Ngāruawāhia

	Ngāruawāhia
	Geographical location
Coordinates	37 ° 40 ′ S , 175 ° 9 ′ E Coordinates: 37 ° 40 ′ S , 175 ° 9 ′ E
Region ISO	NZ-WKO
Country	New Zealand
region	Waikato
District	Waikato District
Ward	Ngaruawahia Ward
Administrative headquarters	Administrative headquarters for the Waikato District
Residents	5 127 (2013)
height	20 m
Post Code	3720
Telephone code	+64 (0) 7
	Photography of the place
	; Waikato River at Ngāruawāhia

Ngāruawāhia is a small town in the Waikato District of the Waikato regionon the North Island of New Zealand . The city is the seat of the Waikato District Council .

Origin of name

The name of the city can be translated in the Māori language as “the open storage pits”. According to legend, a chief of the region is said to have received unannounced high-ranking visitors in 1660 and to have opened the store to entertain the guests.

geography

Ngaruawahia is located approximately 17 km north-west of the center of Hamilton at the mouth of the Waipa River and the Waikato River . To the west of the city, the up to 374 m high Hakarimata Range rose northwards .

history

Because of its location at the confluence of the two rivers, the settlement was of particular importance for the Māori and was known to European settlers and missionaries as early as 1830. In April 1858, the Māori leader Pōtatau Te Wherowhero was appointed the first king of the Māori and spokesman for the united tribes of Waikao and Taupo . It was hoped that this would help better manage and come to an agreement with the British colonialists , but the opposite was the case. The then Governor of New Zealand , Thomas Gore Browne , saw the appointment of a Māori king as a disregard for the British crown. The resulting misunderstandings and tensions finally sparked the Waikato War in December 1863 . After the British invasion of Ngāruawāhia and because of the nearby coal mines of Glen Massey , the occupiers initially renamed the place Newcastle . Later the place got its old name back and in 1920 it was given city status.

Ngāruawāhia is considered the home of Kīngitanga , a Māori movement aimed at building a monarchy . The site was the official residence of Māori queen Te Atairangikaahu .

Train accident

On March 14, 1998, train no. 235 derailed due to a shifted train load at the bridge over the Waitako River . The derailed wagons piled up on the superstructure of the bridge and damaged it considerably. Just a month later, another accident occurred due to a train traveling on the wrong track.

population

In the 2013 census, the town had 5,127 inhabitants, 0.4% more than in the 2006 census.

Infrastructure

Road traffic

The New Zealand State Highway 1 runs around 5 km east of the city, but can be easily reached via good access roads towards Hamilton in the southeast and in the direction of Taupiri in the northeast.

Rail transport

The North Island Main Trunk Railway runs directly through the city and has a central stop at the train station in the city center.

Attractions

The Tūrangawaewae Marae , an important marae (sacred place) of the Māori, is located on the east bank of the Waikato River .

Sports

There are several sports teams in the city. Ngāruawāhia United , known as " The Green Machine ", is the local football club . It was founded in 1968 and in 2007 had ten junior teams, four senior teams and one women's team. The men's team and their reserve team play in the 1st division of the Northern League .

literature

Helga Neubauer: Ngaruawahia . In: The New Zealand Book . 1st edition. NZ Visitor Publications , Nelson 2003, ISBN 1-877339-00-8 , pp. 272-275 .

Web links

Commons : Ngāruawāhia - collection of images, videos and audio files

Nancy Swarbrick : Waikato Places Ngāruawāhia . In: Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , June 11, 2015, accessed August 16, 2017 .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Ngaruawahia . Statistics New Zealand , accessed August 16, 2017 .
^ ^A ^b Neubauer: Ngaruawahia . In: The New Zealand Book . 2003, p. 274 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed August 16, 2017 .
↑ Bulletin June 1998 . New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission , 1998, accessed August 16, 2017 .

[Stat_NZ_Population_and_dwellings-1] 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Ngaruawahia . Statistics New Zealand , accessed August 16, 2017 .

[NZ_BUch_S274-2] A ^b Neubauer: Ngaruawahia . In: The New Zealand Book . 2003, p. 274 .

[LINZ_Topo250_maps-3] Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed August 16, 2017 .

[NZ_TAIC_1998-4] Bulletin June 1998 . New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission , 1998, accessed August 16, 2017 .