BEFORE & AFTER: HAMILTON HILL TRANSFORMED TO GARDEN PLACE

When you look at the Garden Place square in the centre of Hamilton, try to imagine a ten metre high hill stretching from Victoria Street back towards the upper slope along Anglesea Street where Wintec stands. Garden Place was originally part of a ridge called Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa by hapū Ngāti Wairere. After the arrival of the 4th Militia and settlers during the 1860s, Kirikiriroa was named Hamilton. The ridge became known as Hamilton Hill that divided the town centre into north and south sides.

In the late 1930s, Hamilton Hill was levelled and the land at Garden Place by Victoria Street was initially used as a carpark and then as military site during World War II. Post-WWII, Garden Place resumed being a carpark until the late 1960s when it evolved into becoming a public square with gardens, lawn, paved walking areas and fountains.

The history of the hill in pre-European times as a garden for the Ngāti Wairere, the arrival of colonial settlers and missionaries, occupancy by the 4th Militia followed by the Armed Constabulary, the removal of the hill and the development of Garden Place over the decades is retold in photographs. 

1. Pre-European Hamilton Hill: Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa

• Garden Place was originally part of a ridge or promontory called Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa (The Smooth Belly of the Long Pebbly Shore). It was named by the hapū Ngāti Wairere of the Waikato-Tainui iwi, who lived at the fortified Kirikiriroa Pā sited on the banks of the Waikato River between what is now London and Bryce Streets. Kirikiriroa  means ‘long strip of cultivated land’. The ridge extended from what is now Ruakiwi Road down Hill Street, Tristram Street, through to Garden Place and onwards to Victoria Street. See: Wintec: A history of the land on which our city campus sits (pdf)                                                                                                    

• The Hill was covered with rangiora and other native trees and ferns, and stands of kahikatea and tawa trees. Areas were burnt away to enable the planting of kūmara, rauruhe (fern root), other vegetables, and fruit trees on the northern slopes, and the cultivation of taro on the lower swampy area. There were also several puna (water springs) along the lower slopes. The berries provided food for native birds such as the kūkū (native pigeon) and the kōmako (bellbird), which were hunted and trapped.   

• At the peak of the ridge there was a tūāhu (ceremonial altar), Te Ahurewa, where offerings were made to deities to bless the planting of crops and ensure a bountiful harvest. The hill was also used as an observatory for the transit of stars, including the rising of the constellation known as Matariki, to mark the timing for different phases of planting and harvesting.   

2. Arrival of Europeans & missionaries 

• From the 1830s, Europeans began arriving into the Waikato area and traded with local iwi. As well as introducing new tools and crops, they showed different ways of planting and harvesting. The first European met by Ngāti Wairere was Kore Hako who was captured at Aotea Harbour, Kawhia by a fishing party of Ngāti Koura from Te Rapa Pā which is located near the present-day Waikato Hospital. He later lived with Ngāti Wairere at Kirikiriroa Pa and introduced peach trees that grew around what is now Victoria Street.

• During the 1840s, Christian missionaries began arriving and many Ngāti Wairere people converted to Christianity. The first "church" in the Hamilton City area, named Tohikitierangi, was a thatched, raupō building constructed at Kirikiriroa Pā for visiting Anglican missionaries who were based in the Waikato. On 16 January 1849, Reverend Benjamin Yates Ashwell and Reverend Robert Maunsell baptised 40 at Kirikiriroa Pā. 

 See: Hamilton City Council (2003): “Nga Tapuwae O Hotumauea” Maori landmarks on riverside reserves: Management Plan" (pdf)    

Kirikiriroa became part of Auckland Province, 1853

• Following the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, New Zealand became a British colony, initially as part of New  South Wales. Later in May 1841, New Zealand was designated a Crown Colony, separate from New South Wales.  In 1846, the British Parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Act which allowed for the establishment of provinces. Governor Grey proclaimed on 10 March 1848 that New Zealand would comprise two provinces and each province would have an appointed Lieutenant-Governor: New Ulster (the North Island, north of the Patea River mouth with Auckland as the capital) and New Munster (the North Island south of the Patea River Mouth, the South Island and Stewart Island with Wellington as the capital).

• The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was passed on 30 June 1852 and came into force on 17 January 1853. The Act created a General Assembly – an appointed Legislative Council and a House of Representatives - and divided New Zealand into six provinces with elected superintendents and provincial councils. Kirikiriroa was part of the Auckland Province. 

3. Waikato War: Abandonment of Kirikiriroa & arrival of militia settlers

Ngāti Wairere abandoned Kirikiriroa Pā in 1864

• During the New Zealand Wars, the campaign against Kīngitanga (Māori King Movement) in the Waikato began in July 1863. The British troops and colonial forces arrived at Rangiriri on 20 November 1863. They were supported during the ensuring battle by field artillery and cannon fire from their river gunboats Pioneer and Avon. Afterwards, Chief Te Pirihi Tomonui of Ngati Parekirangi hapū of Ngāti Wairere who'd supported the Kingitanga at Rangiriri Pā, sent word to Kirikiriroa Pā that the British troops were coming up river on a gunboat. On receiving the news, Ngāti Wairere abandoned Kirikiriroa Pā in 1864. Some travelled southwards into the King Country, whilst others travelled over the Waikato River to reoccupy other traditional Ngāti Wairere Pā at Hukanui, now known as Gordonton.  [See Stuff.co.nz (10 Dec 2013): Elton Smallman, "Go back to your marae, that's what it's for]  

Kirikiriroa chosen as a militia post & soldiers & their families arrived Aug 1864

• Ngāti Wairere's land at Kirikiriroa was confiscated by the Crown under the New Zealand Settlement Act 1863. Kirikiroa was chosen as one of the defensive militia posts to be established throughout the Waikato Region.

