Wellington's transport network includes train and bus lines which reach as far as the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa , and ferries connect the city to the South Island. Wellington takes its name from Arthur Wellesley , the first Duke of Wellington and victor of the Battle of Waterloo : his title comes from the town of Wellington in the English county of Somerset. It was named in November by the original settlers of the New Zealand Company on the suggestion of the directors of the same, in recognition of the Duke's strong support for the company's principles of colonisation and his "strenuous and successful defence against its enemies of the measure for colonising South Australia".
One of the founders of the settlement, Edward Jerningham Wakefield , reported that the settlers "took up the views of the directors with great cordiality and the new name was at once adopted". The legendary Maori explorer Kupe , a chief from Hawaiki the homeland of Polynesian explorers, of unconfirmed geographical location, not to be confused with Hawaii , was said to have stayed in the harbour prior to CE.
In New Zealand Sign Language , the name is signed by raising the index, middle and ring fingers of one hand, palm forward, to form a "W", and shaking it slightly from side to side twice. The city's location close to the mouth of the narrow Cook Strait leaves it vulnerable to strong gales, leading to the nickname of "Windy Wellington". Legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century.
The earliest date with hard evidence for human activity in New Zealand is about The legendary Polynesian explorer Kupe , a chief from Hawaiki the homeland of Polynesian explorers, of unconfirmed geographical location, not to be confused with Hawaii , was said to have stayed in the harbour from c. European settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the New Zealand Company on the ship Tory on 20 September , followed by settlers on the Aurora on 22 January Thus the Wellington settlement preceded the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 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.
Within months that area proved swampy and flood-prone, and most of the newcomers transplanted their settlement, which had been planned without regard for a hilly terrain, [ citation needed ] across Wellington Harbour to Thorndon in the present-day site of Wellington city. Wellington was declared a city in , and was chosen to be the capital city of New Zealand in Wellington became the capital city in place of Auckland , which William Hobson had made the capital in Several commissioners delegates invited from Australia, chosen for their neutral status, declared that the city was a suitable location because of its central location in New Zealand and its good harbour ; it was believed that the whole Royal Navy fleet could fit into the harbour.
Wellington is New Zealand's political centre, housing the nation's major government institutions. The New Zealand Parliament relocated to the new capital city, having spent the first ten years of its existence in Auckland. At that time, the population of Wellington was just 4, The Government Buildings were constructed at Lambton Quay in The site housed the original government departments in New Zealand.
The public service rapidly expanded beyond the capacity of the building, with the first department leaving shortly after it was opened; by only the Education Department remained, and by the building was empty. The capital city is also the location of the highest court, the Supreme Court of New Zealand , and the historic former High Court building opened has been enlarged and restored for its use. The Governor-General's residence, Government House the current building completed in is situated in Newtown , opposite the Basin Reserve.
Premier House built in for Wellington's first mayor, George Hunter , the official residence of the prime minister , is in Thorndon on Tinakori Road. Over six months in and Wellington hosted the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition , celebrating a century since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Held on 55 acres of land at Rongotai it featured three exhibition courts, grand Art Deco-style edifices and a hugely popular three-acre amusement park. Wellington attracted more than 2. 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 Remutaka Range divides Wellington from the broad plains of the Wairarapa , a wine region of national notability. Wellington is more densely populated than most other cities in New Zealand due to the restricted amount of land that is available between its harbour and the surrounding hills.
It has very few open areas in which to expand, and this has brought about the development of the suburban towns. The urban area stretches across the areas administered by the city councils of Wellington, Lower Hutt , Upper Hutt and Porirua. The suburb of Porirua lies on Porirua Harbour to the north. Wellington's scenic natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with tiered suburbs of colonial villas are popular with tourists. The central business district CBD is close to Lambton Harbour, an arm of Wellington Harbour , which lies along an active geological fault , clearly evident on its straight western shore.
The land to the west of this rises abruptly, meaning that many 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. These include Otari-Wilton's Bush, dedicated to the protection and propagation of native plants. 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.
Industry has developed mainly in the Hutt Valley, where there are food-processing plants, engineering industries, vehicle assembly and oil refineries. It is a conservation island, providing refuge for endangered species , much like Kapiti Island farther up the coast. There is access during daylight hours by the Dominion Post Ferry. Steep landforms shape and constrain much of Wellington city.
Notable hills in and around Wellington include:.
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The hottest recorded temperature in the city is Frosts are quite common in the hill suburbs and the Hutt Valley between May and September. Snow is very rare at low altitudes, although snow fell on the city and many other parts of the Wellington region during separate events on 25 July and 15 August On 29 January , the suburb of Kelburn reached Wellington suffered serious damage in a series of earthquakes in [42] and from another earthquake in The Wairarapa earthquake occurred on the Wairarapa Fault to the north and east of Wellington.
It was probably the most powerful earthquake in recorded New Zealand history, [43] with an estimated magnitude of at least 8. It caused vertical movements of two to three metres over a large area, including raising land out of the harbour and turning it into a tidal swamp. Much of this land was subsequently reclaimed and is now part of the central business district. The Wairarapa earthquakes caused considerable damage in Wellington.
