Cambridge (
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
: ''Kemureti'') is a town in the
Waipa District of the
Waikato region of the
North Island of New Zealand. Situated southeast of
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilto ...
, on the banks of the
Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions". The town has a population of ,
making it the largest town in the Waipa District, and the third largest urban area in the Waikato (after Hamilton and
Taupo).
Cambridge was a finalist in the 2017 and 2019 New Zealand's Most Beautiful Large Town awards, run by Keep New Zealand Beautiful. It was awarded the title New Zealand's Most Beautiful Large Town in October 2019.
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans there were a number of Maori
pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive terraces – and also to fortified villages. Pā sites ...
in the vicinity of what would become Cambridge. In the 1850s missionaries and farmers from Britain settled in the area and introduced modern farming practices to local Maori, helping them set up two flour mills and importing grinding wheels from England and France. During the 1850s, wheat was a profitable crop but when merchants in Auckland began purchasing cheaper grain from Australia the market went into decline.
The European town of Cambridge was established when the 3rd Regiment of the Waikato Militia were settled there in 1864 following the
Invasion of the Waikato. The town was named after
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, the
Commander-in-Chief of the British Army at the time.
Electric street lights were first switched on in 1922.
Demographics
Cambridge covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
Cambridge had a population of 18,654 at the
2018 New Zealand census
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...
, an increase of 2,553 people (15.9%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 4,755 people (34.2%) since the
2006 census. There were 7,080 households, comprising 8,925 males and 9,726 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female, with 3,690 people (19.8%) aged under 15 years, 3,147 (16.9%) aged 15 to 29, 7,908 (42.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 3,918 (21.0%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 90.1% European/
Pākehā
Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Z ...
, 10.5%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 1.5%
Pacific peoples, 5.3%
Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 24.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 50.4% had no religion, 38.7% were
Christian, 0.5% had
Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% were
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 0.2% were
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, 0.5% were
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and 2.0% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 3,279 (21.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,682 (17.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 3,045 people (20.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 7,413 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 2,133 (14.3%) were part-time, and 408 (2.7%) were unemployed.
Governance
Cambridge is administered by the
Waipa District Council. It is the largest town in the District, but not the seat of the council, which is at
Te Awamutu.
Nationally, Cambridge is part of the general electorate and the Māori electorate.
Economy
Cambridge's main sources of employment and income come from dairy farming, tourism, the equine industry and sport. Dairy farming provides more than one in 10 jobs in the Waipa District. The tourism industry supports 12.7% of jobs in Waipa District. The equine industry provides more than 600 jobs in the Waikato, with many based in and around Cambridge. It is estimated that one in five Cambridge residents work in nearby Hamilton.
Transport
Cambridge lies adjacent to
State Highway 1, which connects the town with Hamilton in the northwest and Tauranga, Rotorua and Taupo in the southeast. Access to Cambridge from the north is via the Cambridge Road and Victoria Road interchanges, and from the south is via the Tirau Road interchange. Prior to the
Waikato Expressway extension opening in December 2015, SH 1 ran through the centre of Cambridge.
State Highway 1B leaves SH 1 at the Victoria Road interchange and provides a route north to SH 1 at Taupiri, providing a route north towards Auckland while bypassing Hamilton to the east.
Hamilton Airport, 18 minutes drive from Cambridge, is the nearest airport and provides daily flights to all New Zealand's main centres.
A public bus service connects Cambridge with central Hamilton via Tamahere and Waikato University several times daily.
Cambridge was formerly the terminus of the
Cambridge Branch railway, but this closed beyond Hautapu in 1999.
Until the railway was built the Waikato River was the main form of transport, Cambridge being the limit of navigation.
Steamers continued to serve Cambridge until the 1930s. The wharf was near the Karapiro Stream, where the river was wide enough for steamers to turn.
