Everything about Invercargill New Zealand totally explained
» For the electorate see Invercargill (NZ electorate)
Invercargill
Waihōpai (Māori) |
|
|
| Population: |
50,328 |
| Urban Area |
| Extent: |
Makarewa to Woodend;
west to Otatara |
| Territorial Authority |
| Name: |
Invercargill City |
| Mayor: |
Tim Shadbolt |
| Deputy Mayor: |
Neil Boniface |
| Land area: |
491km² |
| Extent: |
Makarewa to Bluff;
Oreti Beach to
Kennington |
| Website: |
http://www.icc.govt.nz |
| Regional Council |
| Name: |
Environment Southland |
| Website: |
http://www.es.govt.nz |
Invercargill (
Waihōpai in
Māori) is the southernmost and westernmost city in
New Zealand, and one of the southernmost settlements in the world. It is the commercial centre of the
Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the
Southland Plains on the
Oreti or New River some 18 km north of
Bluff, which is the southernmost town in the South Island. It sits amid rich farmland that is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, including
Fiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island.
Invercargill is home to the
Southern Institute of Technology, which has introduced a free-fees scheme. The scheme was partly responsible for rejuvenating the city when it was in a steady state of population decline.
Invercargill is also the home to New Zealand's only indoor cycling
velodrome. The indoor 250m wooden velodrome is home to
Track Cycling in Southland and is currently the fastest track in the country. The Invercargill Licensing Trust supports the Velodrome which is situated at Stadium Southland. It promises to become the focal point of track cycling in New Zealand. It is also home of the
SBS Invitational Amateur golf tournament which is held every year at the beginning of March. Another facility is
Queen's Park, which is just north of the city centre, with
botanical gardens, an aviary, sports grounds, and the
Southland museum and art gallery.
Anderson Park, on the northern boundary of Invercargill, is a large Georgian-style residence set in 24 hectares of landscaped gardens. The house displays Invercargill's extensive collection of New Zealand art.
Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in the United Kingdom, mainly Scotland. These include
Dee,
Tyne,
Esk,
Don,
Thames,
Mersey,
Ness,
Yarrow,
Spey,
Tay, and
Eye rivers.
Transport
Road
Invercargill is the southernmost city on New Zealand's state highway network and is linked to
Fiordland and the
Catlins by the
Southern Scenic Route.
Rail links
Invercargill is at the southern end of the
Main South Line railway, which extends up the east coast to
Christchurch and
Lyttelton via Dunedin. Until the cancellation of
the Southerner in 2002, Invercargill had the southernmost passenger railway station in the world. Passenger trains no longer call at Invercargill, except for occasional excursions. The
Bluff Branch extends south from Invercargill and has been freight-only since 1967. The
Wairio Branch extends northwest from Invercargill to the
Solid Energy coalfields and continues to carry freight.
Invercargill Airport
During the mid
1950s,
Invercargill Airport was used for fuel top-up and final take off by
Operation Deep Freeze. Twin-engine propeller-driven planes destined for
McMurdo Sound in the
Antarctic used the airport, assisted in takeoff by
JATO rockets under their wings. Bigger aircraft flew from
Christchurch where Deep Freeze had a base.
Invercargill Airport's primary traffic currently comprises
Air New Zealand ATR 72 aircraft flying to and from Christchurch, and regular flights to and from
Stewart Island.
History
Southland was a scene of early extended contact between Europeans and Maori, in this case sealers and whalers and missionaries - Wohlers at Ruapuke. From 1848, Otago, of which Southland was itself part, was the subject of planned settlement by the
Free Church, an offshoot of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Settlement broadened with the discovery of gold in Central Otago in the 1860s.
Even today, traces of Scottish speech persist in Southland voices, with R often pronounced with a rolling burr. This is more noticeable in country people.
In
1856 a petition was put forward to
Thomas Gore Browne, the
Governor of New Zealand, for a port at Bluff. Browne agreed to the petition and gave the name Invercargill to the settlement north of the port.
Inver comes from the
Scots Gaelic word
inbhir meaning
a river's mouth and
Cargill is in honour of Captain
William Cargill, who was at the time the Superintendent of
Otago, of which Southland was then a part.
From 1861 to 1870, Invercargill was the centre of
Southland Province, which separated from
Otago Province, but later rejoined it.
In December 1905, Invercargill voted in local prohibition of alcohol sales. This lasted for 40 years until voted out by returning servicemen in
World War II. Drinking continued meanwhile, thanks to huge volumes of beer, often in kegs, brought to private homes, or sold by the glass by keggers at hiding spots round the City. When prohibition ended, a committee of citizens persuaded the Government to give the monopoly on liquor sales in Invercargill to the specially formed
Invercargill Licensing Trust. Based on a scheme in Carlisle, England, it returns profits to city amenities. Even today, alcohol isn't sold in supermarkets.