The area has high seismic activity even by New Zealand standards, with a major fault, the Wellington Fault , running through the centre of the city and several others nearby. Several hundred minor faults lines have been identified within the urban area. Inhabitants, particularly in high-rise buildings, typically notice several earthquakes every year. For many years after the earthquake, the majority of buildings were made entirely from wood. The restored Government Buildings [44] near Parliament is the largest wooden 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 place their confidence in good building regulations , which became more stringent in the 20th century.
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Since the Canterbury earthquakes of and , earthquake readiness has become even more of an issue, with buildings declared by Wellington City Council to be earthquake-prone, [45] [46] and the costs of meeting new standards. Every five years a year-long slow quake occurs beneath Wellington, stretching from Kapiti to the Marlborough Sounds.
It was first measured in , and reappeared in and The sequence started at pm on Sunday 21 July when the magnitude 6. At two minutes after midnight on Monday 14 November , the 7. Subsequently, a number of recent buildings were demolished rather than being rebuilt, often a decision made by the insurer. Two of the buildings demolished were about eleven years old — the seven-storey NZDF headquarters [55] [56] and Statistics House at Centreport on the waterfront.
The four cities comprising Greater Wellington have a total population of , June , [2] with the urban area containing The remaining areas are largely mountainous and sparsely farmed or parkland and are outside the urban area boundary. More than most cities, life is dominated by its central business district CBD. Approximately 62, people work in the CBD, only 4, fewer than work in Auckland's CBD, despite that city having four times the population.
Counts from the census gave totals by area, gender, and age. Wellington City had the largest population of the four cities with , [59] people, followed by Lower Hutt , Porirua and Upper Hutt. Women outnumbered men in all four areas. Source: Statistics New Zealand Census [64]. Wellington ranks 12th in the world for quality of living, [6] according to a study by consulting company Mercer; of cities in the Asia—Pacific region, Wellington ranked third behind Auckland and Sydney as of [update].
The most common overseas birthplace is the United Kingdom, place of origin of 7. The next most-common countries of origin were Samoa 2. Age distributions for the four cities are given see table below.
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The age structure closely matches the national distribution. Source: Statistics New Zealand Census [78]. Wellington showcases a variety of architectural styles from the past years — 19th-century wooden cottages Painted Ladies , such as the Italianate Katherine Mansfield Birthplace in Thorndon; streamlined Art Deco structures such as the old Wellington Free Ambulance headquarters, the Central Fire Station, Fountain Court Apartments, the City Gallery , and the former Post and Telegraph Building ; and the curves and vibrant colours of post-modern architecture in the CBD.
The oldest building is the Colonial Cottage in Mount Cook. 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. As it is the capital city, there are many notable government buildings. Across the road is the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere , [82] part of the old Government Buildings which now houses part of Victoria University of Wellington 's Law Faculty.
It is strengthened using base isolation [83] — essentially seating the entire building on supports made from lead, steel and rubber that slow down the effect of an earthquake. Kinetic sculptures have been commissioned, such as the Zephyrometer.
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Wellington experienced a real estate boom in the early s and the effects of the international property bust at the start of In , the market was described as "robust". Then that trend reversed and yields slowly began improving," according to two The New Zealand Herald reporters writing in May A Wellington City Council survey conducted in March found the typical central city apartment dweller was a New Zealand native aged 24 to 35 with a professional job in the downtown area, with household income higher than surrounding areas.
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Households are primarily one-family, making up These counts are from the census for the Wellington region which includes the surrounding area in addition to the four cities. Wellington Harbour ranks as one of New Zealand's chief seaports and serves both domestic and international shipping. The port handles approximately Many cruise ships also use the port. The Government sector has long been a mainstay of the economy, which has typically risen and fallen with it. Traditionally, its central location meant it was the location of many head offices of various sectors — particularly finance, technology and heavy industry — many of which have since relocated to Auckland following economic deregulation and privatisation.
In recent years, tourism, arts and culture, film, and ICT have played a bigger role in the economy. Wellington's median income is well above the average in New Zealand, [96] and the highest of all New Zealand cities. At the census, the largest employment industries for Wellington residents were professional, scientific and technical services 25, people , public administration and safety 24, people , health care and social assistance 17, people , education and training 16, people and retail trade 16, people. It has been argued that the construction of the Te Papa museum helped transform Wellington into a tourist destination.
It has been promoted through a variety of campaigns and taglines, starting with the iconic Absolutely Positively Wellington advertisements. Cruise tourism is experiencing a major boom in line with nationwide development. Wellington is a popular conference tourism destination due to its compact nature, cultural attractions, award-winning restaurants and access to government agencies. The annual children's Artsplash Festival brings together hundreds of students from across the region. The week-long festival includes music and dance performances and the presentation of visual arts.
Filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson , Sir Richard Taylor and a growing team of creative professionals have turned the eastern suburb of Miramar into a film-making, post-production and special effects infrastructure centre, giving rise to the moniker ' Wellywood '.