Everything about Wellington totally explained
Wellington is the
capital of
New Zealand, the country's second largest
urban area, the most populous national capital in
Oceania and the southern-most capital city in the world. It is in the
Wellington region at the southern tip of the
North Island, near the geographical centre of the country. It is popularly referred to as the
"Windy City" due to its historically fierce winds and weather or colloquially as
Wellywood.
Like many cities, Wellington's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single
local authority. Greater Wellington or the
Wellington Region means the entire urban area, plus the rural parts of the cities and the
Kapiti Coast, and across the
Rimutaka Range to the
Wairarapa.
Name
Wellington was named in honour of
Arthur Wellesley, the first
Duke of Wellington and victor of the
Battle of Waterloo. The Duke's title comes from the town of
Wellington in the
English county of
Somerset.
In
Māori, Wellington goes by three names.
Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara refers to
Wellington Harbour and means "the great harbour of Tara".
Pōneke is a transliteration of
Port Nick, short for
Port Nicholson (the city's central
marae, the community supporting it and its
kapa haka have the pseudo-tribal name of
Ngāti Pōneke).
Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, meaning
The Head of the Fish of Māui (often shortened to
Te Upoko-o-te-Ika), a traditional name for the southernmost part of the North Island, derives from the legend of the fishing up of the island by the demigod
Māui.
Importance
Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament and the head offices of all government ministries and departments, plus the bulk of the foreign
diplomatic missions based in New Zealand.
Wellington's compact city centre supports an arts scene, café culture and nightlife much larger than most cities of a similar size. It is a centre of New Zealand's film and theatre industry.
Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival are all sited there.
Wellington has the 12th best
quality of living in the world, according to
a 2007 study by consulting company Mercer. Of cities with English as the primary language, Wellington ranked fourth. Only Auckland of New Zealand cities rated higher.
Settlement
Legend recounts that
Kupe discovered and explored the district in about the
tenth century.
European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the
New Zealand Company on the ship
Tory, on
20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the
Aurora on
22 January 1840. The settlers constructed their first homes at
Petone (which they called Britannia for a time) on the flat area at the mouth of the
Hutt River. When that proved swampy and flood-prone they transplanted the plans without regard for a more hilly terrain.
Earthquakes
Wellington suffered serious damage in a series of
earthquakes in
1848 and from another earthquake in
1855. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake occurred on a
fault line to the north and east of Wellington. It ranks as probably the most powerful earthquake in recorded
New Zealand history, with an estimated magnitude of at least 8.2 on the
Richter scale. It caused vertical movements of two to three metres over a large area, including raising an area of land out of the harbour and turning it into a tidal swamp. Much of this land was subsequently reclaimed and is now part of Wellington's
central business district. For this reason the street named
Lambton Quay now runs 100 to 200 metres (325 to 650 ft) from the harbour. Plaques set into the footpath along Lambton Quay mark the shoreline in
1840 and thus indicate the extent of the uplift and of subsequent reclamation.
The area has high seismic activity even by New Zealand standards, with a major fault line running through the centre of the city, and several others nearby. Several hundred more minor fault lines have been identified within the urban area. The inhabitants, particularly those in
high-rise buildings, typically notice several
earthquakes every year. For many years after the 1855 earthquake, the majority of buildings constructed in Wellington were made entirely from wood. The 1996-restored Government Buildings, near Parliament is the largest wooden
office building in the
Southern Hemisphere. While masonry and
structural steel have subsequently been used in
building construction, especially for office buildings,
timber framing remains the primary structural component of almost all residential construction. Residents also place their hopes of survival in good
building regulations, which gradually became more stringent in the course of the twentieth century.
New Zealand's capital
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In
1865, Wellington became the capital of New Zealand, replacing
Auckland, where
William Hobson had established his capital in
1841. Parliament first sat in Wellington on
7 July 1862, but the city didn't become the official capital for some time. In November 1863 the Premier
Alfred Domett moved a resolution before Parliament (in Auckland) that "... it has become necessary that the
seat of government ... should be transferred to some suitable locality in Cook Strait." Apparently there was concern that the southern regions, where the gold fields were located, would form a separate colony. Commissioners from Australia (chosen for their neutral status) pronounced the opinion that Wellington was suitable because of its harbour and central location. Parliament officially sat in Wellington for the first time on
26 July 1865. The population of Wellington was then 4,900.
Wellington is the seat of New Zealand's highest court, the
Supreme Court of New Zealand. The historic former High Court building is to be enlarged and restored for the court's use.
