GARDEN OF THE WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 9817, 22 February 1936, Page 14

GARDEN OF THE WAIKATO.

CAMBRIDGE BEAUTY SPOTS. ENGLISH ASSOCIATIONS RECALLED. ANY years ago a poet, long since forgotten, pictured with eloquent pen, a delightful vista of purple hills I I and sylvan glades, and streets through towering II SBwSIM green arches of trees. Had he entitled his work “c am b r i(jge” he could scarce have found a more fitting title. Founded by, a pioneer band which carried with it memories of a homeland far across the seas, Cambridge is a township which resembles, probably more than any other town in New Zealand, the typical English country town, with its wealth of beautiful spreading trees, smooth lawns, and shady streets. Away back in the pioneer days, when the early settlers were carving a home for themselves in the virgin bush of the Waikato, beset by many natural difficulties, and harassed by warring natives, a band of settlers came upon what was to be the site of Cambridge, and set about building the first crude homes for their families. It was in 1864 when the Hon. Thomas Russell, who commanded/the militia stationed in this part of the Waikato, selected the site for the township, and bestowed upon it the name of Cambridge. The Karapiro creek, which flows into the Waikato River near the township, appeared to the soldier-settler to bear a remarkable resemblance to the river Cam, in England, and memories of the Homeland inspired him to name this pioneer settlement after an English beauty spot. Beauty and Quiet Dignity. Down the passage of the years Cambridge has passed through times of difficulty and prosperity, but it has always retained its English associations, so far as its layout and scenery are concerned, and this has proved one of its greatest attractions. Visitors from far and near have remarked on this fact. Although it is an important commercial centre, serving a rich and extensive district, Cambridge possesses a quiet, peaceful dignity which is not met with elsewhere in New Zealand to the same degree. With the passing of the years the town’s old-world beauty has been enhanced by the hand of Time, assisted by the judicious additions of man-made beauty spots to the town’s natural amenities. The beautiful Te Koutu Park, near the centre of the town, is one of the best-kept and finest reserves of its kind in the Dominion, possessing a wealth of fine trees and shrubs, and many colourful flower plots, the whole in a setting of smooth lawns. A valuable asset in the park is the picturesque lake, with its many wild duck and other feathered inhabitants of the reedfringed shores. The main street of Cambridge passes under a bower of magnificent trees to reach the business quarter of the town, while the spirit of the pioneers has been captured by the residents in the planting of numerous trees on private properties. Played Their Part Nobly. In the saga of Cambridge, such names as Thomas Wells, G. Clark, Richard Reynolds, W. F. Buckland, and the Fisher family will always be associated with the building up of what has become a progressive town and district, renowned for its productive wealth and general solidarity, a tribute to the zeal and unremitting efforts of the pioneers. Cambridge, as a business centre, serves what is probably one of the richest districts in the Dominion. There was a time when Cambridge was the largest centre in the Waikato, and the venue for great stock fairs, but Hamilton, because of its more favourable geographical position, soon outstripped its neighbour, and assumed the mantle of the capital of South Auckland. However, it is freely admitted that Cambridge is the natural centre of the finest part of the Waikato, and is a thriving residential town.