• Volunteers were recruited from militia at Sydney and Melbourne by Lieutenant William Steele to form the 4th Waikato Regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William Moule. The New Zealand Gazette Notice (5 August 1863) set out the critieria for recruitment and the terms under which grants of land would be made.

• On 24 August 1864, an advance party of 118 soldiers from the 4th Battalion of the 4th Waikato Regiment arrived on the gunboat PS Rangiriri. Under the command of Captain William Steele, they occupied the abandoned Kirikiriroa Pā. They were followed by the rest of the Fourth Waikato Regiment who arrived with their families. The number of settlers totalled 1465 of which 432 were men, 282 were women and 751 were children.

• Work commenced by the Militia on building two redoubts located on elevated sites on opposite sides of the Waikato River near present-day Victoria Bridge. The intent was to secure the Waikato River and prevent any 'hostile' movements by Kingitanga. The Hamilton West Redoubt was built where the St Peter's Cathedral and adjacent areas by Grantham Street and Victoria Street are now located. On the eastern side, the redoubt, which was known as Moule's Redoubt, was built on the former site of the Tararahi Pā (also (also known as Tetarahi). The Pā had been occupied by Ngāti Parekirangi, a hapū (sub-tribe) of the Ngāti Wairere, who abandoned it after an attack by Ngāpuhi in the late 1700s. Transport between the two redoubts was by canoes and punt. 

Settlement named "Hamilton"; land surveyed & land grants allocated, 1864

• In August 1864, Colonel William Moule, the commander of the 4th Waikato Regiment, named the new settlement "Hamilton". The name chosen was in honour of Captain James Fane Charles Hamilton of the Naval Brigade, who died in action at Gate Pā on 20 April 1864.

• The land on Hamilton's western bank and its eastern bank was surveyed and allotments of land allocated. Each militiaman was entitled to a 1-acre town allotment for their home and a 50-acre rural plot for farming. To receive the freehold titles of their allotted land, they had to remain in Hamilton for three years.

On Hamilton West survey, Garden Place was designated as a road

• On the Hamilton West (SO 144) survey by William Blackburn, Garden Place was designated as a road.

• In Hamilton West, cottages began to be erected and  wheat, vegetable gardens and trees were planted on the nearby Hamilton Hill. A school was also built at the Hamilton West Redoubt for the militia settlers' children.

Great South Road from Auckland reached Hamilton in 1867

• Work on the Great South Road had begun in Auckland in 1843 and reached Drury in 1859. A bridle track was then built as far as Ngāruawahia on the eastern bank of the Waikato River. Following the Taranaki Wars, Governor Grey ordered British troops to widen and extend the road from Drury into the Waikato prior to the British invasion to suppress the Kīngitanga (Māori King movement). After the Waikato War ended in April 1864, the construction of the road through the Waikato continued and reached Hamilton during 1867. From being a military route, the Great South Road aided European settlement, linking Auckland to the confiscated lands of the Waikato region under the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863.

Ancestral remains of Ngāti Wairere exhumed from Hill & other locations, 1866-1876

• Following the arrival of the settlers, during 1866-1876 the ancestral remains of Ngāti Wairere who were buried at various localities on the hill and other places in Hamilton were exhumed. The reburials were organised by Hakopa Te Waharoa (1820-1877) and his son Te Puke Waharoa  (c.1834- 1895) who led the traditional rites and rituals of the uhunga (uplifting of ancestral remains). On 28 October, 1875, the Māori Land Court granted Komakorau 146 to Hakopa.

4th Militia disbanded and Armed Constabulary occupied the Redoubts, 1867

• With the passage of the Armed Constabulary Act on 10 October 1867, the Waikato Militia was disbanded. The newly formed Armed Constabulary took over the policing of the region and occupied the Hamilton West Redoubt and the Moule's Redoubt.

• In 1868, the gunboats were taken over by the Waikato Steam Navigation Company (WSNC) to provide for freight and passenger services between Port Waikato, Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Hamilton, and Cambridge. A new wharf was built on the Hamilton East bank in 1871.

Hamilton West's population declined due to living conditions, school closure & Thames goldfields, 1868

• The settlements on the western and eastern banks of the Waikato River could only be reached by canoes or ferry at the wharf, which became known as Ferrybank Landing.  Subsequently, they continued to develop as two separate communities - Hamilton West and Hamilton East. 

• However, by 1868, Hamilton's population was described as being "...under 300 residents, the township consisting of the two redoubts, barracks, two churches, two hotels, a few stores, a blacksmith, bootmakers, and many deserted homes." (Source: Hamilton City Council: "Kirikiriroa: Hamilton's European settler history" by Alice Morris & Mark Caunter;, Oct 2021,  p.5).