Rural districts
There are a number of nearby rural districts which identify socially and economically with Cambridge. These districts would typically have a few hundred residents, a primary school and a community hall for local social events. In the early 20th century, many of these districts also had their own small milk processing factories. These districts are Bruntwood,
French Pass, Goodwood/
Fencourt,
Hautapu
Hautapu is a township in the Waipa District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, located just north of Cambridge across State Highway 1.
The area was identified as the Hautapu Parish on a militia farm map published in 1864 durin ...
, Hora Hora,
Karapiro
Karapiro ( mi, Karāpiro) is a settlement and rural area in the Waipa District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It includes both the artificially created Lake Karapiro and the accompanying Karapiro Power Station. Karapiro is ...
,
Kaipaki,
Maungatautari,
Te Miro
Te Miro is an area in the Waipa District of the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Te Miro is situated 31 kilometres east southeast of Hamilton, and 24 kilometres northeast of Cambridge. Te Miro has a population of approximatel ...
, and
Whitehall
Sport
;National sports headquarters
Cambridge and nearby
Lake Karapiro have become the homes for national sports organisations such as cycling (track, road, mountain biking and BMX), rowing, triathlon and as high performance centres for kayaking and canoeing.
;Cycling
A purpose built
velodrome facility, the Grassroots Trust Velodrome, was opened by William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in Cambridge on 12 April 2014. In December 2015, Cambridge hosted the
2015–16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
The 2015–16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a track cycling season. It was the 24th series of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup organised by the UCI. The series ran from 30 October 2015 to 17 January 2016 and consist ...
. There are also many cycle and walking tracks that have been purpose built around Cambridge. The Te Awa River Ride, from
Ngāruawāhia to Karapiro, is planned to be fully open by the end of 2021. It currently has two paths open which are for cyclists and walkers. The purpose built track runs from the center of Cambridge out to the velodrome and follows the Waikato river. There is also a wide cycleway running from Leamington to Lake Karapiro Domain. Cambridge will host the
New Zealand National Road Race Championships
The New Zealand National Road Race Championship is a road bicycle race that takes place inside the New Zealand National Cycling Championship, and decides the best cyclist in this type of race. The first edition took place in 1934. The first winn ...
and the accompanying
time trial between the years of 2020 and 2022 with an option for a fourth year, the event will take place in mid February.
;Thoroughbred horse studs
The town is now well known for its
Thoroughbred studs and stables, which have produced many champion horses in the sports of
racing
In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific go ...
and
show jumping. Cambridge is popularly known as the 'equine capital' of New Zealand. Internationally known thoroughbred studs in the area include:
*
Cambridge Stud
Cambridge Stud is a Thoroughbred stud farm established in 1976 at Cambridge, New Zealand by Sir Patrick Hogan.
Stud sires
It has had a number of top quality stallions including:
* Sir Tristram: sire of 45 Group 1 winners and inducted into the ...
* Chequers Stud
* Blue Gum Lodge
*
Trelawney Stud
*
Windsor Park Stud
Windsor Park Stud is a New Zealand thoroughbred stud farm that was established in 1998 near Cambridge, in the Waikato region of the North Island.
Windsor Park was established by Ian and Jesse Duncan. In 1971, it passed ownership to Nelson and ...
;Rowing
Lake Karapiro, recognised as one of the premium rowing lakes in the world, is close by, producing several world rowing champions, notably
Rob Waddell
Robert Norman Waddell (born 7 January 1975) is a New Zealand Olympic Gold Medalist and double World Champion Single sculler rower, and America's Cup yachtsman. He is a triple New Zealand Supreme 'Halberg Awards' Sportsperson of the year winner ...
,
Robbie Manson
Robert Manson (born 11 October 1989) is a New Zealand rower.
Manson was born in 1989. He is from a family of rowers, with his father Greg the singles lightweight national champion in 1985, and his brother Karl also competing internationally.
H ...