Government House, the
official residence of the
Governor-General, is in Newtown, opposite the
Basin Reserve.
Location and geography
Wellington stands at the south-western tip of the
North Island on
Cook Strait, the passage that separates the North and South Islands. On a clear day the snowcapped
Kaikoura Ranges are visible to the south across the strait. To the north stretch the golden beaches of the
Kapiti Coast. On the east the
Rimutaka Range divides Wellington from the broad plains of the
Wairarapa, a
wine region of national acclaim.
Wellington is the
southernmost national capital city in the world, with a
latitude of about 41°S. It is also the
most remote capital in the World (for example the furthest from any other capital). It is more densely populated than most other settlements in New Zealand, due to the small amount of building space available between the harbour and the surrounding hills. Wellington has very few suitable areas in which to expand and this has resulted in the development of the surrounding cities in the greater urban area. Because of its location in the
roaring forties latitudes and its exposure to omnipresent winds coming through
Cook Strait, the city is known to
Kiwis as "Windy Wellington".
More than most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its central business district (CBD). Approximately 62,000 people work in the CBD, only 4,000 fewer than work in
Auckland's CBD, despite that city having three times Wellington's population. Wellington's cultural and nightlife venues concentrate in
Courtenay Place and surroundings located in the southern part of the
CBD, making the
inner city suburb of
Te Aro the largest entertainment destination in New Zealand.
Wellington has a median income well above the average in New Zealand and a much higher proportion of people with tertiary qualifications than the national average.
Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque
natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with tiered suburbs of colonial villas. The CBD is sited close to Lambton Harbour, an arm of
Wellington Harbour. Wellington Harbour lies along an active
geological fault, which is clearly evident on its straight western coast. The land to the west of this rises abruptly, meaning that many of Wellington's suburbs sit high above the centre of the city.
There is a network of bush walks and reserves maintained by the
Wellington City Council and local volunteers. The Wellington region has of regional parks and forests.
In the east is the
Miramar Peninsula, connected to the rest of the city by a low-lying isthmus at Rongotai, the site of
Wellington International Airport. The narrow entrance to Wellington is directly to the east of the Miramar Peninsula, and contains the dangerous shallows of
Barrett Reef, where many ships have been wrecked (most famously the inter-island ferry
Wahine in
1968).
On the hill west of the city centre are
Victoria University and
Wellington Botanic Garden. Both can be reached by a
funicular railway, the
Wellington Cable Car.
Wellington Harbour has three islands:
Matiu/Somes Island,
Makaro/Ward Island and
Mokopuna Island. Only Matiu/Somes Island is large enough for settlement. It has been used as a quarantine station for people and animals and as an
internment camp during the First and
Second World Wars. It is now a conservation island, providing refuge for
endangered species, much like
Kapiti Island further up the coast. There is access during daylight hours by the
Dominion Post Ferry
.
Architecture
Wellington contains a variety of architectural styles dating back from the past 150 years; from nineteenth century wooden cottages, such as the
Katherine Mansfield Birthplace in Thorndon, some streamlined
Art Deco structures such as the old
Wellington Free Ambulance headquarters and the
City Gallery, and the curves and vibrant colours of post-modern architecture in the CBD.
The oldest building in Wellington is
the Colonial Cottage in Mount Cook . The tallest building in the city is the
Majestic Centre on Willis Street at 116 meters high, the second tallest being the
structural expressionist BNZ Tower at 103 meters .
Futuna Chapel is located in
Karori, was the first bicultural building in New Zealand, and is thus considered one of the most significant New Zealand buildings of the twentieth century.
