新西兰汉密尔顿市简介

新西兰汉密尔顿市简介


怀卡托省的省会汉密尔顿，是一座迷人而又繁荣的城市，横跨于怀卡托河上，位于奥克兰市东南放约105公里处。汉密尔顿市現有人口为145,600。

汉密尔顿气候温和，其周围乡村的草和庄稼郁郁葱葱，市内的公园和私人花园里树木和灌木油绿满目。市 内的大部分河畔都草木繁盛，人们在此悠闲地漫步。

汉密尔顿的建造缘于怀卡托河。该市建于19世纪60年代，虽然当时在河的东岸早已有毛利族人定居。商业首先自怀卡托河岸兴起，今天的汉密尔顿市区的主要街道以及商业中心都与怀卡托河平行。在汉密尔顿市区中心有一座公园供人们泛舟、游玩。

汉密尔顿不仅是一座省会城市，而且发展迅速，现已成为全国最大的省会和第五大城市，其商业、政府办公机构和工业为其周边地区提供了方便。汉密尔顿现在已成为国际知名的农业研究中心。鲁阿库阿农业研究中心、土壤研究站、新西兰肉类工业研究院都已在农业科研、动物保健、畜类屠宰方法以及肉类加工诸多领域中居于领先地位。位于怀卡托河东岸的怀卡托大学是汉密尔顿几所较大规模的教育机构之一。

除此之外，汉密尔顿还是怀卡托河谷的一个重要贸易和加工工业中心，怀卡托河谷是一个盛产牛羊等畜产品的农牧业地带。

尽管今日的怀卡托河不再是昔日的水上通道，但今日的汉密尔顿市仍然是新西兰境内重要的公路、铁路运输枢纽，位于自奥克兰至惠灵顿的铁路沿线上。

Learning about Hamilton

Fast facts

• NZ's largest inland city

• NZ's longest river, the Waikato, flows for 16km through the city

• Kirikiriroa, the city's Maori name means 'long stretch of gravel'

• Population of around 145,600 people (estimate at June 2011)

• Has a youthful population - around half of residents are under 30 years old

• NZ European make up three quarters of the population and Maori 19 percent

• Home to more than 80 ethnic groups

• Mild climate and moderate year round rainfall keep the city and surrounding area very green

• Mean temperatures - 18C in January (summer) and 9C in July (winter)

• 145 parks and gardens and 63 sports areas

• City has more than 1,000 hectares of open space

• Home to 25,800 person capacity Waikato Stadium

Hamilton's economy

• Hamilton is at the centre of one of the richest agricultural and pastoral areas in the world

Major service centre for the Waikato region

Dairy industry is centred around Hamilton and Waikato - world class centre of agricultural biotech excellence

Home to a number of NZ's science research facilities

Home to national Agricultural Fieldays - largest agricultural trade show in the southern Hemisphere (generating $290 million sales)

City's closeness to two main sea ports (Auckland and Tauranga), 2 international airports (Auckland and Hamilton), railway, south Auckland industrial base and state highways provide significant opportunities for export and import

Hamilton's history

The earliest recorded settlers in the Hamilton area were Maori from the Tainui waka. The Tainui people called an area on the west bank of the Waikato River Kirikiriroa (long stretch of gravel), which is the Maori name for Hamilton today. The area was later renamed Hamilton after Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton, who was killed at the battle of Gate Pa in Tauranga in 1864.

The Hamilton area has a history of 700-800 years of Maori occupation and settlement, highlighted by pa sites, traditional gardens and agricultural features along the Waikato River. The main hapu of Hamilton/Kirikiriroa and the surrounding area are Ngati Wairere, Ngati Haua and Ngati Mahanga.

In 1863, the New Zealand Settlement Act enabled land to be taken from Maori by the Crown. This resulted in 1.2 million hectares of land being confiscated in the Waikato region, and part of this land provided the basis for European settlement in Hamilton.

Formal European settlement was established on 24 August 1864, when Captain William Steele came off the gunboat Rangiriri and established the first redoubt near what is now known as Memorial Park.

A military outpost was set up in Hamilton East, which was originally destined to be the main street of Hamilton. Evidence of planning for the centre of the village can be seen in the 'village square' concept of Steele Park and the planting of 'English' trees along Grey Street.

The Borough of Hamilton was established in 1877 with a population of 1,245 and an area of 752 hectares. In December 1945, Hamilton became a city with 20,000 citizens, and in 2006 had a population of around 134,000.