Invercargill

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Invercargill Waihopai
Population:	48,200 (urban) 50,800 (territorial)
Urban Area
Extent:	Makarewa to Woodend; west to Otatara
Territorial Authority
Name:	Invercargill City
Mayor:	Tim Shadbolt
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 (Waihopai in Māori) is the southern-most and western-most city in New Zealand, and one of the southern-most 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 is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, including Fiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island. There is much rich farmland to the north, as far as the beautiful lakes of neighbouring Otago.

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.

During the mid 1950s, Invercargill Airport was used as an American base for Operation Deep Freeze. Large planes destined for McMurdo Sound in the Antarctic utilised the airport assisted in takeoff by JATO rockets under their wings.

Invercargill is home to the Southern Institute of Technology, which has introduced a free-fees scheme. The free fees scheme was largely responsible for rejuvenating the city when it was in a steady state of population decline.

There is a large park, Queen's Park, just north of the city centre. This park has botanical gardens, an aviary, sports grounds, and is also home to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Anderson Park, located on the northern boundary of Invercargill, consisting of a large Georgian-style residence set in 24 hectares of landscaped gardens. The house displays Invercargill's extensive collection of New Zealand art.

As a regional centre, it has a large number of shops. Due to the Invercargill Licensing Trust, alcohol is not sold in supermarkets, the monopoly trust putting all profits back into the community. Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after British rivers. These include Dee, Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey, Tay, and Eye rivers.

Invercargill is at the southern end of the Main South Line railway, which extends up the east coast to Christchurch 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 in Invercargill, except for occasional excursions. The Bluff Branch extends south from Invercargill and has been freight-only since 1967. It is also home of the SBS Invitational Amateur golf tournament which is held every year at the beginning of March.

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".

Contents 1 Climate 2 The Invercargill March 3 Education 3.1 High schools 3.2 Primary Schools 4 Famous Invercargillites 5 Sister Cities 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Climate

A temperate oceanic climate similar to that of the British Isles (the rain is warmer in summer) prevails in Invercargill, where the mean daily temperature ranges from 5.2°C in July to 13.8°C in January. Precipitation averages 1064 mm annually, and measurable snowfall is occasionally seen during the winter months of June to September. It has an average of 1580 hours of sunshine per annum.

The average temperature high ranges from 18.4°C in January to 11.1°C in August. Due to the 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". A recent sign also states "Invercargill, where dreams can come true" with an image from the 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian.

[edit] The Invercargill March

Invercargill is probably best-known internationally for the Invercargill March, a stirring piece of military music written in 1900 by the composer Alex F. Lithgow, who lived in Invercargill from the age of six, although born in Scotland. The march was specifically 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 Caladoinian Pipe band still continues the Scottish tradition today.

[edit] Education

Schools in Invercargill include:

[edit] High schools

All High Schools in Invercargill are Year 7-13, following a Ministry of Education review in 2004 which made most of Invercargill's primary schools Year 1-6 and closed Year 7-8 schools Rosedale Intermediate and Collingwood Intermediate.

• James Hargest College is a school in northern Invercargill of about 1800 students.

• Aurora College was established in 2005, brought in after Mount Anglem College was closed in 2004.

• Southland Girls' High School In 2005 became the first state Year 7-13 single-sex female school in New Zealand.

• Southland Boys' High School In 2005 became the first state Year 7-13 single-sex male school in New Zealand.

• Verdon College is a co-educational Catholic school of about 600 students.

[edit] Primary Schools

Some Primary Schools are Year 1-8, but most are Year 1-6.

• St Joseph's, a small Catholic school near St Mary's Basilica
• Ascot Community School, currently the city's only public Year 1-8 school.
• Fernworth Primary
• Windsor North School, previously known as Invercargill North School.
• Waverly Park School
• Waihopai School, co-ed school for years 1-6
• 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

[edit] Famous Invercargillites

• Ernest Godward - inventor of the spiral hairpin and the petrol economiser
• Peter Arnett - NBC war correspondent
• Rowena Jackson - Royal Ballet prima ballerina
• Johnnie Checketts - Silver Star, Wingco and Spitfire Ace
• Bill Crawford-Crompton - Silver Star, Air Vice Marshal and WW2 Commander and Ace
• Herbert Pither - aviation legend of Southland, made cycles, petrol engines, marine engineering etc.
• Herbert James "Burt" Munro - inventor, motorcycle enthusiast, racer and under 1000 cc land speed record holder.
• Marton Csokas - actor in major Hollywood films
• Joseph Ward - Prime Minister of New Zealand
• Garfield Todd - Prime Minister of Rhodesia
• Victor Spencer - last soldier to be executed in World War I, pardoned in 2005
• Jeff Wilson - All Black and Black Cap ("Double All Black")
• Lesley Nicol - Silver Ferns Captain
• Bill Manhire - N.Z.’s inaugural poet laureate
• Jeremy Waldron - prominent legal and political philosopher
• Chris Knox - infamous (in NZ) alternative rock musician

[edit] Sister Cities

• Kumagaya, Japan

[edit] References

• Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 46°25.5′S 168°18.6′E

• City of Invercargill
• Invercargill City Council
• ICC Map page
• Invercargill Information Center
• Invercargill Student Forum
• Invercargill Street Map
• Photo Gallery