Waikato County

Waikato County
County of New Zealand
1876–1989
CapitalHamilton
History 
• Established
1876
• Disestablished
1989
Today part ofWaikato region
Waikato County Offices about 1910

Waikato County was one of the counties of New Zealand on the North Island. Under the Local Government (Waikato Region) Reorganisation Order of 1989, nearly all of the county was added to the boroughs of Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, most of Raglan County Council, and a small part of Waipa County Council, to form Waikato District Council.[1]

The council first met on 9 January 1877 at the Court House in Cambridge.[2]

In 1923, Waikato County covered 640 sq mi (1,700 km2) and had a population of 8,350, with 128 mi (206 km) of gravel roads, 356 mi (573 km) of mud roads and 12 mi (19 km) of tracks.[3]

The former County Council office at 455 Grey Street in Hamilton East opened in 1910.[4] It has not been greatly altered[5] and is now used by a travel agent.[6] It is protected by a Category B listing in Hamilton City's District Plan.[7] It was replaced by new offices to the rear of it, which had a foundation stone dated 4 February 1971 and were first used for a meeting on 21 March 1972. The old building was leased to the Ministry of Agriculture.[8] After 1989, the new building was used by Waikato District Council and then by Hill Laboratories[9] until 2017.[10] Since 2020 it has been renovated as Hills Village apartments.[11]

  1. ^ Te Ara maps of Waikato local government
  2. ^ "WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL. WAIKATO TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 11 January 1877. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  3. ^ "KAWHIA SETTLER AND RAGLAN ADVERTISER Main Highways - Conference at Hamilton". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 3 August 1923. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Waikato County Council. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 12 February 1910. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. ^ "455 Grey Street, Hamilton East". Google maps. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Contact". Calder and Lawson Tours. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Schedule 8A: Built Heritage (structures, buildings and associated sites) - Hamilton City Council". www.hamilton.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  8. ^ David More (1976). Between the river and the hills : Waikato County Council, 1876-1976. Wilson & Horton. pp. 296–7.
  9. ^ "Submission by Hill Laboratories Limited to the Proposed Hamilton District Plan" (PDF). 28 March 2013.
  10. ^ "Hamilton | Hill Laboratories - NZ". www.hill-laboratories.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Construction Updates". Hills Village. Retrieved 16 October 2021.