• The population of Hamilton West had begun to decline due to living conditions, lack of employment, the closure of the Hamilton West School, and the attraction of the Thames goldfields. (See: Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3440, 25 July 1868, Page 4). The settlers had found the area difficult to farm. As well as cultivated land by the Waikato River and on the Hamilton Hill, there was also deep gullies, extensive swamp areas, and areas of kahikatea forest and native flora. There was also a lack of roading and little local employment. On receiving their freehold titles after staying for three years, some militia settlers chose to leave. During a visit to Hamilton in late May 1868, Governor Sir George Bowen had indicated that one of the new constables would be appointed as schoolmaster at Hamilton West School. However, a month later, after an appointment was made, the Defence Minister disallowed constables becoming teachers and the school closed which caused consternation amongst families.

• Following the opening of the Thames goldfields, families began leaving aboard the paddlesteamer Bluenose which departed each Friday.

Hamilton District School Committee formed to relocate the school, 1869

• To address declining school attendance and a shortage of teachers in its area, the Auckland Provincial Council passed the Common Schools Ordinance 1869. The Ordinance established a Central Board of Education to fund, construct, and govern primary schools. The Auckland Province was divided into educational districts. The roles of Secretary to the Board and School Inspector were created and the framework for local school committees was established.

• The Hamilton District School Committee was formed which began seeking funding to purchase land to build a new school. In October 1869, the Central Board granted 150 pounds to purchase 5 acres of land and build a schoolhouse. In the interim, the Committee agreed to accept two of three large rooms offered in the Reserve Hotel.  (Papers Past: New Zealand Herald (15 Oct 1869, "Hamilton", Vol VI, Issue 1795, p.5)  The Committee began researching possible locations for land to buy which required the Central Board's approval . Meanwhile, Hamilton West School reopened in temporary premises.

• Hamilton's second school opened in 1872 - the Hamilton East School which began in a former military hut near Steele Park (originally known as Sydney Square as members of the 4th Waikato militia had enlisted from Sydney). The following year, the school moved to the Hamilton Hall on Clyde Street. Later in September 1877, it relocated to its current location on the corner of Grey and Dawson Streets near Moule's Redoubt.

Hamilton West and East administered by separate Highway Boards, 1871

• During the late 1860s, the Auckland Provincial Government passed legislation that allowed the region to be divided into Highway Township Districts. The Districts were administered by elected boards which oversaw land settlement, rates, and public works, including roading and infrastructure. The Hamilton Highway District Board (Hamilton West) formed in 1871, followed by the Kirikiriroa Highway District Board (Hamilton East). Roads began to be formed in August 1871. However, the main transport for goods and supplies continued to be along the Waikato River. 

Homes and businesses continued being developed near and on Hamilton Hill

• The main business district developed on the western bank ot the bottom of Grantham Street near the Ferrybank wharf. The stores began stretching up to the corner of Grantham and Victoria Streets. The Hamilton Hotel was built in 1865 on Victoria Street and was a social gathering place for the militia.

• Farming of crops continued to be developed on the nearby Hamilton Hill with the traditional kūmara and fern crops replaced by maize, potato, cabbages, corn, pumpkin, tobacco, peach trees, and apple trees. Stock was also raised on outlying areas.  

Hamilton West School relocated to top of Hamilton Hill, 1876

• After researching possible locations for siting the Hamilton West School, the School Committee received approval from the Central Board for land to be purchased on top of the Hamilton Hill. A school building was erected and the school was relocated during 1876 near where Wintec now stands.

 4. Provincial government replaced with County & Borough Councils, 1876-1877

Waikato County Council formed 1 Nov 1876

• By 1868, the number of provinces had increased from six to nine, and the demand for centralised government increased. The Abolition of Provinces Act 1875 came into effect in November 1875 whereby the provincial governments were dissolved and became "provincial districts" with no administrative function. 

• The Counties Act 1876 divided rural areas into 63 counties which operated alongside existing Road Boards. The rural lands surrounding Hamilton were officially designated under the Waikato County Council which formed on 1 November 1876. it was responsible for rural infrastructure, including the construction and maintenance of local roads, footpaths, bridges, drainage, clearing land, pest and weed control, and levying rates.

Constabulary relocated from Hamilton redoubts to Cambridge & Pirongia, 1877

• Following the abolition of provincial governments in 1876, provincial police forces and the Armed Constabulary were consolidated into the New Zealand Constabulary Force. The new force had two main divisions – the Policing Branch which dealt with civil law enforcement and the Reserve Division (later the Field Force), which continued to exercise armed  military surveillance in case of issues arrising between settlers and iwi.

• During 1877, the Constabulary ceased occupying the Hamilton West Redoubt and Moule's Redoubt in Hamilton East when two regional divisions were formed by Lieutenant-Colonel William Moule. The No. 4 Division under Moule's command based it's headquarters at Cambridge; and the No.5 Division under Major von Tempsky's command became based at the Alexandra Redoubt on Piquet Hill in Pirongia. 

 Hamilton Borough Council constituted on 24 Dec 1877

• Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1876, the Borough of Hamilton was officially constituted on 24 December 1877 by amalgamating the two separate District Boards  - Hamilton East and Hamilton West. Hamilton had a population of 1,245 and an area of 752 hectares. The Hamilton Borough Council initially met in the Hamilton Courthouse which had opened on the corner of Collingwood Street and Victoria Street on 1 March 1878.  After completing the modification of two militia huts with a facade, the Hamilton Borough Council opened its Borough Chambers in April 1878 on Victoria Street opposite Garden Place.