Old St. Paul's is an example of 19th-century
Gothic Revival architecture adapted to colonial conditions and materials, as is
St Mary of the Angels. The
Museum of Wellington City & Sea building, the
Bond Store is in the Second French Empire style, and the
Wellington Harbour Board Wharf Office Building is in a late English Classical style. There are several restored theatre buildings, the
St. James Theatre, the
Opera House and the
Embassy Theatre.
Civic Square is surrounded by the town hall and council offices, the
Michael Fowler Centre, the
central library and the
City Gallery.
Being the capital, there are many memorable government buildings in Wellington. Both the
National Library of New Zealand, located on Molesworth Street, and the Te Puni Kōkiri building on
Lambton Quay are aesthetically unique . The circular-conical Executive Wing of
New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located on the corner of Lambton Quay and Molesworth Street, was constructed in the mid-60s and is commonly referred to as
the Beehive. Across the road from the Beehive is the largest wooden building in the
Southern Hemisphere, part of the
old Government Buildings which now houses part of
Victoria University of Wellington's Law Faculty. The
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is located on the waterfront.
As tastes and trends in architecture have come into and fallen out of fashion, many memorable buildings have been lost.
Wellington also contains many iconic sulptures and structures.
Elijah Wood mentioned that he urinated from the
Bucket Fountain in
Cuba Street in an interview with
Jay Leno.
Climate
The city averages 2025 hours (or about 169 days) of sunshine per year.
Energy
The energy needs of Wellington are increasing, and one new source is the wind. Project West Wind was granted resource consent for 66 turbines, which is estimated to generate approximately 140MW
. Meridian Energy's Project West Wind is located a few kilometres west of Wellington's CBD, located on Meridian's Quartz Hill and
Terawhiti Station.
Demographics
The urban area of Wellington stretches across the city council areas of Porirua, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt and Wellington.
As of 2007, the four cities had an estimated total population of 382,700 and the Wellington Urban Area contained 99% of that population. The remaining areas are largely mountainous and sparsely farmed or parkland and are outside the urban area boundary.
Demographic statistics from the 2006 census are not readily available for the Wellington Urban Area, so the following demographic statistics detailed in this section are for the four city council areas:
Age distribution
| Area |
nder 20 |
0–39 |
0–59 |
0–79 |
80 and over |
| Wellington City |
25% |
37% |
26% |
10% |
2% |
| Lower Hutt City |
30% |
27% |
27% |
12% |
3% |
| Upper Hutt City |
30% |
25% |
28% |
14% |
3% |
| Porirua City |
34% |
|
26% |
10% |
1% |
| Four cities |
28% |
32% |
27% |
11% |
2% |
| New Zealand |
29% |
27% |
27% |
14% |
3% |
The relative lack of older people in Wellington is less marked when the neighbouring Kapiti Coast District is included. Nearly 7% of Kapiti Coast residents are over 80. Overall, Wellington's age structure matches the national average pretty closely.
Arts and culture
Wellington is the centre of the nation's film industry.
Film
Peter Jackson famous for
The Lord of the Rings,
Richard Taylor, and a growing team of creative professionals have turned the eastern suburb of
Miramar into one of the world's most acclaimed
film-making infrastructures. Directors like
Jane Campion and
Vincent Ward have managed to reach the world's screens with their independent spirit. Emerging Kiwi film-makers, like
Robert Sarkies,
Taika Waititi,
Costa Botes and Jennifer Bush-Daumec
(External Link), are extending the Wellington-based lineage and cinematic scope.
Museums and cultural institutions
Wellington is home to
Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the
Museum of Wellington City & Sea, the
Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Museum,
Colonial Cottage, the
New Zealand Cricket Museum, the Cable Car Museum,
Old St. Paul's, and the Wellington Law school (largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere) and the
Wellington City Art Gallery.
Food
Wellington's
cafe culture is extremely strong. The city has more cafes per head of population than New York.
Festivals
Wellington has become home to a myriad of high-profile events and cultural celebrations, including the biennial New Zealand International Arts Festival, annual International Jazz Festival, and major events such as
Cuba Street Carnival, New Zealand Fringe Festival, Summer City, The Wellington Folk Festival (in Wainuiomata), New Zealand Affordable Art Show, numerous
film festivals, and World of
Wearable Art.
