Hampden, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Hampden is a rural settlement defined as a "populated area less than a town" in North Otago
, New Zealand
. It is located close to the North Otago coast, some 30 kilometres south of Oamaru
, and 50 minutes north of Otago's largest city, Dunedin
. It was named after the English politician John Hampden
. In 2004, the population was put at 304.
The town consists of a rural fire station, fish and chips
shop, general store, motel and backpackers, The Hampden Lodge, service station and mechanics workshop, a small second hand goods shop, tavern, and a historic town hall. There is a primary school with around thirty pupils.
Hampden was featured on National Radio's 'Your Place' show where it was said that the fish and chip shop was the best in New Zealand.
Hampden is situated beside a broad bay stretching from Aorere Point to Moeraki
Point, on a coastal plain which rises westward to the foothills of the Horse Range and the Kakanui Mountains. The soil of this surrounding plain overlies a limestone formation and is highly valued for agricultural production. Sheep husbandry
is the primary economic activity of the region and is augmented by some deer and cattle farming and two pig farms.
The streets of Hampden are laid out in a rectangular grid centred around the main highway and the railway. They are named after English locations, hence Lancaster
, Shrewsbury
, Worcester
, Norfolk
etc.
The popular Moeraki Boulders
, together with a small cafe and restaurant are located 2 kilometres south of Hampden.
There is some good surfing locally on the Katiki straight, as well as nice trout fishing in the local Waianakarua and Shag rivers. The local hills are popular for pig and deer hunting. Close by at Moeraki, deep sea fishing and diving are also very popular.
The Hampden Energy Forum was established in 2007. This has grown into a community self-help scheme that involves nearly everyone in the settlement, growing from a small group of enthusiasts who were concerned about the future of small rural communities in 'post-oil' days. At the inaugural meeting to establish the Forum, more than one third of the town's population was present (i.e. 106 out of 304).
The Forum won the Trustpower Community Award in 2008, mainly for the staging of the Hampden Energy Expo. This was a one-day event that demonstrated many ways of surviving with minimum reliance on fossil fuels. The Forum continues to involve the community in such processes as waste disposal, car pooling, waste reduction, self-sufficiency gardening, electricity supply and wireless internet connections.
Such an initiative was possibly the first to occur in New Zealand, many communities now strive for the same initiatives.
North Otago
The district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama . The large east-coast town of Oamaru serves as North Otago's main centre...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is located close to the North Otago coast, some 30 kilometres south of Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
, and 50 minutes north of Otago's largest city, Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. It was named after the English politician John Hampden
John Hampden
John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
. In 2004, the population was put at 304.
The town consists of a rural fire station, fish and chips
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
shop, general store, motel and backpackers, The Hampden Lodge, service station and mechanics workshop, a small second hand goods shop, tavern, and a historic town hall. There is a primary school with around thirty pupils.
Hampden was featured on National Radio's 'Your Place' show where it was said that the fish and chip shop was the best in New Zealand.
Hampden is situated beside a broad bay stretching from Aorere Point to Moeraki
Moeraki
Moeraki is a small fishing village on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was once the location of a whaling station. In the 1870s, local interests believed it could become the main port for the north Otago area and a railway line, the Moeraki Branch, was built to the settlement...
Point, on a coastal plain which rises westward to the foothills of the Horse Range and the Kakanui Mountains. The soil of this surrounding plain overlies a limestone formation and is highly valued for agricultural production. Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
is the primary economic activity of the region and is augmented by some deer and cattle farming and two pig farms.
The streets of Hampden are laid out in a rectangular grid centred around the main highway and the railway. They are named after English locations, hence Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
etc.
The popular Moeraki Boulders
Moeraki Boulders
The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden, and are located at . They occur scattered either as isolated or clusters of boulders within a stretch of beach where they...
, together with a small cafe and restaurant are located 2 kilometres south of Hampden.
There is some good surfing locally on the Katiki straight, as well as nice trout fishing in the local Waianakarua and Shag rivers. The local hills are popular for pig and deer hunting. Close by at Moeraki, deep sea fishing and diving are also very popular.
The Hampden Energy Forum was established in 2007. This has grown into a community self-help scheme that involves nearly everyone in the settlement, growing from a small group of enthusiasts who were concerned about the future of small rural communities in 'post-oil' days. At the inaugural meeting to establish the Forum, more than one third of the town's population was present (i.e. 106 out of 304).
The Forum won the Trustpower Community Award in 2008, mainly for the staging of the Hampden Energy Expo. This was a one-day event that demonstrated many ways of surviving with minimum reliance on fossil fuels. The Forum continues to involve the community in such processes as waste disposal, car pooling, waste reduction, self-sufficiency gardening, electricity supply and wireless internet connections.
Such an initiative was possibly the first to occur in New Zealand, many communities now strive for the same initiatives.