61-694: Puke Ariki is a combined museum and library at New Plymouth , New Zealand, which opened in June 2003. It is an amalgamation of the New Plymouth Public Library (founded in 1848) and the Taranaki Museum (founded in 1919). Its name, Māori for "hill of chiefs", is taken from the Māori village that formerly occupied the site. Puke Ariki ( Māori : hill of chiefs) was the site of a significant Māori pā of Te Āti Awa , dating back to 1700, with
122-526: A city in 1949. In 1989, as a part of the New Zealand-wide reorganisation of local government, New Plymouth City Council was merged with Taranaki District Council (Taranaki County Council and Waitara Borough merged in 1986), Inglewood District Council (Inglewood Borough and County merged in 1986), and Clifton County Council to form New Plymouth District Council. Every three years, the mayor, 14 councillors and 16 community board members are elected by
183-545: A family"). The city also won three awards at the 11th International Awards for Liveable Communities held in Dongguan, China, 6–10 November 2008: An 18 km (11 mi) railway link between New Plymouth and Waitara was completed in 1875; this later became the Waitara Branch . The next year, work began on a line south to Stratford , which was reached in 1879, followed by Hāwera in 1881. This line, known as
244-525: A marae called Para-huka. It was the home of the paramount rangatira (chief) Te Rangi-apiti-rua. The pā was deserted around 1830 when the majority of Te Āti Awa moved to the Wellington region and Kāpiti Coast . When colonial settlement began in the area, the hill was renamed Mount Eliot by the New Plymouth settlers, and was the location of government buildings and a signalling station for ships in
305-406: A need for more museum display space. By the 1980s, both library and museum were running out of room for storage and display. Planning for an expanded building to be called Puke Ariki, after the original pā site, began in 1993. It was intended to amalgamate the Taranaki Museum and existing public library. The New Plymouth District Council committed NZ$ 12.3 million in funding, and another $ 11 million
366-536: A partner 20 years later by Dow Chemicals of Michigan . The company ran a factory at Paritutu making the herbicide 2,4,5-T . A 2005 study found that people who lived close to the Ivon Watkins-Dow plant between 1962 and 1987 were likely to have dioxin levels on average four times higher than the general public. In some groups, the level was as much as seven times as high. A Public Health Medicine senior adviser has claimed that based on international findings,
427-761: A ransom he had paid for his kidnapped daughter. After many years of negotiation and Ortiz's death in 2013, the New Zealand government paid $ 4.5 million to have them returned, and in March 2014 they were deposited in Puke Ariki under a guardianship arrangement agreed to by the Crown, Te Āti Awa, and Ngāti Rahiri . They went on display in the Takapou Whariki o Taranaki gallery in October 2015. The greater part of
488-513: A rare dogskin cloak (huruhuru kurī ). Skinner was a Taranaki surveyor, and later Commissioner of Crown Lands in Blenheim, so had travelled extensively and was well known to local iwi. The current collections consist primarily of archives, social history, taonga Māori, and a large pictorial collection. A significant feature of the taonga Māori collection are the Motonui epa or panels. Forming
549-699: A refinery opened in 1913. Production ceased about 1972. The city was one of the original nine towns and cities in New Zealand to be supplied with natural gas when the Kapuni gas field in South Taranaki entered production in 1970. The offshore Maui A well began production of natural gas in the late 1970s, sparking a flourishing energy and petrochemical industry . As Maui A's resources decline, new sites in Taranaki are being developed in an effort to find more commercial petrochemical reserves. Powerco operates
610-435: A reputation as an events centre, with major festivals (the annual TSB Bank Festival of Lights, Taranaki Powerco Garden Spectacular, WOMAD and the biennial Taranaki Arts Festival), sports fixtures (including international rugby, surfing, cricket and tennis matches, and the annual ITU World Cup Triathlon) and concerts (from Sir Elton John , Jack Johnson , REM , John Farnham and Fleetwood Mac ). With its rich volcanic soil,
