were 86.7% European/Pākehā, 15.9% Māori, 1.8% Pacific peoples, and 2.7% Asian (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). Although some people objected to giving their religion, 54.9% had no religion, 34.5% were Christian, 0.9% were Hindu and 1.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 30 (10.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 81 (27.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 111 (38.1%) people were employed full-time, 48 (16.5%) were part-time, and 6 (2.1%) were unemployed. Modern Hampden The town includes a rural fire station, a fish-and-chip shop, a small supermarket, a motel, and backpackers, a popular camping ground, a cafe, mechanics workshop, a small second-hand goods shop, a tavern, and a historic town hall. Sheep farming is the primary economic activity of the region and is augmented by farming of other livestock. The Hampden Energy Forum, established in 2007, 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 attended. The forum won the Trustpower Community Award in 2008. Education Hampden School is a full primary school catering for years 1 to 8, with a roll of students as of The school opened in 1864. Notable people Helen Stephen Cowie (doctor) References External links "Hampden," entry from the 1905 Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Populated places in Otago Waitaki District