Editing Wellington

:''For other Wellingtons, see [[Wellington (disambiguation)]]. For the City of Wellington, see [[Wellington:City]].'' For the suburbs of Wellington, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suburbs_in_wellington

<div style="clear:right; float:right; margin-bottom: .5em; border-style:solid; border-color:white; border-width: .5em 0 .8em 1.4em;">
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
! colspan="3" align="center" bgcolor="#FFDDAA" | Wellington
|-
| colspan="3" align=center | [[Image:Wellington.PNG|250px|center]]
|-
| bgcolor="#FFCCBB" rowspan=3 | [[New Zealand urban area|Urban Area]]
| bgcolor="#FFEEDD" | Population || 370,000
|-
| bgcolor="#FFEEDD" | Location
| {{coor dms|41|17|19|S|174|46|37|E|type:city(370,000)_region:NZ}}
|-
| bgcolor="#FFEEDD" | Extent
| Central Wellington,<br/>Hutt Valley, [[Lower Hutt:Wainuiomata|Wainuiomata]], Porirua,<br/>[[Porirua:Pukerua Bay|Pukerua Bay]] and<br/>[[Porirua:Pauatahanui|Pauatahanui]]
|-
| bgcolor="#FFCCBB" | [[Territorial Authorities of New Zealand|Territorial<br/>Authorities]]
| bgcolor="#FFEEDD" | Names
| [[Porirua|Porirua City]] Council<br/>[[Upper Hutt|Upper Hutt City]] Council<br/>[[Lower Hutt|Hutt City]] Council<br/>[[Wellington City]] Council
|-
| bgcolor="#FFCCBB" | [[Regions of New Zealand|Regional<br>Council]]
| bgcolor="#FFEEDD" | Name || [[Wellington Region|Greater Wellington]] Regional Council
|-
| colspan="3" | Population estimate is as at 30 June 2005<br/>Source: [http://www.stats.govt.nz Statistics New Zealand]
|}

</div>
'''Wellington''' ('''Te Whanganui-a-Tara''' or '''Poneke''') is the capital city of [[New Zealand]], the country's second-largest [[Urban areas of New Zealand|urban area]] and the most populous national capital city in [[Oceania]] as well as the southernmost national capital in the world. Wellington stands at the southern tip of the [[North Island]] near the geographical centre of the country.

New Zealand's major financial institutions are divided between Wellington and [[Auckland]], and some organisations have headquarters in both cities. It is New Zealand's political centre, housing Parliament and head offices for all government departments and ministries. Wellington is often described as New Zealand's cultural centre, boasting a world class film and theatre industry (dominated by [[Wellington:Peter Jackson|Peter Jackson]]), [[Wellington:Te Papa|Te Papa]] (the Museum of New Zealand), the [[Wellington:New Zealand Symphony Orchestra|New Zealand Symphony Orchestra]], and the [[Wellington:Royal New Zealand Ballet|Royal New Zealand Ballet]]. Its compact city centre supports an arts scene, café culture and nightlife much larger than most cities of a similar size.

Wellington was named in honour of [[wikipedia:Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]], the first [[Duke of Wellington]] and victor at the [[wikipedia:Battle of Waterloo|Battle of Waterloo]]. The Duke's title comes from the town of [[Wellington, Somerset|Wellington]] in the English county of [[Somerset]].

In the [[Maori language|Māori language]] Wellington goes by two names. ''[[Te Whanganui-a-Tara]]'' refers to [[Wellington:Wellington Harbour|Wellington Harbour]] and means "the great harbour of Tara". The alternative name ''Pōneke'' is often discouraged because of a belief that it is nothing more than a transliteration of the harbour's former nickname in English, ''Port Nick'', short for ''Port Nicholson'', but the name is proudly used by the [[Wellington:Ngati Poneke|Ngati Poneke]] Maori club, a cultural community of Maori whose ancestral roots are in distant rural areas.

As with many cities, Wellington's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single local authority. In strict local government terms, ''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]]. Common speech, however, gives "the Wairarapa" separate regional status and often sees Kapiti as a separate region too.

==History==
{{main|History of Wellington}}
[[Image:WellingtonPanorama.jpg|thumb|250px|Panorama of Wellington including the [[Wellington:Cable Car|cable car]].]]

===Settlement===
The [[Maori]] who originally settled the Wellington area knew it as ''Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui'', meaning "the head of [[Maui (mythology)|Maui]]'s fish". Legend recounts that [[Kupe]] discovered and explored the district in about the [[10th century]].

[[European]] settlement began with the arrival of an advance party of the [[Wellington:New Zealand Company|New Zealand Company]] on the ship ''Tory,'' on [[20 September]] [[1839]], followed by 150 settlers on the ship ''Aurora'' on [[22 January]] [[wikipedia:Timeline of New Zealand history#1840s|1840]].  Legend states that the settlers constructed their first homes at "Britannia" (now [[Petone]]) on the flat area at the mouth of the [[Lower Hutt:Hutt River|Hutt River]], but when this proved too swampy and flood-prone they transplanted the plans (without regard for a more hilly terrain — Wellington has some extremely steep streets running straight up the sides of hills).