Auckland to Hamilton rail line: Stations at Frankton (1877) & central Hamilton (1879)

Hamilton's population and economic prosperity increased after the North Island Main Trunk Line was extended from Auckland to Hamilton.

• On 19 December 1877, the Frankton Junction (later called Frankton Railway Station) opened. 

• In 1879, the rail line was extended from Frankton into central Hamilton on the flat land near the edge of the northern slope of Hamilton Hill. The rail track ran parallel in-between Ward Street and Bryce Street and stopped before reaching Victoria Street. A small railway station building was constructed near the corner of Ward and Selkirk Street (which ran north-to-south on the far left of Victoria Street and terminated at the railway yards), and opened on 20 October 1879.

• On 1 October 1884, the eastern branch line to Morrinsville opened.  The rail line was extended over Victoria Street to the newly-built Claudelands Bridge on the Waikato River and travelled through Hamilton East / Ruakura to Morrinsville.

Union Bridge to unite Hamilton West & Hamilton East opended Nov 1879

• The Town Boards had amalgamated initially to secure Government funding to build a connecting bridge. The outcome was a wooden traffic bridge being built which opened in November 1879 and was formally called the "Union Bridge". 

Ritual to remove the tapu on the Hamilton Hill, July 1881

• In July 1881, Ngāti Koura tohunga (high priest) Te Ao Katoa was thought to have visited with King Tawhiao and performed an ancient ritual to remove the tapu on the Hamilton Hill. The ritual was to ensure that the Mauri of the Hill would no longer be desecrated by Pākehā walking on it, farming and developing housing.  [Source:  Wintec: A history of the land on which our city campus sits (pdf)] 

Commercial centre moved to Victoria St along the frontage of Hamilton Hill

• With the arrival of more colonists, the settlement of Hamilton grew steadily. By the mid-1870s, the development of improved road access, the introduction of the railway and the construction of the Claudelands Bridge midway along Victoria Street drew businesses and homeowners to move from Grantham Street. Shops and commercial buildings began to open along Victoria Street and its intersecting streets on the flat land to the south of Hamilton Hill and to the north of Hamilton Hill where the Hamilton Railway station lay. Businessess also began to change owners, such as the Hamilton Hotel which was taken over in 1876 by Richard and Sarah Gwynne and became known as Gwynne's Hotel. They expanded the building, including adding 18 bedrooms, a croquet lawn and stabling for 25 horses.

Settler farming and housing on Hamilton Hill, 1890s - 1930s

• Farming land on the Hamilton Hill began to be purchased for housing.  Amongst the first houses built on the hill by the early 1900s, were two by carpenter Joseph Frear. He'd purchased  a piece of land on the northen slope that was near Garden Place as it had been designated as a road on the Hamilton West (SO 144) 1864 survey by William Blackburn. Frear had been a former Borough Councillor from 1884-86 and 1888-89. He married Sarah in 1889 and they raised their family in one of the homes.

5.  View atop Hamilton Hill

Looking along southern slopes

Looking along northern slopes

Horse Bazaar building and salesyard, and railway line:

• At the bottom of the Hill's northern slopes, the flat land was divided by Ward Street which ran at right angles to Victoria Street.

• On the northern side of Ward Street was a block of land on which stood Hamilton's Horse Bazaar and saleyards. Both faced the branch of the railway line that ran from Frankton eastwards over Victoria Street and the Claudelands Bridge to Morrinsville. 

• Previously, horse and stock auctions had been held in Hamilton since the mid-1880s in the backyard of the Commercial Hotel on the corner of Victoria and Collingwood Streets. As traffic and health issues grew, the Borough Council resited the saleyards on the Market House Reserve on the southern corner of Ward and Victoria Streets which opened on 9 May 1888. Later in January 1907, the saleyards were relocated further west to the corner of Selkirk Street (now Anglesea Street) and Ward Street. Alongside the saleyards, the Council opened the Hamilton Horse Bazaar building.

Looking along northwestern and northeastern slopes

6.  Garden Place Hill frontage on Victoria Street

Council's proposal to close off front of Garden Place rejected by ratepayers, 1908

• By 1906, property values had begun to increase in Hamilton. The Hamilton Borough Council proposed that Garden Place's frontage on Victoria Street be leased for commercial buildings and erected a fence. Ratepayers, including former Borough Councillor Jospeh Frear, objected to Garden Place being closed off and Frear pulled down the fence. At a public meeting held in November 1908, the Council's proposal was rejected by a large majority of ratepayers.

"The Rosery' developed at Garden Place by Hamilton Beautifying Society, 1914

• In 1914, 'The Rosery' on the Victoria Street frontage of Garden Place Hill was completed by the Hamilton Beautifying Society, which had formed in 1912. See article about 'The Rosery' in Papers Past: Waikato Argus (8 May 1914), "Hamilton Beautifying Society", (Vol XXXV, Issue 5603, p.3)

Buildings developed near Garden Place on Victoria St

7.  Public debate on keeping or removing the Hill or building a tunnel, 1920s - 1930s

As the 10-metre high Hill separated the commercial centre of Hamilton, business owners began agitating for its removal. 

