Cameron after a white flag of truce was flown, Cameron informed Māori that Governor Grey would only come to talk peace if his forces were allowed to enter Ngāruawāhia unopposed. Cameron entered a deserted Ngāruawāhia on 8 December 1863, but Grey never came to talk peace. Despite Māori protest, sales of confiscated land went ahead in 1864, shortly after the invasion. During the 19th century, Ngāruawāhia was named Queenstown and then Newcastle. However, the town returned to the original name in 1878. 20th century A gas power station was built in Herschell St in 1913 by the Town Board for lighting. It used Glen Massey coal, which was converted to gas in a Cambridge Patent Gas Producer (many were used about this time in Australasia) and used to drive a 2-cylinder gas engine. It closed in 1924. Much of the machinery was removed in 1950 and from 1954 the building was used as a scout hall. Officers from the United States visited Ngāruawāhia during World War II and would share food at hāngi. Queen Elizabeth II has visited Ngāruawāhia on two occasions (1953 & 1974). On the latter occasion, then Māori Queen Dame Te Ātairangikaahu and her husband Whatumoana Paki welcomed Queen Elizabeth II to the local marae. The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival was held in 1973, and featured many music acts, including some that went on to become internationally famous such as Black Sabbath and Split Enz. It was the first large outdoor music festival in New Zealand. In 1980, Mayor Latta released a book about the history of the town titled 'Meeting of the Waters'. In March 1998, a freight train derailed on the local North Island Main Trunk line's rail bridge across the Waikato River. The incident caused structural damage to the bridge. Water supply Until 1923 springs in Waipa Esplanade and Market Street were used. In April 1923 a reticulation scheme was opened, supplied by a dam on the Quarry Creek (now Mangarata Stream), away, in the Hakarimatas. The concrete dam is long and high and now accessible by the Waterworks Walk from Brownlee Avenue, alongside Mangarata Stream. The population was then 1100 in 240 houses. By 1965 the population was 3,630, so water was instead pumped from the Waikato and from a deep bore, with a new reservoir and water treatment plant opened in 1965. 21st century By April 2001, the damaged rail bridge was