671-493: A sex ratio of 0.95 males per female. The median age was 40.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 11,220 people (19.6%) aged under 15 years, 9,831 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 25,251 (44.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 10,917 (19.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 84.9% European/Pākehā, 15.9% Māori, 2.4% Pacific peoples, 6.6% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas
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#1732782384731732-686: A trading post at Ngāmotu after arriving on the trading vessel Adventure . Barrett traded with the local Māori and helped negotiate the purchase of land from them on behalf of the New Zealand Company . Settlers were selected by the Plymouth Company, which was set up to attract emigrants from the West Country of England, and which took over land initially purchased by the New Zealand Company. The grid plan for
793-469: A year later, followed by St Aubyn-Moturoa. By 1913, the town had a population of 7538. Seafront land was added in 1931 and 1941; land acquired on Omata Rd was added in 1955 and in 1960, large areas including land to the south of Paritutu, as well as Hurdon, Ferndale and Huatoki were included, as well as land straddling Mangorei Rd between the Henui Stream and Waiwakaiho River. New Plymouth was declared
854-615: Is 5–6 °C (41–43 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,432 mm (56.4 in). On 15 August 2011 it snowed in New Plymouth, a rare event which has been described as a once in a generation occurrence. A New Plymouth site was named the sunniest in the country in 2021, recording 2592 sunshine hours. The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 created the New Plymouth Province , with a Provincial Council given jurisdiction over an area of 400,000ha. Five years later,
915-460: Is a thermal power station with a steam turbine, commenced operation in 1974 with units progressively decommissioned from 2000 with one left operating in 2008. Companies began searching for oil on the New Plymouth coast in 1865 after small deposits of thick oil were found on the shoreline. The first commercial quantities of oil were obtained in January 1866. Exploration continued sporadically, and
976-554: Is a 13 km path that forms an expansive sea-edge promenade stretching almost the entire length of the city, from the Bell Block mouth in the east to Port Taranaki in the west. The pathway includes the iconic Te Rewa Rewa Bridge and is ideal for walking, running, cycling or skating, or simply enjoying the view of the dramatic west coast. It has won numerous awards, including the Cycle Friendly Award in 2008 for
1037-694: Is also the region's financial centre as the home of the TSB Bank (formerly the Taranaki Savings Bank), the largest of the remaining non-government New Zealand-owned banks. Notable features are the botanic garden (i.e. Pukekura Park ), the critically acclaimed Len Lye Centre and Art Gallery, the 13 km (8.1 mi) New Plymouth Coastal Walkway alongside the Tasman Sea, the Len Lye -designed 45-metre-tall (148 ft) artwork known as
1098-563: Is based at its hangar at Taranaki Base Hospital. Port Taranaki is the home port for HMNZS Endeavour , although the ship is based at the Devonport Naval Base on Auckland's North Shore . New Plymouth District Council New Plymouth District Council ( Māori : Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Ngāmotu ) is the territorial authority for the New Plymouth District of New Zealand . The council consists of
1159-434: Is more than $ 188 million. The current mayor of New Plymouth is Neil Holdom. New Plymouth's City Ward, which covers 111.33 km (42.98 sq mi), had a population of 57,219 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 4,347 people (8.2%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 7,824 people (15.8%) since the 2006 census . There were 22,269 households. There were 27,870 males and 29,346 females, giving
1220-447: Is staffed by two crews (8 firefighters) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and responds, not only to the city, but to surrounding areas if needed. New Plymouth West Volunteer Fire Brigade is based west of the city in the suburb of Spotswood. The volunteer station houses a single appliance, but is close to Port Taranaki and LPG/Gas tanks. The brigade supports New Plymouth and surrounding satellite towns. Police stations are scattered throughout
1281-575: The Wind Wand , Paritutu Rock, and views of Mount Taranaki . New Plymouth was awarded the most liveable city (for a population between 75,000–150,000) by the International Awards for Liveable Communities in 2021. In 2023, New Plymouth was awarded New Zealand's most beautiful small city by Keep New Zealand Beautiful. It also won multiple awards in 2008. The city was in 2010 chosen as one of two walking & cycling "Model Communities" by