The "father of Wellington" was one [[Wellington:John Plimmer|John Plimmer]], whose statue graces [[Wellington:Plimmer Steps|Plimmer Steps]] just off the main [[Wellington:CBD|CBD]] shopping street, [[Wellington:Lambton Quay|Lambton Quay]], and whose name is further commemorated in a beach-side suburb 25&nbsp;km north, [[Porirua:Plimmerton|Plimmerton]].

[[Image:Wellington-FromTopOfMountVictoria.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Wellington viewed from Mount Victoria]]
===Earthquakes===
Wellington suffered serious damage in a series of [[earthquake]]s in [[wikipedia:Timeline of New Zealand history#1840s|1848]] and from another earthquake in [[wikipedia:Timeline of New Zealand history#1850s|1855]]. The 1855 ("Wairarapa") earthquake occurred on a fault line to the east of urban Wellington, running along the [[Wellington:Rimutaka Range|Rimutaka Range]].  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 2 to 3 m over a large area, including raising areas of land out of the harbour and turning them into tidal swamps.  Much of this land was subsequently reclaimed and is now part of Wellington's central [[business]] district.  For this reason, the street named ''[[Wellington:Lambton Quay|Lambton Quay]]'' now runs 100 to 200 m distant from the harbour.  Plaques set into the footpath along ''Lambton Quay'' indicate the location of the shoreline in [[Timeline of New Zealand history#1840s|1840]] and thus indicate the extent of the reclamation. A former basin was made quite inaccessible to shipping and eventually became the [[Wellington:Basin Reserve|Basin Reserve]] sports ground.   

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 typically notice several [[earthquake]]s every year, particularly in the high-rise office buildings in the city. 

For many years after the 1855 earthquake, most buildings constructed in Wellington were made entirely from wood. The recently restored (1996) Government Buildings, near the [[Wellington:Railway Station|Railway Station]] and [[Wellington:Parliament Buildings|Parliament Buildings]], comprise 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 [[20th century]].

===New Zealand's Capital===
[[Image:Wellington Parliament n.jpg|thumb|175px|right|The Old Government Building on the left and "The Beehive" (parliamentary offices) in the centre]]

In [[Timeline of New Zealand history#1860s|1865]] Wellington became the capital of New Zealand, replacing [[Auckland]] where [[William Hobson]] had established his capital in [[Timeline of New Zealand history#1840s|1840]].  Parliament first sat in Wellington on [[7 July]] [[Timeline of New Zealand history#1860s|1862]], but the city did not become the official capital for some time.  In November 1863 [[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 goldfields 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]] [[Timeline of New Zealand history#1860s|1865]]. The population of Wellington was then 4,900 (reference Phillip Temple: ''Wellington Yesterday'').

[[Wellington:Government House|Government House]], the official residence of the [[Governor-General of New Zealand|Governor-General]], stands next to the [[Wellington:Basin Reserve|Basin Reserve]]. The official residence formerly occupied the site where the [[Wellington:Beehive (building)|Beehive]], the Executive Wing of the [[Wellington:New Zealand Parliament Buildings|New Zealand Parliament Buildings]], is today. It is sometimes humorously referred to as [[Helengrad]], especially since Helen Clark became the first Labour Prime Minister to lead the party to wins in three general elections, 1999, 2002, and 2005.

==Location and demographics==
[[Image:Wellington landsat labelled.jpg|thumb|right|270px|Satellite photo of the Wellington region. (1) Wellington (2) Lower Hutt (3) Upper Hutt (4) Porirua]]
Wellington stands at the south-western tip of the [[North Island]] on [[Wellington:Cook Strait|Cook Strait]], the passage that separates the North and South Islands. On a clear day the snowcapped [[Kaikoura Ranges]] are visible across the strait. To the north stretch the golden beaches of the [[Kapiti Coast]]. On the east the [[Wellington:Rimutaka Range|Rimutaka Range]] divides Wellington from the broad plains of the [[Wairarapa]], a wine region of worldwide acclaim.

Wellington is the southernmost [[capital|capital city]] in the world, with a [[latitude]] about 41°S.  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. Because of its location in the [[Roaring Forties|roaring forties]] latitudes and its exposure to omnipresent winds coming through [[Cook Strait]], the city is known to [[Kiwi (people)|kiwis]] as "Windy Wellington".

More than in most cities, life in Wellington is dominated by its central business district. Approximately 62,000 people work in the Wellington CBD, only 4,000 fewer than work in [[Auckland]]'s CBD, despite that urban area having three times Wellington's population. Wellington's cultural and nightlife venues concentrate in [[Wellington:Courtenay Place|Courtenay Place]] and surroundings located in the southern part of the [[Wellington:CBD|CBD]], making the inner city suburb of [[Wellington:Te Aro|Te Aro]] the largest entertainment destination in New Zealand.

