Waikato County

{{Short description|County in New Zealand}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox Former Subdivision

|conventional_long_name = Waikato County

|common_name = Waikato County

|subdivision = County

|nation = New Zealand

|p1 =

|s1 =

|flag_s1 =

|year_start = 1876

|event_end =

|year_end = 1989

|date_end =

|image_coat =

|image_map =

|capital = Hamilton

|stat_area1 =

|stat_pop1 =

|stat_year1 =

|category=

|today = Waikato region

|footnotes =

}}

File:Waikato_County_Offices_about_1910.jpg

Waikato County was one of the counties of New Zealand on the North Island. Under the Local Government (Waikato Region) Reorganisation Order of 1989, nearly all of the county was merged with the boroughs of Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, most of Raglan County Council, and a small part of Waipa County Council, to form Waikato District Council.[http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/27157/waikato-local-government Te Ara maps of Waikato local government]

The council first met on 9 January 1877 at the Court House in Cambridge.{{Cite web|date=11 Jan 1877|title=WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL. WAIKATO TIMES|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18770111.2.10|access-date=2021-10-16|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

In 1923, Waikato County covered {{Convert|640|mi2|abbr=on}} and had a population of 8,350, with {{Convert|128|mi|abbr=on}} of gravel roads, {{Convert|356|mi|abbr=on}} of mud roads and {{Convert|12|mi|abbr=on}} of tracks.{{Cite web|date=3 Aug 1923|title=KAWHIA SETTLER AND RAGLAN ADVERTISER Main Highways - Conference at Hamilton|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/KSRA19230803.2.27|access-date=2021-10-16|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}

The former County Council office at 455 Grey Street in Hamilton East opened in 1910.{{Cite web|date=12 Feb 1910|title=Waikato County Council. WAIKATO ARGUS|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAIGUS19100212.2.17|access-date=2021-10-16|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}} It is protected by a Category B listing in Hamilton City's District Plan.{{Cite web|title=Schedule 8A: Built Heritage (structures, buildings and associated sites) - Hamilton City Council|url=https://www.hamilton.govt.nz:443/our-council/council-publications/districtplans/ODP/appendix8/Pages/Schedule-8A-Built-Heritage.aspx|access-date=2021-10-16|website=www.hamilton.govt.nz|language=en-NZ}} It was replaced by new offices to the rear of it, which had a foundation stone dated 4 February 1971 and were first used for a meeting on 21 March 1972. The old building was leased to the Ministry of Agriculture.{{Cite book|last=David More|title=Between the river and the hills : Waikato County Council, 1876-1976|publisher=Wilson & Horton|year=1976|pages=296–7}} After 1989, the new building was used by Waikato District Council and then by Hill Laboratories{{Cite web|date=28 March 2013|title=Submission by Hill Laboratories Limited to the Proposed Hamilton District Plan|url=https://www.hamilton.govt.nz/PDPSubmissions2013/Proposed%20District%20Plan%20Submission%20539.pdf}} until 2017.{{Cite web|title=Hamilton {{!}} Hill Laboratories - NZ|url=https://www.hill-laboratories.com/contact-us/hamilton/|access-date=2021-10-16|website=www.hill-laboratories.com}} Since 2020 it has been renovated as Hills Village apartments.{{Cite web|title=Construction Updates|url=https://www.hillsvillage.co.nz/construction-updates|access-date=2021-10-16|website=Hills Village|language=en-US}}