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#17327823847311342-494: The First Taranaki War . From west to east New Plymouth has an oceanic climate that could be described as a moist, temperate climate. The average summer afternoon temperature is 21–22 °C (70–72 °F); the average summer night-time temperature is 12–13 °C (54–55 °F). The city experiences mild winters, where the average afternoon temperature is 13–14 °C (55–57 °F) and night-time temperature
1403-583: The Marton - New Plymouth Line , was completed on 23 March 1885, and when the Wellington - Manawatu Line of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was opened on 3 November 1886, a direct railway link was established to Wellington. The original routing through the centre of the town was replaced in 1907 by an alignment along the foreshore, which remains today. The New Plymouth Express passenger train began operating on this route in December 1886. In 1926, it
1464-625: The Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand . It is named after the English city of Plymouth , in Devon , from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Plymouth District , which includes New Plymouth City and several smaller towns, is the 10th largest district (out of 67) in New Zealand, and has a population of 90,000 – about two-thirds of
1525-470: The mayor of New Plymouth , Neil Holdom , and 14 ward councillors. New Plymouth Province was established in 1853, renamed Taranaki Province in 1859, and disestablished in 1876. The current council was established in 1989, by merging New Plymouth City Council with Clifton County Council (established in 1885), Inglewood County Council (established in 1902), and Waitara County Council (established in 1904). One of New Plymouth District Council’s goals
1586-670: The Auckland service was truncated to terminate in Taumarunui from 1971; and the Wellington service was cancelled on 30 July 1977. On 11 February 1978, the Taumarunui railcar was replaced by a passenger train, but it was ultimately cancelled on 21 January 1983. Since this date, the only passenger trains to operate to New Plymouth have been infrequent excursions operated by railway preservation societies. The breakwater at Ngamotu
1647-599: The Carnegie Library at a cost of £3,000; the old Town Hall exhibits were moved there in 1918, and the Skinner collection in 1919. The Taranaki Museum opened on 28 August 1919. The library was reorganised on a Dewey system in 1922, and the headquarters of the Polynesian Society moved to Wellington in 1925, creating more space. In 1927 contention over the ownership and display of two Māori treasures –
1708-564: The Māori Taonga level at the original height of 4.5 metres (15 ft) above ground level. The building exterior was clad in a 60-metre (200 ft) woven wall. Puke Ariki was opened by the Prime Minister Helen Clark on 15 June 2003. Eight Taranaki iwi collaborated on the Puke Ariki project; in 1996–97 a Komiti Māori was formed to represent them and give input into the project. The 1960 War Memorial building contains
1769-473: The New Plymouth District's enrolled voters. The full council, sub-committees and standing committees meet on a six-weekly cycle. The Policy and Monitoring standing committees have delegated authority from the council to make final decisions on certain matters, and they make recommendations to the council on all others. The four community boards–Clifton, Waitara, Inglewood and Kaitake–as well as
1830-510: The anchor stone of the Tokomaru canoe and the adze used in its construction – was resolved in a meeting between museum administration and representatives of three iwi . By the 1930s, the museum and library were considered hopelessly overcrowded, and a new site was sought, but it was many years before approval was granted for a combined library, museum, and war memorial building on a site bounded by King, Brougham, and Ariki streets. The building
1891-487: The area. It was used as a military camp for British forces in the 1850s and 1860s, and was a barracks for the Naval Brigade during the First Taranaki War . Most of the hill was removed for land reclamation to form the railway yards, and by 1905 it had largely been demolished. The New Plymouth Public Library was founded in 1848, as a Mechanics Institute and Library (often referred to as the institute). It initially
