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is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 7,028 at the 2000 census. Since each U.S. state cannot have more than one post office of the same name and there are many 'Waimeas' on the islands of Hawaii, the official USPS name for Waimea is
Waimea is the largest town in the interior of the Big Island, and is the center for ranching activities and paniolo culture. The Parker Ranch in and around Waimea is the largest privately-owned cattle ranch in the US, and the annual Fourth of July rodeo is a major event.
Waimea is also home to the headquarters of two astronomical observatories located on Mauna Kea, the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.
It is believed that the watershed area of the Kohalas once supported several thousand native Hawaiians, who practiced subsistence agriculture, made kapa, and thatched hales. As the Europeans arrived in the area, most of the sandalwood (
) forests were harvested and the land became ideal for grazing animals. California longhorn cattle were given as a gift to Hawaiian King Kamehameha I by British Captain George Vancouver in 1793. In 1809, John Palmer Parker arrived to the area after jumping ship and over time became employed by the king to tame the population of cattle, which at this point had grown out of control. In 1815 Parker married Kipikane, the daughter of a high-ranking chief, and as a family developed what is now Parker Ranch, the largest ranch in the area. Waimea's other name Kamuela is the Hawaiian name for Samuel, named after Samuel Parker, the son of John parker.
The early 1800s also saw the arrival of the horse and Latin American vaqueros (cowboys), bringing traditional western culture, riding and roping skills. The king hired these vaqueros to teach Hawaiians herding and ranching skills and 1836, the island had working cowboys. As the Hawaiian culture and Latin vaquero cultured commingled, a unique breed of cowboy emerged, the paniolo.
During World War II beef and vegetable prices increased and farmers returned to cultivate maize, beets, cabbage and a variety of other green vegetables. Farm and ranchland acreage increased from 75 in 1939 to 518 in 1946. Waimea also saw many soldiers during this time who built a large temporary tent city, Camp Tarawa. When the war was over and the military had left, Waimea had an entertainment center, now Kahilu Theatre, and an airstrip, now Waimea-Kohala Airport.