Music
The local music scene has, over the years produced bands such as
The Warratahs,
The Phoenix Foundation,
Shihad,
Fly My Pretties,
Fat Freddy's Drop,
The Black Seeds,
Fur Patrol,
Flight Of The Conchords and
Trinity Roots. The New Zealand
School of Music was established in 2005 through a merger of the conservatory and theory programmes at
Massey University and
Victoria University of Wellington.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra,
Nevine String Quartet and
Chamber Music New Zealand are based in Wellington.
Performing arts
Wellington is home to the National Opera Company,
City Gallery, the
Royal New Zealand Ballet,
St James' Theatre,
Downstage Theatre,
Bats Theatre, the Arts Foundation of New Zealand and the New Zealand International Arts Festival, the Wellington Performing Arts Centre is also an important local source for theatre.
Wellington is also home to groups that perform Improvised Theatre and
Improvisational comedy, including
Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT), The Improvisors and youth group, Joe Improv. Poet
Bill Manhire, director of the International Institute of Modern Letters, has turned the
Creative Writing Programme at
Victoria University of Wellington into a forge of new literary activity.
Te Whaea, New Zealand's university-level school of dance and drama, and tertiary institutions such as The Learning Connexion, offer training and creative development.
Arts
From 1936 Wellington was home to the
National Art Gallery of New Zealand up until 1992 when it was amalgamated into
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa . Wellington is also home to the
New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. The city's new
arts centre,
Toi Poneke, serves as a nexus of creative projects, collaborations, and multi-disciplinary production. Arts Programmes and Services Manager Eric Vaughn Holowacz and a small team based in the Abel Smith Street facility have produced ambitious new initiatives such as
Opening Notes,
Drive by Art, the annual
Artsplash Festival, and new
public art projects. The city is also home to experimental arts publication
White Fungus Magazine.
Sport
Wellington is the home to:
Sporting events hosted in Wellington include:
the Wellington Sevens - a round of the IRB Sevens World Series. Held at the Westpac Stadium over a weekend every February, this rugby sevens tournament contributes $6.8 million to the local economy each year.
the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005.
a Wellington 500 street race for touring cars, between 1985 and 1996
Gallery
Notable Wellingtonians
Ivan Bootham - novelist, short story writer, poet and composer
John Campbell - broadcaster and news journalist
Jane Campion - Oscar winning film-maker
Jemaine Clement - musician, member of Flight of the Conchords
Robin Cooke, Baron Cooke of Thorndon (dec) - barrister and jurist
Russell Crowe - Oscar-winning actor
Rod Drury - technology entrepreneur
Lauris Edmond (dec) - poet
Brooke Fraser - multi-platinum selling singer
Patricia Grace - writer
Peter Jackson - Oscar-winning film-maker
Lloyd Jones - award winning writer
Raybon Kan - comedian
Elizabeth Knox - celebrated author
Melanie Lynskey - actress
Alan MacDiarmid (dec) - scientist
Katherine Mansfield (dec) - writer
Jack Marshall (dec) - former Prime Minister
Bret McKenzie - musician, member of Flight of the Conchords
Ben Hana - Wellington's street icon
Sam Morgan - founder of online auction site TradeMe
Anna Paquin - Oscar-winning actress
William Hayward Pickering (dec) - electrical engineer, former head of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California
Antonia Prebble - actress
John Psathas - composer
Christopher Pugsley - writer
Wynton Rufer - footballer
Jonathan Sarfati - chess master and author, raised in Wellington
Tom Scott - cartoonist, political commentator
Richard Taylor - head of film prop and special effects company Weta Workshop. Multiple Oscar winner.
Jon Toogood - singer and guitarist for the rock band Shihad
Tana Umaga - former captain of the All Blacks
Karl Urban - actor
Rosita Vai - Singer, 2005 New Zealand Idol winner
Peter Vincent - Entrepreneur, Founder/CEO of Vincent Aviation, NZ's only 100% Kiwi owned International Airline
Fran Walsh - Oscar-winning screenwriterFurther Information
Get more info on 'Wellington'.
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