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1952-525: The back wall of a pataka or storehouse, they are thought to have been crafted by Te Āti Awa artisans between 1750 and 1820. The panels were buried in a swamp near Motonui for safekeeping during tribal warfare. Rediscovered in 1972, they were sold to George Ortiz , a Bolivian collector residing in Switzerland, for US$ 65,000. Ortiz took them out of New Zealand, violating laws on the export of national treasures, then in 1978 attempted to sell them to recoup
2013-514: The best New Zealand cycle facility. Centre City Shopping Centre is the only shopping mall in New Plymouth. It contains over 65 shops and services. New Plymouth won the award for the most liveable city (for a population between 75,000–150,000) by the International Awards for Liveable Communities in 2021. New Plymouth won the Top Town award from North and South Magazine in 2008 (judged "the best place in New Zealand to live, love, work and raise
2074-605: The city is well known for its gardens. Chief among them are the 52 ha Pukekura Park in the centre of the city (named a Garden of National Significance), and Pukeiti , a rhododendron garden of international significance high on the Pouakai Range . Pukekura Park is also the home of the TSB Bank Festival of Lights , which runs for free every year from mid-December to early February. It has daytime and night-time programmes of events for people of all ages, and
2135-462: The city, with the main base at a modern police station on Powderham Street. Other suburban stations are located in Fitzroy, Westown and Bell Block. St John Ambulance supplies all ambulance services to Taranaki, with their main station based at Taranaki Base Hospital. The Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust provides search, rescue and patient transfer missions when required. The MBB/Kawasaki BK 117
2196-472: The council for a dedicated room for the museum in the Town Hall building; a similar petition was received in 1900. In 1913 Skinner and his son Prof. H. D. Skinner offered the town their collection of Māori artifacts and historical documents, on the condition that they be displayed in a suitably furnished fireproof building that would function as a "purely Taranaki museum". An annex was eventually built behind
2257-404: The daily visitor record on 3 January 2017 with 1788 attendees. Hina : Celebrating Taranaki Women featured the stories of 11 different Taranaki women, and was curated by Kararaina Te Ira , Curator of Taonga Māori. It opened on the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand and closed in March 2019. New Plymouth New Plymouth ( Māori : Ngāmotu ) is the major city of
2318-452: The dullest hole in the colony ... nothing whatever to do there... I find a great liking for this 'slow, old hole' ... it is a quiet, unassuming place and has not done so much to attract immigrants and settlers by exaggerating reports, as some districts have done." The Fitzroy Town District was merged with New Plymouth borough in August 1911; Vogeltown, Frankleigh Park and Westown were added
2379-443: The elected members and the public, implement council decisions and manage the district's day-to-day operations. This includes everything from maintaining more than 280 parks and reserves, waste water management and issuing consents and permits, through to providing libraries and other recreational services and ensuring the district's eateries meet health standards. New Plymouth District Council's annual operating revenue for 2008/2009
2440-645: The festival itself transforms the park into an illuminated wonderland every evening. Next to the foreshore in the central city is Puke Ariki – the world's first purpose-built, fully integrated museum, library and information centre. Nearby is the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery , a contemporary art museum. It includes the Len Lye Centre , a purpose-built extension to the museum that houses the collection of filmmaker and kinetic artist Len Lye , which opened in 2015. The Coastal Walkway
2501-506: The government. Based on New Plymouth's already positive attitude towards cyclists and pedestrians, the city received $ 3.71m to invest into infrastructure and community programmes to boost walking and cycling. The area where New Plymouth was founded had for centuries been the home for several Māori iwi (tribes). From about 1823, the Māori began having contact with European whalers as well as traders who arrived by schooner to buy flax . In 1828 Richard "Dicky" Barrett (1807–47) set up