• In 1925, the newly appointed Borough Engineer, Rupert Worley, presented a plan to the Hamilton Borough Council to flatten the hill at Garden Place to unify the north and south ends of Hamilton's business district. Levelling the hill would improve the flow between Anglesea St and Ward St and create more carparking spaces. (Worley remained as Borough Engineer until 1942. Hamilton's Worley Street, which ran between Alexandra Street and Anglesea Street parallel to Caro Street near Garden Place, was named after him in 1940. When Worley Street was built over in the mid-1980s to make way for the Municipal Offices building, the northern end of the intersecting Alexandra Street between Ward Street and Caro Street was subsequently renamed as Worley Place.)

• Public meetings were held during which the debates included whether the rest of the hill should also be removed. An alternative proposal of building a tunnel was then put forward by Worley to improve the traffic flow rather tham remove the hill completely.  

• Proponents against the removal of the hill included the Garden Place Preservation Society who wanted to retain Garden Place Hill as they regarded it as a significant natural and cultural landmark. They also objected to paving over the area for commercial expansion. Local stargazers also wanted the hill to be retained so that an astronomical observatory could be placed on top and they formed the Hamilton Astronomical Society in 1933. 

The outcome of the debates was the Hamilton Borough Council deciding to:

• Stage 1.  Make a cutting through the ridge of the hill to extend Anglesea Street to join Ward Street which bordered the block of land occupied by the railway line. The eastern line from Frankton to central Hamilton had opened in 1879; then was extended across Victoria Street and the Claudelands Bridge to Morrinsville in 1884. On the far side of the railway line, directly opposite Anglesea Street was Selkirik Street. (When the railway line was lowered underground across central Hamilton in the 1960s, a connecting road was built between Anglesea Street and Selkirk Street which was renamed Anglesea Street.)

• Stage 2:  Remove the hill between Anglesea Street and Garden Place and sell or lease the land which required Parliamentary approval (granted in 1935). 

The story of Garden Place has been recounted in the stage play "One Hill of a Fight" (2017) written by Michael Spitzer which was performed at the Meteor Theatre in Hamilton.

8. Cutting through the Hill's ridge to form Anglesea Street: 1931 

•  A cutting was made through the ridge to allow the formation of Anglesea Street. The cutting to link Anglesea Street to Ward Street was reinforced by a concrete wall shortly after. The Hamilton Technical College continued to occupy the land above the wall on its lower slope.

9. Parliamentary approval to remove the Hill granted Oct 1935

• Parliament passed the Hamilton Borough Council Empowering Act 1935 giving the Hamilton Borough Council permission to proceed with removing the hill and selling or leasing the land, which became law on 26 October 1935. As the Act had stipulated the hill was to removed within two years, the time-frame was amended to four years on 11 December 1937 in the Hamilton Borough Council Empowering Amendment Act 1937 (Local) (1 GEO VI 1937 No 15) 

A. Relocation of houses, 1938 - 1940

B. Excavations of Hill get underway

• The ridge of Anglesea Street was bulldozed to flatten the area for the development of Garden Place and the central CBD. A ritual was performed to remove tapu from the hill before the hill was excavated.

Excavations begin near the Anglesea Street cutting

• The bulldozed soil and clay was trucked away and used to fill various gullies and other low-lying areas around Hamilton, including: Waitawhiriwhiri gully in Hamilton West; Maeroa Bridge (to create an embankment); Lake Rotoroa (to build up land around its margins and to form parks); and Rugby Park (to cover its fields which were used by the Home Guard and as a military training base during WWII). The soil was also used at Frankton Raiway Station, which had been built in a drained peat basin, to provide a more solid surface for rail yards; and the building of prefabricated State housing nearby.

Excavations between Anglesea & Victoria Streets

 10.  Creation of Garden Place with parking spaces

• The transformation of the centre of Hamilton City's shopping area into a parking space is captured in these aerial and street-level photos. The outside areas of Garden Place were divided into 11 sections, while the central area was set aside as car parking for 150 cars. An underground Gentlemen's toilet block was also built near Alexandra Street.

11. Garden Place during WWII 

Open-air rallies held

• Garden Place provided a large, open-air rallying area during World War II.

Air-raid trenches dug during 1941 & Feb 1942

• During 1941, volunteers dug trenches in Garden Place which were then wood-lined, to provide protection during air-raids. The trenches were organised under the Government's Emergency Precautions Scheme (EPS). The Chief Warden of the Scheme for Hamilton was Harold Caro who was appointed Mayor in 1938. The EPS was set up by the Government as part of the home defence system. Local volunteers trained in first aid and firefighting to prepare citizens for potential air-raids and poison-gas attacks from the Japanese. The Government also distributed EPS guidebooks to households which contained instructions on actions to take during an air raid.

• During an air-raid alarm test in February 1942, the number of trenches in areas of the central business area were found to be insufficient and Mayor Caro asked for volunteers to dig more trenches. Near the end of WWII, when the threat of a Japanese invasion has lessened, the trenches were filled in.

Patriotic Hut suggested by Hilda Ross opened Oct 1942

• The Patriotic Hut was opened on 6 October 1942 to provide a gathering place and a dormitory for the personnel of the Armed forces resident in or on leave visiting Hamilton. The concept of the Patriotic Hut was launched by Hilda Ross who'd founded the Hamilton Women's Auxillary Volunteer Corps (WAVC) in 1939. Funding was provided by the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council from the Fighting Services Welfare Appeal which was conducted nationally by the Y.M.C.A. and Salvation Army to raise funds for the National Patrotic Fund Board. The Hamilton Patriotic Committee appointed a sub-committee to arrange for the erection of the Patriotic Hut.

