OPINION: The City of Hamilton, by any other name, will still be Hamilton but those who demand a name change and for statues to be taken down should be careful what they ask for. Captain Hamilton, commander of HMS Esk, was killed at the Battle of Gate Pa at Pukehinahina near Tauranga on April 29 1864. On August 24, Colonel William Moule named the little village after Captain Hamilton and the two communities co-existed for several years. One of the reasons given for the attack on the statue was that the British forces had been murderers. New Zealand has, with doubt, a serious issue with racism which few are prepared to admit let alone address.

Source: Stuff June 19, 2020 16:52 UTC