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2562-601: The library, archives, and research centre, and connects via a second floor airbridge with the new building containing the museum, iSite information centre, cafe, and restaurant. In front of Puke Ariki is a 2001 carved pou (pole), Tukotahi/Standing Together , depicting the first meeting of Māori and Pākehā settlers in Taranaki. The largest cultural project ever undertaken in the Taranaki region, Puke Ariki won Creative New Zealand 's prestigious Creative Places Award for 2003. The founding museum collections donated by William Skinner were well-documented Māori taonga (treasures), including
2623-523: The local electricity and natural gas distribution networks in the city. Electricity is supplied from Transpower 's national grid at two substations: Carrington Street (Brooklands) and Huirangi. Natural gas is supplied from First Gas 's transmission system at a gate station in Bell Block. Among the city's major industrial companies was Ivon Watkins-Dow, an agricultural chemicals company founded in 1944 by brothers Ivon, Harry and Dan Watkins and joined as
2684-443: The name of the province changed to Taranaki Province . The province was abolished in 1876. A Town Board was formed in 1863 and in August 1876, the town was constituted as a borough. Its new status did little to overcome some outside perceptions, however. In 1876, author E. W. Payton wrote that "all the great bustling 'cities' of the colony had a patronising way of trying to snub New Plymouth, referring to it in such derogatory terms as
2745-621: The photographic collection is the Swainson/Woods studios collection of over 111,000 negatives of vernacular photography from the 1920s to the 1990s, donated in 2005 and digitised by 2016. Rigby Allan, appointed Acting Curator of the then-Taranaki Museum in 1959, became Director in November 1961 and retired in 1973. Ron Lambert became director of the museum in 1975, at which time there were only three staff. He became Collection Manager in 1999, then Senior Researcher in 2001 before that role
2806-572: The racecourse in 1920 and commercial flights began using the airport at Bell Block in June 1937. During World War II, this grass airfield became RNZAF Bell Block ; and was replaced in 1966 by the current tarmac airport , 3 km (1.9 mi) NE of the old airport site. New Plymouth has two fire stations in the city, with the central station a block away from the CBD. The station houses four fire appliances, including an aerial appliance, along with three specialist vehicles. New Plymouth Central Fire Station
2867-531: The residents' exposure to dioxin may cause increased rates of disease, in particular cancer. In March 2007, the Ministry of Health announced it would offer a major health support programme to anyone affected. In April 2008, the Ministry clarified that the programme's main feature would be a free annual medical check up for those who had lived, worked or studied close to the factory. New Plymouth District has
2928-505: The subcommittees and working parties can make recommendations to the standing committees for them to consider. The third standing committee, the Hearings Commission, is a quasi-judicial body that meets whenever a formal hearing is required–for instance, to hear submissions on a publicly notified resource consent application. The Chief Executive and approximately 460 full-time equivalent staff provide advice and information to
2989-514: The total population of the Taranaki Region and 1.7% of New Zealand's population. This includes New Plymouth City (60,100), Waitara (7,680), Inglewood (3,960), Ōakura (1,720), Ōkato (561) and Urenui (429). The city itself is a service centre for the region's principal economic activities, including intensive pastoral activities (mainly dairy farming ) as well as oil , natural gas and petrochemical exploration and production. It
3050-506: The town's streets was laid out by surveyor Frederic Carrington . The first of the town's settlers arrived on the William Bryan , which anchored off the coast on 31 March 1841. A series of disputes over ownership and settlement of land developed between Māori and settlers soon after and New Plymouth became a fortified garrison town in 1860–1861 as more than 3500 Imperial soldiers, as well as local volunteers and militia, fought Māori in
3111-480: Was 18.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 50.7% had no religion, 37.3% were Christian, 1.1% were Hindu, 0.7% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 2.4% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 8,880 (19.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 8,919 (19.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $ 30,500, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