• The work was carried out by the Waikato Associated Builders who erected an Ellis & Burnand 'Ready to Erect Cottage'. The Patriotic Hut had a floor area of c.5400 square feet. The exterior was built in rimu and the flooring of matai. A separate bakehouse building, measuring 16ft by 8ft, was erected at the rear. The facilities, which cost c.£3OOO, included the following. 

The recreation room is 58ft. by 24ft., the reading and writing room 15ft. by 24ft., the dormitory 45ft. by 24ft., the dining room 40ft. by 24ft., and the kitchen and  pantry 20ft. by 24ft. In addition there is a toilet room for the staff, a cloak room, ladies’ cloak room for visitors, and office, caretaker’s room, linen cupboards, showers, shaving cupboards and wash basins, cloak and baggage rooms. In the dormitory there are 20 beds, each supplied with a handy-sized locker. The dining room has accommodation for seating nearly 100 men at each sitting.

Source:  Papers Past: Waikato Times (6 Oct 1942), "Patriotic Hut", (Vol. 131, Issue 21852, p.2)

• The Patriotic Club's operational support and recreational activities were provided by volunteers from WAVC; the local Women's Patriotic Community; and the Hamilton Branch of the YMCA which had formed in 1908. Two of WAVC's four coordinators later became Hamilton Councillors: Hilda Ross (who was the first woman to be appointed as a Hamilton Councillor in 1944; then became Deputy Mayor in 1945 and MP from 1945 - 1959); and Dorothy Blomfield (who became the second women appointed as a Hamilton Councillor from Dec 1947-1971). See article about the support provided during an event for over 2400 soldiers;   Papers Past: Waikato Times (20 October 1942): Troops entertained: Busy time in Hamilton - Over 2400 in Patriotic Hut" (Vol 131, Issue 21864, p. 4)

Patriotic Hut sold to Hamilton Combined Returned Services (Aug 1945)

• In May 1944, the Hamilton Combined Returned Services (HCRS) launched a fundraising campaign to raise £25,000 to build a Memorial Club for Returned Service men and women in central Hamilton. (See: Papers Past: Waikato Times (4 May 1944), Memorial Club, Vol 194, Issue 22339, p.4))  The location eventually chosen was Garden Place and the option to purchase four sections, including the Patriotic Hut, was obtained from the Hamilton City Council in September 1944.  Following further fundraising, the purchase was completed by the HCRS who took occupancy on 29 August 1945. A public meeting was held six days earlier at the Patriotic Hut to discuss the future of the new club and to appoint a committee. (See: Papers Past: Waikato Times (21 Aug 1945), Advertisements, Vol 106, Issue 22692, p.1) 

• Nearby, the carpark on the other side of Alexandra Street by the Municipal Offices building became a car and bus park operated by the Council. In the image below, the bus advertising includes vehicles as far away as Thames.

Patriotic Hut building auctioned & removed to Fairfield (c.1949/1950)

• On 26 July 1949, the Patriotic Club building was sold by HCRS at an auction for £2600 to the Catholic Church who intended to relocate it to Fairfield to use as a school, church and social centre.  (Source: Papers Past: Te Awamutu Courier (27 July 1949), 'Local and General", Vol 79, Issue 7086, p.6). Subsequently, the Parish of St. Joseph's, Fairfield began on Sunday, 5 January, 1950:  "The Parish began, then, in this building. It provided a Chapel (today the schoolroom of Standard 4 and Forms 1 and 2 and spare room), the hall and three classrooms, supper room, toilets, etc. A "flat" at the south end was furnished for the priest. " Source: SJF: St Joseph, History @ Hamilton.  In September 1949, a building permit was granted to the Hamilton Combined Services to erect a larger building as a club in Hamilton.

• A  commemorative photo (see below) was taken by the auctioneers, C.G. Bradley Ltd, of the Patriotic Hut sited towards the rear of the carpark. The photo also shows that the Hamilton City Council had further developed Garden Place with a grassed area and pathways near the frontage on Victoria Street.

12. Garden Place post-World War II: 1945 - 1950s

Carparking & two one-way entry & exit roads at Garden Place

• On 15 August 1945 (VJ Day), the Second World War ended with the surrender of Japan. Towards the end of the war, Garden Place had resumed being used as a carpark between Victoria Street and Alexandra Street. The increasing use of buses led to the carpark on the other side of Alexandra Street near the Municipal Offices building becoming a car and bus park operated by the Hamilton City Council.

• Access to the Garden Place carpark between Victoria Street and Alexandra Street was via two one-way roads travelling in opposite directions. From Victoria Street, vehicles could enter the left side of Garden Place and exit onto Alexandra Street which had 'No Entry' painted on the road. From Alexandra Street, vehicles could enter the opposite side of Garden Place and exit onto Victoria Street which also had 'No Entry' painted on the road. Parking was also sited parallel to the kerbing outside the stores fronting onto the one-way roads.

Queen Elizabeth II's coronation celebration, 2 June 1953

• In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on 2 June was celebrated at Garden Place. 

