Who are we Hamilton?

Hamilton has often been referred to as a cowtown given our agricultural heritage, but is that an accurate reflection of who we are as a city today?

As Hamilton approaches its 150th birthday, a new plan is set to give the city new direction away from "slogans or bylines" and may help define who Hamilton is.

The city has previously been lumped with meaningless slogans - "Fountain City", "Hamilton, where it's happening", "Hamilton, more than you expect", and "Hamilton, city of the future". Outsiders have branded the city a 'cowtown' in reference to its agricultural heritage. But none of those labels define who we are as a city.

Currently the city council's Annual Plan identifies Hamilton as a 'smart city', but over the next six months council will work on a 10-year plan that will move away from labels.

"We're focusing on 10 priorities we want to deliver over the next 10 years, rather than slogans or bylines," said Mayor Julie Hardaker. "We're looking at actual goals we can actually deliver for the city.

"I feel very positive and excited about the future. I do think the city is at the cross roads where we are about to take the road of a very important and large city in New Zealand.

"That is underpinned by the economy and growth.

"The river and the gardens, and some of the other work that will be coming out in the next month or so will underpin what the priorities are for the city of the next 10 years."
The Mayor describes Hamilton as beautiful, sporty, family orientated, and good at business.

"I think we'd have a bit of farming in us, Maori come from that as well - Kirikiriroa was a very rich place for crops. That speaks to all of us, we haven't lost that, I think it is very much part of our identity."

Hamilton News asked a panel of city residents to define Hamilton's identity and what they wanted to see in its future.

Radio personality Mark Bunting said he would like to see Hamilton as the "Southern city of the North", drawing on his central Otago heritage and experiences.

"The only way this city is going to thrive is if it's a city of people rather than place. We have so many people who would describe it so differently and therein lies our problem. People who think it's cool and all 'Riff Raff', then other people who think it's Maori capital of the world, others who think it is the sporting capital of the world, a few who think it is cultural, and everyone thinks their own way."

Mr Bunting said it is not abnormal to leave a house unlocked or the keys in the car in central Otago. "There, you're expected to talk to someone at the urinal, here you run the chance of getting beaten up if you do.

"If you see an old lady's firewood you stop and chop it, rather than nick it. I reckon here you have a good opportunity [for this] because you have two major groups: one is Maoridom built on whanau and family, the other is farming and farming is built on community and family."

A Hamilton resident for more than 40 years and an avid commenter on Hamilton News' Facebook page, Irene Field has many thoughts on bedding in our identity.

"You think every city has something that stands out or makes it quirky. Up at Kawakawa they have the toilets, we actually stopped there so I could go in and take photos! What we have is Riff Raff and Rocky Horror. Why don't we have a Rocky Horror theme night somewhere, really build on that.

She also suggests linking Frankton Railway Station to the nearby village with an overbridge "We could have some sort of themed thing with the Frankton railway - a Rocky Horror themed walk."

She's also a fan of local artist Jeremy Shirley's murals and questions why we don't make more of our art culture.

"Why don't they have an art map of where [Jeremy's] murals are in Hamilton? There is nothing, it is only through following him I know they have happened."

A Hamilton resident for four decades, Michael Eastwood would like to see the "city of fountains" brought back.

"[The lake beach] was all sandy. They put those rocks there to stop people [going into the water] because it is so polluted. I think they should put a giant fountain in the lake, like Oriental Parade in Wellington. That would oxygenate the water and stir up the nutrients. It would also look cool, they could flood light it from the top of the water tower. Hamilton used to be called Fountain City but there are no more fountains."