A Glimpse of a Growing Town: Hamilton, c.1909

Early 20th-century postcards might seem ordinary at first glance, but they often hold valuable clues to the transformation of Aotearoa’s towns and cities during times of rapid growth. This particular view of Hamilton, photographed by Henry Gaze around 1909, captures just such a moment of change.
Taken from a back window of the Hamilton Post Office - today home to ArtsPost - the image looks out across the Waikato River. To the right stands the Union Bridge, while in the foreground are houses that once occupied the site where the Waikato Museum of Art and History now sits. Though long gone, these homes once marked the edge of what remains a key part of the city’s cultural heart.

Across the river, Hamilton East stretches out along the plateau. The houses visible in the distance were clustered along a street known at the time as von Tempsky Street, renamed Puutikitiki Street in recent years to better reflect local heritage and iwi connections.
Closer to the river’s edge, a flax mill can be seen in operation—one of several that supported the early regional economy. The Union Bridge is clearly visible, but the later Traffic Bridge, which would become a vital river crossing, has yet to appear in this snapshot of the past.
More than just a picturesque scene, this postcard offers a valuable record of a town in transition—its built environment growing, its name places evolving, and its landscape slowly taking on the shape of the Hamilton we recognise today.