HAMILTONDURING THE GREAT WAR This exhibition uses newspaper stories and images to take you back in time to Hamilton in 1915. What was life like 100 years ago? What were the issues of the day? What were people talking about? Each panel has been put together using resources from Hamilton City Libraries newspaper, historic photographs, ephemera and archives collections. All articles and advertisements have been sourced from the Waikato Times in 1915 unless stated otherwise. Some articles have been abridged. All spelling and grammar are as they appeared in the newspapers in 1915. As Hamilton photographs from 1915 are limited, images have been sourced from throughout the 1910s in order to build an impression of the town as it was. 100 years ago... Hamilton Times is a fictitious newspaper HAMILTON IN 1915 ife continued as usual in Hamilton in 1915. While New Zealand was on the other LThe town was a predominantly farming side of the world to the conflicts of the community with a population of just over 4000. Great War, citizens were still expected The borough of Frankton was separate. The people to do their bit. Few people thought that were mainly British immigrants who were very the war would last more than a year – patriotic towards the King. Residents loved young recruits were eager to enlist, parades, carnivals, picnics, brass bands and unaware of the horrors they would had a great sense of community spirit. face overseas. SECOND EDITION ESTABLISHED 1872 TWO EDITIONS DAILY: 12.30 AND 4 P.M. The Hamilton Times Hamilton Times: Delivered in Town and Suburbs VOL 84 No. 13,240 Posted 7s 6d Per Quarter in Advance HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND : 1915 PRICE: ONE PENNY SATURDAY CLOSING HAMILTON STATISTICS 1915 Owing to the importance of • Estimated area: 2,276 acres the question to be decided at the • Estimated population: 4,097 people poll next Wednesday a repre- • Dwellings: 1,075 dwellings sentative of the Waikato Times • Ratepayers: 1,100 people called upon one of the managers • Rateable properties: 1,780 properties of a leading business firm to get • Money received from rates: £ 8,773.00 his opinion on the matter. Asked what would be the • Other money received: £19,285.00 effect on trade generally and the Total revenue: £28,058.00 consequent prosperity of the Receipts not revenue: £24,569.00 town, he stated that he wanted it £52,627.00 to be clearly understood that he • Loans total £21,979.00 sympathised with the assistants • £11,200.00 spent on gas lighting and power services who were endeavouring to get Saturday afternoon as a sports Borough Council Employees: day, but, unfortunately, sport 42 permanent employees, 63 casual or temps would not pay the rates, and any 105 total employees £14,274.00 wages. proposal of a doubtful nature Figures taken from The Municipal Handbook of New Zealand 1915 that would tend to depreciate our town should be considered very carefully. Hamilton cannot be compared with any other town, as it is essentially a district centre. Nor can we compare the present Hamilton with that of ten years ago; therefore in the same way we must build for the future. Ten years ago Hamilton was a small “Country town”; to-day it is a medium sized country town, and in ten years, Dominion of New Zealand: War Census. National Registration Act, 1915...every male resident of New Zealand between the ages of seventeen if its progress is not barred we will become a large “town,”, but and sixty is required to register not later than Tuesday, 9th November, HCL_01842 1915. Ref: Eph-D-WAR-WI-1915-01. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. still “in the country.” The closing of the shops on a Saturday will Motor vehicles, horses and carriages, cyclists and pedestrians spoil our country trade. In my share Victoria Street, c1916. opinion the sports clubs would be strengthened, and the thea- HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL tres and picture houses be given a direct lift but otherwise I cannot The Mayor, Mr A. E. Manning, presided over a meeting of the see any benefit to closing on a Hamilton Borough Council last night. There were also present: Saturday. From a health stand- Crs. Fow, McKinnan, Tristram, Hammond, Tidd, Howden, and point the mid-week break from Speight. work is a good thing. DAMAGED HARNESS The stream was measured near Will the assistants vote for Mr G. Raynes asked the the site of proposed intake, Saturday closing? council to pay for repairs to a and the discharge over the weir Many like the Wednesday harness belonging to him, which was found to be at the rate of [Current closing day], and I am was broken through his horse 3,000,000 gallons in 24 hours. quite certain the majority of falling into a hole in