Hamilton

Waikato River, Hamilton, New Zealand

Waikato Museum, Hamilton, New Zealand

Hamilton, city, Waikato regional council, north-central North Island, New Zealand. It lies 80 miles (130 km) above the mouth of the Waikato River.

Hamilton originated as a military settlement on the site of a deserted Maori village. Declared a borough in 1877 and a city in 1945, it was named for Captain John Hamilton, a Royal Navy officer killed fighting the Maori. The city is now the most important inland centre of New Zealand. It is linked to Auckland (70 miles [113 km] northwest) and Wellington (343 miles [552 km] south) by rail and road, and its airport offers both domestic and international flights.

Hamilton serves as a pastoral and lumbering area; industries include dairy and meat processing, brewing, brickmaking, sawmilling, engineering, and the production of stock food, farm machinery, clothing, cardboard cartons, plastics, prefabricated buildings, and coal gas. Hamilton lies on the natural gas pipelines from the Kapuni and Maui fields. Its prominent institutions include the University of Waikato (1964), a historic Anglican cathedral, the Waikato Museum and its constituent galleries, and the Hamilton Gardens, a multifunctional facility featuring botanical displays, public art, educational programs, and special events facility. Pop. (2006) 155,262; (2012 est.) 176,900.