, the Evers-Swindell twins,
Georgina and
Caroline
Caroline may refer to:
People
*Caroline (given name), a feminine given name
* J. C. Caroline (born 1933), American college and National Football League player
* Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American (men's) basketball player
Places Antarctica
* ...
,
Mahé Drysdale
Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale (born 19 November 1978) is a retired New Zealand rower. Drysdale is a two-time Olympic champion and a five-time world champion in the single sculls. He is a seven-time New Zealand national champion and five-time ...
and
James Dallinger. The
2010 World Rowing Championships
The 2010 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 31 October to 7 November 2010 on Lake Karapiro near Cambridge, New Zealand. The annual week-long rowing regatta was organised by FISA (the International Rowin ...
were held at Lake Karapiro.
;Rugby Union
Cambridge is home to two clubs, Hautapu Sports Club, founded in 1903, and Leamington Rugby Sports Club, founded in 1897.
;Football
Cambridge is home to
Cambridge FC
Cambridge F.C. is a football club based in Cambridge, New Zealand. It currently plays in the NRFL Division 2.
In 2020, Cambridge finished 8th in a season shortened by restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, they came 5th in the ...
who were the 2017 and 2015 Waikato Bay of Plenty Premiership champions, and Waipa Sports Club of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
Events
Cambridge and the surrounding district is host to many sporting, cultural and trade events. More than 120,000 visitors attend the National Agricultural Fieldays every year at the
Mystery Creek Events Centre
Mystery Creek Events Centre is one of New Zealand's biggest events centres.
Located in the outskirts of Hamilton, New Zealand, it is home to many events, the largest being the National Agricultural Fieldays which is held annually in June.
Myst ...
between Cambridge and Hamilton.
Every summer, Lake Karapiro hosts the Waka Ama Sprint National Championships and the hydroplane racing as part of the New Zealand Grand Prix Circuit. In February, the Keyte Watson Polo Tournament takes place at Leamington, Cambridge. Every March, Cambridge holds its four-day Autumn Festival and in December, a Christmas Festival (including a town parade) takes place.
Cambridge's local annual event is the Battle of the Bridges, a rugby and netball competition between the two sports clubs in Cambridge, Leamington and Hautapu, however the trophy is awarded to the winning team in the rugby match. The event takes place in August each year. The first ever match between
the two sides, in 2013, ended in a 0–0 draw.
Media
Switch FM is a local radio station.
Cambridge also has two local newspapers, the Cambridge News and the Cambridge Edition.
There is also a lively
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...
page that is used to share and request information and resources.
Education
Cambridge High School is the town's co-educational state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students,
with a roll of as of .
Cambridge Middle School is the town's intermediate school for Year 7 to 10 students,
with a roll of .
The town has three state primary schools for Year 1 to 6 students: Cambridge East School
with a roll of ;
Cambridge School,
with a roll of ;
Leamington School,
with a roll of .
Cambridge also has two non-state schools with similar names.
St. Peter's School is a co-educational Anglican private (independent) school for Year 7 to 13 students,
with a roll of .
St Peter's Catholic School is a co-educational Roman Catholic integrated primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,
with a roll of .
Notable residents
Past or present residents include:
*
Kylie Bax
Kylie Bax (born 5 January 1975) is a New Zealandbased model and actress. She has appeared on international magazine covers, including ''Vogue'' and '' Marie Claire''. During her twenties, Bax had supporting roles in action and comedy films.
Per ...
, Model and actress
*
Hamish Bond
Hamish Bryon Bond (born 13 February 1986) is a retired New Zealand rower and former road cyclist. He is a three-time Olympic gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, and at the 2020 Tokyo Olymp ...
, MNZM, Rower, Olympic gold medallist
*
Kenny Cresswell, member of 1982 All Whites (football)
* Members of
The Datsuns Rock Band
*
Mahé Drysdale
Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale (born 19 November 1978) is a retired New Zealand rower. Drysdale is a two-time Olympic champion and a five-time world champion in the single sculls. He is a seven-time New Zealand national champion and five-time ...
