Our Town

In October of 2006, the Cambridge Historical Society celebrated its 50th Anniversary and a poetry competition was held as part of the celebrations. Entrants’ original poems were to be based on the subject of Cambridge and/or the surrounding districts and we present here the prize winners of each section together with some of the highly commended entries.

by Joy Carter – Highly Commended Adult Section

Cambridge, our town, has such an English look
Just as you’d see in any tourist book –
With spreading oak trees, church and village green
It’s quite the prettiest town that you have ever seen.

Most think that it is named for that town far away
Where colleges of every kind and class hold sway.
But here, alas, we have no gentle River Cam
The mighty Waikato rules here – complete with dam.

Our Cambridge town has much more lofty roots –
Named for a Duke it was, and yes it suits!
George William Frederick Charles, a man of military fame –
The second Duke of Cambridge he, from whom we got our name.

1864

When the military leaders – that’s Cameron and Carey
Led their troops down the River and arrived tired and weary,
They found here a good site, overlooking the water
And set up a Camp, in defense of the area.

They remembered their leader, the Commander of Forces
The Duke aforementioned (I’m sure of my sources)
And in honour of him, Camp Cambridge they called it
A name we all know is a very good fit!

2006

Tho’ links with Cambridge England still remain
In this our town that bears the self-same name,
We now have many claims to our own fame
For lovely trees and champions here reign!