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#17327823847313172-539: Was appointed Director in March 2013. He left in January 2019, and was replaced as Manager by the acting director of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery , Colleen Mullin. Puke Ariki's most popular exhibition was Bugs! Our Backyard Heroes , curated by Aimee Burbery, which ran from November 2016 to May 2017. As well as pinned specimens from the Ken Fox collection, it featured live cockroaches, stick insects, centipedes, and spiders. Bugs! attracted over 65,000 visitors, and broke
3233-888: Was augmented by the Taranaki Flyer for the run between New Plymouth and Wanganui, A direct railway route to Auckland was not established until 1932, when the Stratford–Okahukura Line was completed; the next year, when the line was handed over from the Public Works Department to the New Zealand Railways Department , the New Plymouth Night Express began operating to Auckland. All carriage trains were replaced by RM class Standard and 88 seater railcars by 1956. The Wanganui service ceased in 1959;
3294-525: Was completed in 1883, providing safe berthage for vessels, and the Moturoa wharf was completed in 1888. Port Taranaki is a critical transport link for the region and the only deep water port on the west coast of New Zealand. In 1916, the city's electric tramway system began, and petrol-powered buses began running four years later. The tramway system was closed in 1954. It was replaced by trolley buses, which operated until 1967. The first aircraft landed at
3355-565: Was designed by Taylor and Collins, and the contractors were Fairbrother, Snowden and Wheeler Ltd. Planning began in 1954, and the four-story building opened on 14 July 1960. Its top floor was the War Memorial Hall, the next floor the Taranaki Museum, and the mezzanine and ground floors the library. One wing, designated for art display, was occupied by the North Taranaki Society for Arts, until they were forced out by
3416-472: Was disestablished in a 2016 restructure. Roger Fyfe was Deputy Director from 1979 to 1992, before joining Canterbury Museum as Curator of Ethnology. From 2005 to 2011 Bill Macnaught was Manager, leaving to become National Librarian. Fiona Emberton headed the institution from September 2011 to November 2012. Kelvin Day, who started at Taranaki Museum in 1992, and had been Manager Heritage Collections since 2008,
3477-399: Was dissolved in 1878, although the reading room remained. The first museum exhibits in New Plymouth date back to 1865 and were housed in the Town Hall; for many years the museum, library, and reading room were regarded as one organisation. Reading room fees were imposed from 1880, but in 1884 the council declared that the reading room would function as a "free public library", although funding
3538-542: Was quite limited, its librarians were untrained, and its collection was very disordered. All this changed when a new Carnegie Free Library, funded by a £2,500 grant from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie , was built on a site on King Street and opened in July 1908. The first full-time librarian, a Miss Free, was appointed in 1908 at a salary of £60 (she remained on staff for 22 years, later as Assistant Librarian, resigning in 1942). In November 1895, William Skinner first petitioned
3599-412: Was raised externally. The architects were local firm Boon Goldsmith Bhaskar (Team Architecture), and construction was carried out by Clelands Construction. Their brief was to retrofit the original 1960 War Memorial building and construct an addition 5000 m museum space. The architects designed the new building to reach the same height as the former Puke Ariki hill before it was excavated as landfill, placing
3660-520: Was run from the premises of a school on Vivian Street, then in October 1852 moved to an auction room on Devon St. It was renamed the Literary Institute in 1856, but had no funding to build a permanent home for some years, and much of its collection was destroyed in a fire in 1859. The institute and library occupied the ground floor of the newly built Provincial Council Town Hall building in 1865, but despite paying no rent it fell into debt and
3721-608: Was that 21,486 (46.7%) people were employed full-time, 7,098 (15.4%) were part-time, and 1,755 (3.8%) were unemployed. Electric power was first provided in January 1906 from the Mangorei power station alongside the Waiwhakaiho River near Burgess Park. In the 1960s, the New Plymouth Power Station was initially designed to run on coal but constructed to be fuelled by natural gas or fuel oil. This
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