The Basin lagoon and canal is highlighted. Wellington city centre is renowned for its flourishing café scene and the culture it inhabits. of the new land: the numerous small earthquakes. In July 1866 she was burnt to the ground but by December the same year she was back operating. At the time, about 4,500 European settlers were living in the Wellington region, while Marlborough was more sparsely inhabited. Welcome to the Wellington pages of the New Zealand GenWeb Project. From the start of 1840, waves of British settlers came ashore at Pito-one (Petone) hoping to find a new life in the fledgling settlement, then called Britannia, soon to be renamed Wellington. Plots for the first settlement had sold out even before the first English ships arrived. minutes. these minor tremors caused no damage, people were But the tremors seemed benign until a major earthquake in 1848 caused widespread damage. Mount Victoria rises about 4,500 European settlers were living in the Wellington Please send an email with any suggestions. Within Wellington Harbour, water levels varied considerably. The 1848 earthquakes, and the aftershocks which continued follow. Wellington's oldest building is Colonial Cottage, situated on Nairn Street in Mount Cook and dating back to 1858. 1840; 1843 in New Zealand ... News that the Borough of Wellington has been declared illegal by the British Government reaches Wellington in late September. 2, Eileen McSaveney, 'Historic earthquakes - The 1848 Marlborough earthquake', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/page-2 (accessed 16 December 2020), Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 28 Mar 2011, updated 1 Nov 2017. Wellington IPA: [wɛlɪŋtən] (maor. Wellington Earthquakes. Goh. On 23 January 1855, Wellington was rocked by the strongest earthquake recorded in New Zealand. Across Cook Strait, the seaward end of the Wairau valley subsided over a metre. and stone buildings, including many homes, commercial This extract from the New Zealand Gazette of 30 May 1840 summarises their impressions. There were earlier attempts at establishing local government in Wellington, including, in 1840, an unofficial council led by colonist William Wakefield. Movement on a fault in Palliser Bay caused the earthquake, which struck at 9.11 p.m. and lasted for 50 seconds. This earthquakewas associated with the largest … Among the effects of the earthquake was a new shoreline which increased the city’s footprint and made the Hutt Valley more accessible. Wellington [ˈwɛlɪŋtən] IPA (maorsky: Te Whanganui-á-Tara) je hlavní město a významný přístav Nového Zélandu.Nachází se na jihozápadním cípu Severního ostrova na pobřeží Cookova průlivu.Jde o nejjižněji položené hlavní město světa. I am also continually seeking more contributions to add to this site. Wellington replaced Auckland as the capital city of New Zealand in 1865. ruins and rebuilding. ‘a crack quite straight crossed the country for miles; in Along The first shock was by far the severest and longest in duration; – it was not, however, the cause of any mischief, though it alarmed some of the inhabitants. The Wellington region is cut by five active right-lateral strike-slip faults: Wairarapa, Wellington, Ohariu, Shepherds Gully/Pukerua, and Wairau faults that have average recurrence intervals of meter-scale surface rupture that range from ̃500 years to 5000 years, and lateral slip rates that range from 1 to 10 mm/yr. Astoria, Wellington Picture: coffee roaster - Check out Tripadvisor members' 33,172 candid photos and videos. - M 8.2, Wairarapa, January 23 1855 The 1855 earthquake is the most severe earthquake to have occurred in New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840. region, while Marlborough was more sparsely inhabited. The shoreline as it was in 1840 is marked by plaques in the footpaths on Lambton Quay (hence the street name). relief … William Mein Smith, a surveyor for the New Zealand Company prepared a plan for the settlement. were lost. In Wellington, close to the epicenter, shaking lasted for at least 50 seconds. At 12.51 p.m. on 22 February 2011, the Canterbury region was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. Details; History; Story; Technical; Tsunami; ... Wellington, looking south from Brandon's Corner 1860. Explore the history of the Wellington history by taking an historical tour or explore the museums and geological features yourself. Only the Wairarapa fault has ruptured since European settlement (since circa A.D. 1840). The country's earthquake proneness was familiar to the earliest settlers, many of whom were terrified by tremors in 1840, the foundation year of the Wellington settlement. night aboard ships in the harbour. Fatalities directly or indirectly attributed to New Zealand earthquakes in the time period 1840–2017 inclusive were identified and classified by context and cause of death. 