Wellington has the highest average income of a [[Urban areas of New Zealand|main urban area]] in New Zealand and the highest percentage of people with tertiary qualifications.

[[Image:Wellington Te Papa n.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Te Papa ("Our Place"), The Museum of New Zealand]]

Wellington has a reputation for its picturesque natural harbour and green hillsides adorned with tiered suburbs of colonial villas. The city's 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.

To the east of the city is [[Wellington:Miramar Peninsula|Miramar Peninsula]], connected to the rest of the city by a low-lying isthmus at Rongotai, which is the site of [[Wellington:International Airport]]. The narrow entrance to Wellington is directly to the east of Miramar Peninsula, and contains the dangerous shallows of [[Barrett Reef]], where many ships have been wrecked (most famously the inter-island ferry [[Wahine disaster|Wahine]] in [[Timeline of New Zealand history#1960s|1968]]).

On the hill west of the city centre are [[Wellington:Victoria University of Wellington|Victoria University]] and [[Wellington:Botanic Garden|Botanic Garden]].  Both can be reached on a [[funicular]] railway (the [[Wellington:Cable Car|Cable Car]]).

Wellington Harbour has three islands: [[Lower Hutt:Matiu/Somes Island|Matiu/Somes Island]], Makaro/Ward Island and Mokopuna. 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 Coast:Kapiti Island|Kapiti Island]] further up the coast. There is limited access to the public during daylight hours by means of a stop-off on the [[Wellington:Dominion Post Ferry|Dominion Post Ferry]].

The city has an average annual rainfall of 1270&nbsp;mm.

==People==

18.5 per cent of people in Wellington were under the age of 15 years, compared with 22.7 per cent for all of [[New Zealand]]. Around 8.6 per cent of people were aged 65 years and over compared with 12.1 per cent for all of [[New Zealand]]. 

85.6 per cent of people in Wellington city said they belong to the [[European]] ethnic group. Around 4.1% is [[Maori]], and the remaining being [[Pacific Islander]], and [[Asian]].

==Panoramas==
[[Image:Wellington City Night.jpg|thumb|800px|centre|Panorama of Wellington from Mount Victoria at night.]]
[[Image:Wellington City Day.jpg|thumb|800px|centre|Daytime panorama from the same location.]]
[[Image:WellingtonPano.jpg|thumb|800px|centre|Panorama from [[Victoria University of Wellington]]]]

==Sport==
* Home of the [[Wellington:Wellington Hurricanes|Wellington Hurricanes]] — [[Super 14]] (formerly [[Super 12]]) Rugby Team, finalists in the [[2006]] competition
* [http://www.wellingtonrugby.co.nz/ Wellington Lions] — [[National Provincial Championship]] Rugby Team
* Home of the [[Wellington:Capital Shakers|Capital Shakers]] — [[The National Bank Cup]] Netball Team

==Notable Wellingtonians==
<!-- (Sorted by last name -->
* [[Phillip Burrows]] — field hockey player
* [[Jane Campion]] — [[Academy Award|Oscar]] winning film maker
* [[Russell Crowe]] — actor 
* [[lotr:Peter Jackson|Peter Jackson]] — Oscar winning film-maker 
* [[Katherine Mansfield]] — writer 
* [[Jack Marshall]] — former Prime Minister of New Zealand 
* [[William Hayward Pickering]] — [[NASA]] chief 
* [[Kyle Pontifex]] — field hockey goalkeeper
* [[Simon Towns]] — field hockey player
* [[Tana Umaga]] — captain of the [[All Blacks]] until 2006
* [[Ben Hana]] - [[Blanket Man]]

==External links==
{{commons|Wellington}}
* [http://www.wellington.govt.nz Wellington City Council]
* [http://www.gw.govt.nz Greater Wellington Regional Council]
* [http://whatson.wellington.net.nz What's On In Wellington]
* [http://www.wotzon.com What's on and happening in Wellington, New Zealand from restaurants and cafes to events and services]
* [http://www.wellingtonnz.com Official NZ Tourism website for Wellington]
* [http://www.zoomin.co.nz/nz/wellington/ Wellington street map and local directory]
* [http://worldfacts.us/New-Zealand-Wellington.htm Wellington history]
* [http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/parlt-hist/pans/beehive.html 360° views of and from NZ Parliament buildings]
* [http://wellingtonista.blogspot.com/ the wellingtonista] — blog about Wellington
* [http://www.hockeyarenas.com/berntpv/wellington/index.htm A different kind of Wellington] — Images


{{enWP|Wellington}}

[[Category:Wellington]] [[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Capitals in Oceania]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in New Zealand]]