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In July 1881, a month before St Andrews Anglican Church in Cambridge was dedicated, Ed Hewitt, the proprietor of the local Criterion Hotel, offered to buy a 16 cwt bell if the Vestry could see…

Sanitary Inspection of Cambridge Borough covering Victoria and Empire Streets – 13 June 1921. “The triangle comprises a little more than two acres and is built over with shops along the Victoria Street side with…

6,495 men from New Zealand went to the South African War 1899-1902. There were 228 New Zealand deaths – 59 killed in action, 11 died of wounds, 25 from accidents and 133 from disease. 166…

In September 1902 part of the Thornton’s Maungakawa Hill property was sold to the Government for the sum of £4000.  There they established the first open air sanatorium for Tuberculosis (TB) sufferers in New Zealand.…

Ten thousand acres of land were leased and bought in 1868 by Daniel Bateman Thornton. He was visiting with his brother-in-law Josiah Firth of Matamata and had travelled by river to Cambridge. They continued on…

Originally the area occupied by the present Town Hall was the sale yards – the centre of activity for Cambridge. A controversy arose when it was decided to move the yards out near the race…

The Waikato Farmers’ Club was formed 20 October 1875, to advance the development of agriculture and pastoral lands; for essays on agricultural subjects and discussions. It was a common meeting ground for ideas on farming…

(From ‘The News and Theatre Courier’ 12 August 1936) ‘As told by Mr John Scott Fisher, the last man to cross over the old bridge built on the rocks was Jack Fitzgerald. He had come…

In July 1916 the Cambridge Domain Board informed the Acclimatisation Society that they were prepared to let them have what land they required on Carter’s Flat for a Game Farm, on a lease to suit.…

Anyone who has the opportunity to browse through old newspapers and magazines will know what fun it is to read the advertisements. Delving into history reveals that outdoor signs were the first forms of advertising…