Colling- Assuming that the quantity assistants who have the welfare wood street. The repairs had available as a supply is 2,000,000 of the town at heart, will vote cost him £1, while he had lost gallons daily, this would provide HCL_02521 against the proposal, and all the use of the horse temporarily. sufficient water storage for a other workers not under the The Waikato Argus building in Victoria Street c1910. The Argus was – Referred to the engineer for a population of 40,000 on a basis Shop Assistants Act have the report. of 50 gallons per head per day.” amalgamated with the Waikato Times in late 1915. holiday already in which to do their business, so will naturally APPROACH WANTED WORKS COMMITTEE HAMILTON MOTOR BY-LAW WEEKLY HALF HOLIDAY vote against a proposal that will Mr J. Buckley, Naylor Street, The Works Committee To the Editor. A petition is at present in circu- take away their privileges. asked for a formed approach reported that they had resolved lation in Hamilton, under the When we have a population to his property. – Left in the to recommend that the engi- Sir, I am very pleased to see Mr hands of the chairman of Works neer take levels with a view to Pemberton take up the cudgels authorship of certain business here of 100,000 or so, we will men, asking the Minister of be able to experiment with Committee and engineer for a cutting down the intersection of in your valuable paper against report. Pembroke and Clarence streets the by-law in Hamilton, insisting Internal Affairs to authorise a poll Saturday closing, but at the of ratepayers on the question of the present time during the war it is a depth of about three feet. that all motor-car drivers shall HINEMOA STREET be licensed before they can drive weekly half-holiday in Hamilton too risky. Let us make our own and Frankton. At present the town what it is geographically Mr T. White urged the council COUNCIL IN COMMITTEE through Hamilton. I think as to open Hinemoa street from Recommended: “That the there are a great many accidents shops close on Wednesday, the suited for, namely, a “Live Shop- day being fixed by a conference ping Centre,” and not retard Ward street to the railway line, matter of widening the footpath among horse-driven vehicles to its full width, in accordance in Victoria street fronting Ferry that it is much more necessary of delegates from the Hamilton its growth with very doubtful and Frankton Borough Councils. experiments. with a promise previously given. Bank, be left in the hands of the to license drivers on horse traps. – The matter was referred to the borough engineer and Beauti- Anyway it is no inducement to engineer to make some arrange- fying Society’s foreman.” farmers to visit Hamilton when ment with Mr White. there is a chance of their being RESERVES COMMITTEE run in if they don’t take out a KANIWHANIWHA STREAM Recommended: “That the license; so most of those in this The engineer presented a storm water drainage work position will do their business in report: “I beg to report that required to be done to effectu- some other town. The Waikato his Worship the Mayor and ally drain the Whitiora Lagoon farmers can drive to and about Crs. Tidd, Hayter, Tristram, site and to prevent the water Auckland or anywhere else McKinnon, and Howden from Victoria street discharging in New Zealand without any visited the above stream on on the area, be put in hand and license. Why, therefore, should the 17th inst for the purpose completed by day labour in they be barred in Hamilton? of ascertaining the volume of accordance with the borough Why should a farmer 41 miles water at what is, probably, the engineer’s report and plan of out of Hamilton go free and one minimum flow for several years. 2nd October 1915 last.” 39 miles have to take a license. – HCL_02773 A selection of articles and advertisements from the Waikato Times I am, etc., Victoria Street was in the process of being lowered in April 1915 in 1915. Images are from the Hamilton City Libraries historic Matangi. 11th February 1915 in order to make the decline at the end of the street less steep. photographs, ephemera and archives collections. FOR CHARITY he war brought out the best in people socks, waistcoats and other clothing for soldiers. Tliving in Hamilton. Those at home used School children made handkerchiefs and knitted charity work as a way of supporting the war socks while money and gifts were collected for effort and their loved ones on the front lines wounded soldiers and their families. Colourful in Europe and the Middle East. Patriotic public events, such as mock courts, fairs, societies, mostly made up of women, were concerts and dances, were held to raise formed to help collect items such as boots, funds and bring the community together.