 Sundial gifted by Hamilton Astronomical Society installed in Dec 1953

• In December 1953, a sundial was installed by the Hamilton Council at Garden Place to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Tour to NZ during which she would stop over in Hamilton on 30-31 December. The sundial, which had been gifted by the Hamilton Astronomical Society in 1947, was placed at the front of Garden Place near Victoria St where the Queen and her entourage would drive by en route to the Hamilton Hotel.

• The idea of a sundial had originally been proposed In September 1936 by the Hamilton Astronomical Society's co-founder Allan Bryce as a gift to Hamilton to mark the coronation of King Edward VIII. The sundial, which was designed by Bryce, was completed in February 1937 by when King Edward had abdicated in December 1936. However, the Hamilton Council did not initially take up the offer of the sundial. After the completion of the Garden Place carpark and the end of World War II, the Hamilton Astronomical Society had reoffered the sundial which was accepted by the Hamilton Council in 1947. The decision where to place the sundial was made six years later after Queen Elizabeth II had announced plans to visit NZ in 1953.

    Source: Garden History Research Foundation: "Hamilton's Garden Place sundial" by Lindsay Amner. (Sept 2025)

13.  Buildings on perimeter of Garden Place, 1950s - 1960s

Winter Show buildings & William Paul Hall on Alexandra St by Worley St

Garden Place on corner of Alexandra  & Caro Sts

 Municipal Offices between Alexandra & Anglesea Sts

Hamilton Public Library relocated to Municipal Offices building, 1960

• By 1960, the Hamilton Public Library's services had expanded requiring larger premises than its Carnegie building sited on Victoria Street opposite Garden Place. In June 1960, the Library was relocated into the Council's new Municpal Offices nuilding on the other side of Garden Place on the corner of Alexandra and  Worley Sts; and the old Library site sold.

Buildings surrounding Garden Place Square

• Many of the original buildings can still be seen today, although the shops and businesses within them have changed.  

Two one-way roads on perimeter of Garden Place for access to businesses

• Two one-way roads on the perimeter of Garden Place continued to be used for access to the carpark and businesses located on either side of Garden Place between Victoria Street and Alexandra Street. Vehicles could enter the one-way road from the left side of Victoria St and exit directly ahead onto Alexander St.  Similarly, vehicles could enter off the left side of Alexandra St and exit directly ahead onto Victoria St.

14.  Carparks replaced with grassed public space & one-way ring road,           1967

Carparks between Alexandra & Victoria St removed

• The Garden Place carparks between Alexandra Street and Victoria Street were removed during 1967 to create a public space encircled by a one-way ring road where vehicles travelled clockwise.

• The concrete carparking area was replaced with paved and grassed areas.

• Carparking was retained on the far side of Garden Place on the other side of Alexandra Street and Worley Street by the Municipal Offices.

 Sundial relocated c.20 metres inside Garden Place, 1968

On Anglesea slope, Hamilton Technical College became Waikato Technical Institute, 1968

Hamilton Public Library moved to William Paul Hall, 1968

• During 1968, the Library relocated from the Municipal Offices into the bottom floor of the William Paul Hall, the former Winter Show building on Alexandra St (then known as Barton Street and nowadays Worley Place). The top floor was occupied by the Waikato Museum since 1965.  To provide extra space for the Library a mezzanine floor was added during the early 1970s.  Later in 1974, the Library also took over the top floor when the Museum relocated to London Street after combining with Hamilton's Art Gallery. The Museum eventually moved to its own purpose-built building on Grantham Street in 1987.

15.  Garden Place redesigned - pool with fountains, gardens & grassed areas, 1970s -

Fountain City

• As a centre-piece of Garden Place, a water fountain and shallow, tiled pool were designed by architects Aubrey and Mary de Lisle in 1967.

• During 1968-1970, the remodelling of Garden Place was carried out with the pool and fountain positioned within the gardens and grassed areas.

• The fountain along with two others -  Dame Hilda Ross Memorial Fountain (1963) at the Founders' Theatre and the Centennial Fountain (1978) in Boyes Park - led to Hamilton being given the title of "Fountain City".

Views of grassed areas, gardens & buildings, 1970s

16. Garden Place closed to traffic from August 1974 - 2011

• Garden Place was closed to traffic in August 1974 to create a public space - the 'town square'. The ring road around the perimeter had bollards installed to prevent vehicles entering. The lawns, ornamental plants, fountains and seating had become features of Garden Place to encourage people to spend more time in the inner city. 

Buildings continued to surround the perimeter of Garden Place

 Carparking continued on the other side of Garden Place

Carpark was extended towards Ward St

Views of Garden Place during 1980s - 1990s

17.  Garden Place remodelled 2000 onwards

Garden Place has been through various redesigns to provide spaces to attract pedestrians. 

Pool with fountains replaced with paving; & 'pop up' fountain jets added

• During the 2000s, Garden Place's pool and fountains were removed and the area paved over. Movable flower boxes were also set up and further sitting areas established.

• During the 2010s, a “pop up” fountain type water feature that sprays jets of water between paving stones was installed near the grassed area in front of the Public Library (known as Hamilton City's Central Library - Te Koopuu Maania o Kirikiriroa).

