Interesting facts about Wellington, from it's history to climate, population to politics.
Note: Statistics on Wellington Tourism here
Wellington's early Maori history
The earliest name for Wellington, from Maori legend, is Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui. In Maori it means ‘the head of Maui's fish’. Caught and pulled to the surface by Polynesian navigator Maui, the fish became the North Island.
The Polynesian explorer Kupe is credited with the initial discovery of Wellington Harbour. From Maori tradition it is estimated he arrived with his followers around the 10th century. Several places around the Wellington peninsula were named by Kupe - for example Matiu (Somes) Island and Makaro (Ward) Island. People have lived here since Kupe's discovery.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara (the great harbour of Tara) is another Maori name for Wellington. Tara was the son of Whatonga, another Polynesian migrant, who had settled in Hawke’s Bay. Whatonga sent Tara on a tour of inspection of the lower North Island in the 12th century. After a year Tara returned and reported that the best place he had seen was ‘at the very nostrils of the island’. As a result Whatonga and his followers shifted south - the first iwi (tribe) in Wellington was thus Ngai Tara.
Ngai Tara eventually amalgamated with another iwi, Ngati Ira. Other iwi associated with the area were Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu, and Ngati Mamoe. Since the beginning of the 19th century iwi including Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Tama, Te Atiawa and Ngati Toa have migrated to the Wellington region.
Today the manawhenua (local guardianship) interests in Wellington city are administered by the Wellington Tenths Trust/Nga Tekau o Poneke, which comprises descendants from Taranaki iwi, of which Te Atiawa is the largest. Ngati Toa, by virtue of its boundary to the west, also has an interest within Wellington city.
In addition, Maori with tribal affiliations stretching from the Far North to the Deep South live and work in Wellington and contribute to the cultural diversity of the city.
Evidence of early Maori settlement and cultivation can be found at sites all around the Wellington peninsula.
Population
Size:
(Source: New Zealand Census, 2001)
The Wellington region (including Kapiti, Porirua, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa) has the third highest population, containing 11.3% of New Zealand's population.
- Wellington City 163,824
- Wellington Region 423,765
The People:
(Source: NZ Census, 2001)
Population mix
Wellington City has relatively more people aged 20-34 than other areas, relatively fewer elderly people and fewer children.
The population mix consists of:
- 80.9% European
- 12.5% Maori
- 7.9% Pacific Island
- 6.8% Asian
- 0.9% other
Work force
Just over a third of the population in the Wellington region is aged between 15 and 64 years, which is the:
- highest proportion of working age population.
- highest labour force participation rate of 68.2%.
- highest median incomes in New Zealand.
- highest proportion of people working in communications services, finance and insurance, property and business services industries in New Zealand.
Wealth
The proportion of the population with a personal income of over $40,000 is 5.29% higher in Wellington City than Auckland City.
- 24.17% people own their own homes in Wellington.
Education
Wellington people are better educated than the average New Zealander.
- 39.0 percent of people aged 15 years and over in Wellington Region had a post-secondary school qualification, compared with 32.2 percent for New Zealand as a whole.
Climate
(Source: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research)
Sunshine hours:
More than 2060 hours per year.
Sunniest main centre in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2002
Temperature:
- Mean daily maximum in summer (January) 20.3 C 69F.
- Mean daily minimum in summer 13.4 C 56F.
- Mean daily maximum in winter (July) 11.3 C 52F.
- Mean daily minimum in winter 6.2C 43F.
- Annual rainfall mean 1249mm.
Public Holidays
New Years Day: 1 January
Day after New Years Day: 2 January
Wellington Anniversary Day: Closest Monday to 22nd January each year
Waitangi Day: 6 February
Good Friday: Varies
Easter Monday: Varies
ANZAC Day: 25 April
Queen's Birthday: 1st Monday in June
Labour Day: 4th Monday in October
Christmas Day: 25 December
Boxing Day: 26 December
Connectivity
- Wellington is the most "fully wired" city in the most "fully wired" country in the world.
- It has one of the fastest and biggest fibre optic loops in the world providing the CBD with high-speed data transfer and Internet access.
- Wellington is the most connected city in New Zealand with 44% of households connected to the Internet.
- It boasts the highest Internet usage in New Zealand (48%).
- Wellington has the most intense concentration of software developers in New Zealand.
Transport
- More people use public transport in Wellington than anywhere else in New Zealand.
- About 26,000 people commute into the City every working day.
- 28% use public transport compared with:
- 18% in Auckland
- 9% in Christchurch
- 10% in Australian and North American cities on average.
- 11% of Wellingtonians walk to work.
For more transports information see our 'Getting Here & Around' section
The Capital, Wellington
Wellington is the Capital of New Zealand. As such it many organisations have their headquarters established in Wellington.
Wellington also as many other claims as a The Capital,
Culture Capital
Wellington is the culture capital of New Zealand. It is the home to:
- the Royal New Zealand Ballet,
- the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra,
- the National Opera and
- the National dance and drama schools.
All perform regularly in Wellington.
Three professional theatres offer audiences a range from alternative to Pacific Island, New Zealand or international productions.
There's a live show every night in Wellington. For more theartre and shows information see our 'Events' section.
Creative Capital
Wellingtonians are creative and innovative people.
