GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF WELLINGTON

Weather and Storms

Wellington is known for its wind. It was not until 1995 that a wind festival was organised to celebrate this feature of the city. (maybe this a good time to send gift baskets or gift boxes to family and friends.) Records show that many other areas experience similar winds. Wellington's distinction is that its geography seems to produce more gusts than any other New Zealand city.

The worst recorded wind gusts were in April 1968 and caused the inter-island ferry Wahine to sink. They were recorded at 167 mph on the south coast and 116 mph at the airport.

Like many places in New Zealand, Wellington has also experienced occasional severe floods. In December 1976 a freak storm lasting 12 hours caused flooding and one death and damage estimated at $30 million. It was at that time the costliest flood in New Zealand history.

Earthquakes

Maori legend of Te Whanganui-a-Tara tells how a monster taniwha Ngake, split open the entrance to the harbour. His companion, Whataitai, was less successful in his efforts to escape the harbour and now lies under the airport. His spirit lives on a knoll on top of Mount Victoria.

These stories suggest that earthquakes have long been a feature of the Wellington area. It is believed that a major one occurred around 1450 and raised Whataitai's body, creating the airport land out of a swamp.

Even that infrequent visitor Captain Cook had noticed that New Zealand was prone to earthquakes. A large one was experienced in Wellington in August 1848. Several buildings crashed to the ground and many brick chiminies were broken. Falling bricks killed a father and 2 children. The recently arrived settlers took to ships in the harbour and many asked about returning home.

Seven years later, in May 1855, another quake hit the region. It did less damage to buildings, brick buildings were less used, a few were damaged. But it considerably altered the Wellington foreshore. A wave 12 feet high came across Cook Strait and broke at the Wellington harbour heads. Immense quantities of dead fish were reported in the Strait. For seven hours the tide in the harbour ebbed and flowed every thirty minutes. The foreshore at Port Nicholson rose around six feet, later subsiding so the rise was two to three feet, making later reclamation work easier.

These experiences account for the few brick buildings you see in Wellington or for that matter throughout New Zealand. The large wooden government buildings which today house the Victoria University Law School are also wooden for this very reason.

The last big Wellington earthquake was in 1942. Here is one woman's recollection:

"It occurred just after midnight on a Saturday night, the night of our special once a month Saturday dance. Fortunately, everyone had left the building except my sister and me (we were on the dance committee), our escorts (two army 2nd lieutenants), and another member of the committee. I found it a frightening experience. The lights were out and in the darkness we heard the roof cracking and glass from the windows smashing all round us.

"We stumbled our way down the narrow stairs and crammed into the Austin. In the streets, the ARP wardens were already putting out warning lanterns to mark the rubble which had fallen from damaged buildings. Manners Street had been worst affected of all the streets and in fact it was closed off for months while repairs were taking place." (extract from Women in Wartime NZ)

Apart from the immediate physical devastation, possible impacts of a big quake (for which Wellington is now said to be overdue) would include; relocation of Parliament, loss of strategic link with the South Island, relocation of government head offices, market failure, the loss of an international airport, and the long term loss of the port - through reduced depth. The cost of a major quake has been estimated at $8,000 million dollars (NZ). This figure was estimated in1991.

I hope you have found the above interesting and if you are sending a gift box or maybe a gift basket to someone in Wellington or some other part of New Zealand you will know a little about our capital of NZ which is Wellington.