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Lake Te Koutu
Lake Te Koutu is a 5.3 hectare lake situated in the heart of urban Cambridge, in the Cambridge Domain. Maori in pre-European days,
were taking eels, koura and fresh water from the lake, whose name translates to “ladle dipping into water”. The Domain was established in 1880. The lake was described in 1882 as “a beautiful sheet of pure spring water”, before the town sewerage began to be drained into the lake that same year. Today it is surrounded by highly modified, man made lake edges and path. -
King Tawhiaoo
King Pōtatau was succeeded by his son Tāwhiao, who was proclaimed king on 5 July 1860. Tāwhiao had three wives, a lover and 9 children. Tāwhiao developed religious ideas which the people of Tainui would later use as a basis for their future. His ideals consisted of self-sufficiency using native forests and foods and having stability and strength amongst the tribe. He died on 26 August 1894 and was buried at Taupiri. His tangitanga was attended by thousands. He was succeeded by his son Mahuta. -
The Museum
The Cambridge museum is in the old court house building, it was built on the 2 of march 1898. If you walk into the museum you can see historic collections of photographs, books, house hold goods and artefacts. You can also learn about important people from Cambridge, including pioneering women and people in the military. You can also learn about historic buildings, roads, schools and farming districts. The Cambridge museum is operated by the Cambridge historical society, which is a charity. -
The Town Hall
Built in 1909 of Edwardian design, the town hall is located on the site of the old sale yards in the centre of Cambridge. The front overlooks the cenotaph, town clock and Jubilee Gardens. It was built for 4699 pounds. Over time the town hall has been an emergency influenza hospital, hosted royalty and has been the library and information centre. It has also shown films, held balls flower shows, weddings and indoor sports functions. Today the town hall is used for weddings, meetings and shows. -
The Cambridge district war memorial
The Cambridge district war memorial was unveiled by Governor General Viscount Jellicoe on 11 December 1923. The memorial was built by Nigel Wallnutt and is in the Jubilee gardens in front of the town hall. It is in the shape of a cross with a sand stone obolisk in the middle. On 1 side is a marble sculpture of a young soldier. On the south side is a lion. The memorial is dedicated to Cambridge men who died in world war 1 as well as two South African war veterans. -
Secret Fuel Bunker
During world war ll with the threat of Japanese invasion Cambridge was chosen as a site for a secret aviation fuel depot. The concrete bunker was a pump house which pumped fuel to trucks waiting below. Trucks took the fuel to air force sights. in 1943 an accident occurred where four huts were destroyed and one person sadly passed away. Once the pump house was no longer in use it was sealed up. In 2018 the seal was replaced with grills so people could go see inside -
The Mare and Foal statue
The mare and foal statue is located outside the town hall in Cambridge. It was unveiled to the public on 26 March 2004. It celebrates Cambridge's links to the equine industry. $129,000 was raised from the equine industry, local businesses and prominent individuals to fund the project. Michelle Farell of Waiuku was commissioned to sculpture the life size bronze statue of a mare and foal. The statue weights 850 kilograms. It was part of the 2003 upgrade of the town centre by the district council. -
100 year liberation of Le Quesnoy
The Battle of Le Quesnoy in France on 4 November 1918 was one of New Zealand’s most important victories and the last. A few days after the liberation of the town, the Armistice ending the First World War was signed in Compiegne, France. There is an association called the Cambridge Le Quesnoy Friendship Association that aims to develop links between the two towns and the historical connection. The armistice sculpture in Cambridge celebrates 100 years since New Zealand liberated the French town.