Film makers include:
- Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong)
- Geoff Dixon (Silver Screen) and Cloud 9 (The Tribe, Enid Blyton series)
- The TV series' “The Insiders Guides to ...” was also filmed in Wellington
Musicians and Composers include:
- Gareth Farr (and his alter ego, Lilith)
- La Croix
- Ross Harris
- Douglas Lilburn and the many players of the NZSO
Artists include:
- Cliff Whiting (Maori sculptor and artist)
Actors include:
- Dame Kate Harcourt
- Miranda Harcourt
- Grant Tilly
- Robbie Magasiva
- Anna Paquin
Writers and Poets include:
- Catherine Chidgey
- Barbara Else
- Sam Hunt
- Fiona Kidman
- Margaret Mahy
- Bill Manhire
- Vincent O’Sullivan
- Damien Wilkins
Fashion designers include:
- Zana Feuchs
- Laurie Foon (Starfish)
- Rebekah Greig (JUNO)
- Mandatory (menswear)
- Robyn Mathieson
- Andrea Moore
- Carleen Schollum
- Megan Tuffery
- Sophie Voon
Architects include:
- Ian Athfield
- Studio of Pacific Architecture
- Roger Walker
Foodies include:
- Rex Morgan (Citron, Air New Zealand Head Chef)
- Steve Logan and Alistair Brown (Logan Brown)
- Ruth Pretty (one of the country’s top caterers)
Headquarters Capital
Wellington is home to New Zealand’s top Arts and Heritage organisations:
- National Archives
- National Art Gallery
- National Film Archives & Library
- National Library
- National Opera
- National Portrait Gallery
- New Zealand School of Dance
- New Zealand School of Drama
- New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
- Royal New Zealand Ballet
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- National Headquarters High Court
- National Cricket Museum
- National War Memorial
- New Zealand Stock Exchange
- Parliament
- Reserve Bank
Education Capital
Wellington boasts a network of high-calibre tertiary institutions, high schools and language schools.
- 23% of our residents hold university qualifications (compared with a national average of 8%)
- 38% have a skilled vocational qualification or higher (the national average is 25%).
For information about bring your class to Wellington see our 'Education' section.
International Students should visit Education Wellington International
Interesting Facts
Wellington City
- is 28,990 hectares or 290 sq kms.
- is the world's most southern capital and the only capital in the "Roaring Forties" latitudes.
- was the first Capital City to see in the new millennium.
- has more restaurants, bars and cafes per head than New York with over 350 eateries.
- has the greatest proportion of open space land per capita at 17.3 ha for every 1000 people.
- gets more sunshine than Auckland, Melbourne and London and less rain than Auckland and Sydney.
- was voted 18th hottest city in the world by Conde Naste Traveller magazine readers, 2004.
-
Centre is only 2 kilometres in diameter, you can walk from one side to the other in 20 minutes.
-
Airport is the busiest in New Zealand for domestic scheduled flights and is only 15 minutes drive from central Wellington.
-
Zoo is the oldest in New Zealand.
Some more facts about Wellington
- Nearly all Wellington residents are within 3 km of the sea.
- More Wellingtonians feel safe in their homes than in other cities.
- There is over 60,000 hours of reading material in Te Papa.
- Thorndon is New Zealand’s oldest suburb and is best known for being home of the world renowned author Katherine Mansfield’s Birthplace.
- The oldest hotel in New Zealand, The Shepherd’s Arms.
- Smoking in all hospitality venues, including bars, restaurants, cafes, and casinos, is prohibited in Wellington and throughout New Zealand.
- The Old Government Buildings are the largest wooden buildings ever constructed in the Southern hemisphere.
- Te Papa has been described by the Washington Post as "one of the most ambitiously eclectic museums in the world".
Wellington has four sister cities
- Sakai, Japan
- Harrogate, England (historical tie)
- Xiamen, China
- Hania, Crete (historical tie)
Wellington Region Information Centres
Wellington i-SITE Visitor Centre
cnr Victoria and Wakefield Streets (Civic Square)
P O Box 11 007
Wellington
Ph +64 4 802 4860
Fax +64 4 802 4863
Email: bookings@WellingtonNZ.com for all information, travel and ferry bookings.
Porirua i-SITE Visitor Shop and Information Centre
8 Cobham Court
Porirua
Ph: +64 4 237 8088
Fax: +64 4 327 9997
Email: poriruainfo@visitorshop.co.nz
Hutt City i-SITE Visitor Centre
The Pavilion
25 Laings Road
Lower Hutt
Ph: 04 560 4715
Fax: 04 570 3374
Email: findit@huttcity.govt.nz
Website: www.visithuttcity.org.nz
Upper Hutt i-SITE Visitor Centre
P O Box 907, 6 Main Street
Upper Hutt
Ph: +64 4 527 6041
Fax: +64 4 527 9818
Email: uhvic@uhcc.govt.nz
Web: www.upperhuttcity.com
Kapiti Coast Visitor Information
Centennial Park
S H 1
Otaki
Ph: +64 6 364 7620
Fax: +64 6 364 7430
Email: kapiti.info@levin.pl.net
Masterton i-SITE Visitor Centre
P O Box 674
316 Queen Street
Masterton
Tel +64 6 370 0900
Fax +64 6 378 8451
Email: info@wairarapanz.com
Web: www.wairarapanz.com
Martinborough Visitor Information Centre
18 Kitchener Street
Martinborough
Ph: +64 6 306 9043
Fax: +64 6 306 8033
Email: martinborough@wairarapanz.com
Web: www.wairarapanz.com
Sources
The following sources were used to compile these facts about Wellington.