In recent years, publicity has been brought to the southern city by the election of
Tim Shadbolt, a colourful and outspoken former student activist, as mayor. He once appeared on a cheese ad stating "I don't mind where, as long as I'm Mayor". His supporters like the colour he brings to the city. His opponents refer to his controversial mayoral career in the Auckland suburbs and to his attitude to veterans during his opposition to the Vietnam War.
Climate
Invercargill has a temperate
oceanic climate similar to that of the
British Isles. The mean daily temperature ranges from 5.2°C in July to 14°C in January. The yearly mean temperature is 9.9°C. Rainfall averages 1112 mm annually, and measurable snowfall is occasionally seen during the winter months of June to September. It is the cloudiest centre of New Zealand with 1580 hours of sunshine per annum.
The average temperature high ranges from 18.4°C in January to 11.1°C in August. Owing to its relatively high latitude (46° 42'), the city enjoys nearly 16 hours of daylight at the summer
solstice in late December.
Invercargill is "The City of Water and Light". This refers to the long summer twilights and the aurora australis (southern lights). The water reference, humorists suggest, comes from notorious horizontal, driving rain in high wind at the corner of the two main streets, Dee and Tay. A recent sign also states "Invercargill, where dreams can come true" with an image from the 2005 film
The World's Fastest Indian.
The Invercargill March
Invercargill provided the inspiration for the
Invercargill March, a stirring piece of military music written in
1908 by the composer
Alex F. Lithgow, who lived in Invercargill from the age of six, although born in Scotland. The march was written for the City of Invercargill, which Alex Lithgow dearly missed while he was away.
"Invercargill" rates alongside old favourites such as the
Gladiator March,
Liberty Bell, the
Radetsky March, and other stirring
Sousa marches. The Invercargill March is especially popular in the
United States of America. It is a favorite of the
US Marines, and was the Regimental March of the 56th Infantry Regiment of the
New York Guard during
World War 2. The Invercargill Caledonian Pipe Band continues the Scottish tradition today.
Here is a clip of the Invercargill March as performed by the band of the United States Marine Corps.
Listen
Education
High schools
All High Schools in Invercargill are Year 7-13, following a Ministry of Education review in 2004 that made most of Invercargill's primary schools Year 1-6 and closed the Year 7-8 schools Rosedale Intermediate and Collingwood Intermediate and Tweedsmuir Junior High
Primary Schools
Most primary schools are Year 1-6.
New River Primary School. Formerly Kew, South, Clarendon, and Clifton Schools
St Joseph's, a small Catholic school near St Mary's Basilica
St Theresa's, a Catholic Year 1-6 school in Windsor
St Patrick's, a Catholic Year 1-6 school in Newfield
Ascot Community School, the only public Year 1-8 school
Fernworth Primary
Windsor North School, previously Invercargill North School
Waverly Park School
Waihopai School, co-ed school for years 1-6
Salford School, co-ed school for years 1-6 in Rosedale
St John's Girls' School, small school for years 1-8.
Sacred Heart Primary School, North Road, Waikiwi. Years 1-6 Special Character Catholic family school serving the northern suburbs of Waikiwi, Grasmere and Makarewa.
Donovan Primary School
Otatara Primary School, Otatara
Famous Invercargillites
Peter Arnett - NBC war correspondent
Johnnie Checketts - Silver Star, Wingco and Spitfire Ace
Bill Crawford-Crompton - Silver Star, Air Vice Marshal and WW2 Commander and Ace
Marton Csokas - actor
Dan Davin - author, editor
Ernest Godward - inventor of the spiral hairpin and the petrol economiser
Joseph Hatch - businessman, oil factor
Rowena Jackson - Royal Ballet prima ballerina
Chris Knox - infamous (in NZ) alternative rock musician
Tim Baird - founder of independent record label Pinacolada Records
Bill Manhire - inaugural N.Z. poet laureate
Herbert James "Burt" Munro - inventor, motorcycle enthusiast, racer and under-1000 cc land speed record holder.
Mils Muliaina - All Black
Harry Norris (conductor) - A music director of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
Herbert Pither - aviation legend of Southland,
Lesley Rumball - Former Silver Ferns Captain
Victor Spencer - last soldier to be executed in World War I, pardoned in 2005
Garfield Todd - Prime Minister of Rhodesia
Jeremy Waldron - prominent legal and political philosopher
Joseph Ward - Prime Minister of New Zealand
Jeff Wilson - All Black and Black Cap ("Double All Black")
Sister City
Kumagaya, Japan Further Information
Get more info on 'Invercargill New Zealand'.
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