturing
and retail) are catching up and providing more diverse
business opportunities in Hamilton. The Hamilton Airport
connects to many popular destinations in New Zealand and
Australia.
|
