Cambridge Attractions

A half-hour drive southeast from Hamilton is the English-looking town of Cambridge (pop. 11,000), on the Waikato River, in the commercial center of an agricultural area (cattle, sheep, horses; dairy farming). Cambridge was originally a military settlement established during the land wars in the Waikato region, on the site of a fortified Maori village. British gunboats could sail up the Waikato River as far as this point. It is disputed whether the town was called Cambridge because the Waikato was thought to resemble the English river Cam or as a compliment to the then commander-in-chief of the British army, the Duke of Cambridge. Historic buildings include St Andrew's Church (1881; Anglican), the Primary School (1879) and the old Court House with its handsome facade, now housing the Municipal Museum.