, MNZM, Rower, Olympic gold medallist
*
Katie Duncan
Katie Cherie Duncan (, 1 February 1988) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Onehunga Sports and the New Zealand national team.
Club career
Duncan signed for the Melbourne Victory ahead of the 2013–14 season.
...
, international footballer and Olympian
*
Matthew Dunham, World Champion silver medallist in rowing
*
Allyson Gofton, cooking writer and television presenter
*
Juliette Haigh, World Champion gold medallist in rowing
*
Nikki Hamblin, Middle distance runner and winner of Fair Play Award at
2016 Summer Olympics
*
Ricki Herbert, CNZM, former coach of New Zealand All Whites and international footballer.
* Sir
Patrick Hogan KNZM, CBE, Horse breeder
*
Nikita Howarth
Nikita Stevie Howarth (born 24 December 1998) is a New Zealand para-cyclist and para-swimmer. She became New Zealand's youngest ever Paralympian after being selected for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, aged 13 years 8 months. She again represent ...
, Paralympic swimmer and gold medallist
*
Luke Jacobson, Professional Rugby Union player and All Black
*
Mitch Jacobson, Professional Rugby Union player
*
Billy T. James
William James Te Wehi Taitoko (17 January 1948 – 7 August 1991) better known by his stage name Billy T. James, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian, musician and actor. He became a key figure in the development of New Zealand comedy and a ...
, MBE, Entertainer and comedian
*
Spencer Jones, Professional Rugby Union player
* Sir
Vaughan Jones,
Fields Medal winner
*
Joelle King
Joelle King (born 30 September 1988) is a professional squash player who represents New Zealand. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 4 in April 2014.
Early life
King was born and raised in Cambridge, New Zealand. She is the ...
, Squash player
*
Regan King
Regan Matthew King (born 2 October 1980) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a centre. He currently plays for Mid Canterbury in the Heartland Championship and Neath RFC in the Welsh Premier Division. He holds a British passport t ...
, Rugby Union player
*
Dick Myers
Richard George Myers (born 6 July 1950) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, Myers played for Leamington RFC in Cambridge and is the only All Black to have played for the club. He represented Manawatu and Waikato at a ...
, All Black (played for Leamington RFC)
*
Eric Murray, MNZM, rower, Olympic gold medallist
*
Ritchie Pickett, country music singer/songwriter
*
Ken Rutherford, MNZM, International cricketer and horse racing club manager
*
Wayne Smith, CNZM, All Black and assistant coach of World Cup winning All Blacks in 2011 and 2015
*
Joel Tobeck, Actor
*
Sarah Walker, Olympic silver medallist in BMX
* Sir
Mark Todd,
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
*Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...
double Olympic gold medallist
*
Sarah Ulmer, World Champion and Olympic gold medallist cyclist
*
Rob Waddell
Robert Norman Waddell (born 7 January 1975) is a New Zealand Olympic Gold Medalist and double World Champion Single sculler rower, and America's Cup yachtsman. He is a triple New Zealand Supreme 'Halberg Awards' Sportsperson of the year winner ...
, Olympic gold medallist in rowing
*
Chris Wood, international footballer and All Whites captain
Cambridge was also the birthplace of All Black Sir
Colin Meads KNZM MBE;
George Albert Tuck
George Albert Tuck (1884–1981) was a notable New Zealand builder, soldier and diarist. He was born in Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists ...
(1884–1981), a notable New Zealand builder, soldier and diarist; artist
Frances Irwin Hunt 1890–1981) and educationalist
Blanche Eleanor Carnachan, MBE, (1871–1954).
Notes
References
*
External links
*
Cambridge i-Site Information CentreCambridge Museum
{{Waipa District
Populated places in Waikato
Waipa District
Populated places on the Waikato River