Matariki sculpture (2011-2025)

• A sculpture by Neil Miller symbolising Matariki was unveiled on 25 Nov 2011. Its design represents Pleiades in the form of a growing vine, with the stars of Matariki forming the fruit on the vine.  (See: Stuff (5 May 2011) "'Surprise' sculpture revealed".)  Following the redevelopment of Garden Place during mid-2025, the Matariki sculpture was relocated in July 2025 to the Hamilton Gardens and sited near the entrance to the carpark inside Gate 1 off Hungerford Crescent.

New road between Worley Place & Alexandra St opened 6 June 2012

• Garden Place had another makeover to attract foot traffic.  A "shared zone" for pedestrians and vehicles near the Council building that connects Worley Place with Alexandra Street was opened on 6 June 2012. (The Base commercial and retail centre had opened in Te Rapa by Tainui Group Holdings in 2005-2006, which was having an impact on the inner city.) 

Statues

Captain John Hamilton (2013 - 2020)

• In 2013, a bronze statue of Captain John Fane Charles Hamilton, whom Hamilton Cty is named after, was created by Margriet Windhausen as a gift by the Gallagher Group. John Hamilton was a British navy officer who led a regiment fighting against Māori and was killed during the Battle of Gate Pā. The statue became a point of contention for local iwi and other community members. In 2018 it was defaced with red paint and attacked with a hammer. Following a request from Waikato-Tainui, the Council removed the statue on 12 June 2020. 

Dame Hilda Ross (2020 -  )

• On 31 October 2020, a bronze statue of Dame Hilda Ross was unveiled. It was created by Matt Gauldie for the Theatre of the Impossible Charitable Trust (TOTI) Trust. Dame Ross was a Hamilton City councillor, Deputy Mayor, and an MP. She held various posts in the first National government, including member of the Executive Council, Minister of Social Security, Minister of Welfare of Women and Children and Minister of Child Welfare. [See video and article on the unveiling at Stuff.co.nz (31 Oct 2020): Mike Mather. "Battle not over yet for champion of women, children, and poverty-stricken"]

Mural (2020)

• Since January 2020, a large-scale mural by the Te Whetū Collective adorns the retaining wall along the Anglesea cutting, atop of which is sited Wintec.  The mural tells the story of the Hill - it depicts the Waikato River, three tui, and a female portrait representing Mātariki.  See film of the mural on Te Ao Maori News (23 Jan 2020):  Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa mural revitalising local history.  

Gatherings - social, cultural & political events

• Garden Place has continued to be used for social, cultural and political events. Next to a small grassed area near Victoria Steet, there is also a raised concrete/stage area three steps high above the paving stones which is also used for live music, cultural performances, community events, and public speakers. To browse past and upcoming events, see listings on the Eventfinda Garden Place Venue Page.

18. Ongoing changes to Garden Place: 2025 -

The Hamilton City Council stated on its website under Garden Place changes(updated 17 June 2025): "We’re making some tangible changes to help Garden Place be a safe space where people want to be". 

Programmes included:

• Putting the garden back into Garden Place: "Starting 16 June 2025, construction will begin to revamp the gravel area of Garden Place into a nature play garden. Work is expected to take three weeks. The garden will include new plants, stepping stones and balance beams to create a family-friendly area." Consequently, the Matariki sculpture was relocated in July 2025 to the Hamilton Gardens and sited near the entrance to the carpark inside Gate 1 off Hungerford Crescent. See: Isabella Root (2 Sept 2025), "$28k to re-home Garden Place artwork", Waikato Times.

• Lighting upgrades:  "We’re in the early stages of planning our lighting upgrade for Garden Place which will happen in the 2025/26 financial year."  

• Central Library facade: "In August 2025, a six-month project to replace the leaking facade of the Central Library will begin."  For a photo of the Library's former facade which had a painted mural, see: Hamilton City Library's webpage: History of Hamilton City Libraries. A progress report on 15 April 2026 stated "Central library facade replacement complete"

• Bylaw reviews: "Later this year we will be asking for your feedback on a series of bylaws that help to set expectations around behaviour, and outline how people can use Garden Place."  Garden Place was attracting "anti-social behaviour" - Sleeping, showering in the water fountains etc

• Progress reports are provided on the Hamilton City Council's website under News. 

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Sources

• Hamilton City Council (21 June 2022):  Hamilton City Historic Heritage Area Assessment: Appendix 9

• Hamilton City Council (2003): “Nga Tapuwae O Hotumauea” Maori landmarks on riverside reserves: Management Plan" (pdf)    

• Hamilton City Libraries: Heritage Collection Online

• Stuff.co.nz (10 Dec 2013): Elton Smallman, "Go back to your marae, that's what it's for": https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/9496147/Go-back-to-your-marae-thats-what-its-for

• Stuff.co.nz (31 Oct 2020): Mike Mather, "Battle not over yet for champion of women, children, and  poverty-stricken: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/123261081/battle-not-over-yet-for-champion-of-women-children-and-povertystricken

• Te Ao Maori News (23 Jan 2020): Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa mural revitalising local history: https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2020/01/23/te-kopu-mania-o-kirikiriroa-mural-revitalising-local-history/

• Wintec: A history of the land on which our city campus sits: https://wintecprodpublicwebsite.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity-storage/docs/default-source/about-wintec-documents/history-of-wintec-land.pdf?sfvrsn=a5f1ec33_4

This DigitalNZ story was updated in August 2026