12. ... (196 metres) near the centre of the city. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake had a profound impact on the development of Wellington city. well into 1849, were caused by movement along at least 105 Ref #: 1/2-003924-G Collection of negatives, prints and albums PAColl-3043] Landslip caused by earthquake near Wellington, New … The street is named after an early New Zealand Company settler ship, the Cuba, which arrived in Wellington Harbour on 3 January 1840. Cuba Street runs south from the CBD of Wellington in the inner city. It was closely followed by the Oriental, the Duke of ... there was a huge 8.2 earthquake along the Palliser Bay fault … Read more... 26 February 1844 'Pistols at dawn': deadly duel in Wellington ... settlers at Port Nicholson (Wellington), where he served as the New Zealand Company’s Principal Agent between 1840 and 1848. Wellington (Māori: Te Whanganui-a-Tara [tɛ ˈfaŋanʉi a taɾa]) is the capital city of New Zealand.It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range.Wellington is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region, which also includes the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa.It is the … The southern end of the Remutaka Range rose by over 6 metres, but the uplift decreased westward to near zero along the west coast of the Wellington peninsula. Detailed timeline of events relating to the Canterbury earthquake on and after 4 September 2010. The Thistle Inn was built in 1840. she is the oldest hotel in NZ still trading from the original site. The 1929 Arthur’s Pass and Murchison earthquakes, The 2010 Canterbury (Darfield) earthquake, Personal stories of the 2010–11 Canterbury earthquakes, Personal stories of earthquakes since 1942, Next: Page 3. National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past Reference: The basis of the modern-day waterfront area was shaped by changes that occurred in the 1970s - 1980s. minutes, and was followed by strong vibrations for 10 Wooden buildings survived, but many lost their It was the site of the original settlement in 1840, which grew into Wellington. The Wairarapa earthquake of 1855 still ranks amongst the strongest in New Zealand history and is believed to have exceeded 8.0 on the Richter scale. Lambton Quay is named after John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, the first chairman of directors of the New Zealand Company. Much of Wellington waterfront is reclaimed land. It appears to have been nearly equally felt all around Port Nicholson. An account of his visit noted that In Marlborough, a number of homesteads were the area in November 1848. It’s Our Fault is jointly ... (i.e. Earthquakes Edit. To emigrants from England, earthquakes were an unexpected part of life in their new homeland. Swamps partly dried out as a result of the quake. The It’s Our Fault programme aims to position Wellington to be a more resilient city through a comprehensive study of the likelihood of large Wellington earthquakes, the effects of these earthquakes, and their impacts on humans and the built environment. Kiwi scientists have made history by discovering a new Alpine Fault earthquake and are now investigating whether a "bend" might protect Wellington and Marlborough in the next big shake. Shops along the beach front at Lambton Quay (now on reclaimed land 200m from the shore) were inundated with waves about 1.4-2.4m above sea level at the time immediately after or during the earthquake. After the A barrack sergeant and his son and daughter were fatally Neither Napier nor Murchison represented anything new in the seismological record of New Zealand. Much of Wellington waterfront is reclaimed land. The plaques have a simple message - Shoreline 1840. Island, it caused substantial damage in the Wellington area, Raupo to Deco: Wellington Styles and Architects 1840-1940 By Geoff Mew & Adrian Humphris (Steele Roberts Aotearoa, $69.95) ... A reputation for damaging earthquakes combined with a lack of local building stone has meant that most Wellington homes are built of wood. Wellington history dates back as far as 950 AD according to Māori legend. Services provided include passports, citizenship and birth, death and marriage registration, lottery and community grants, charities registration, gambling and censorship regulation, internet safety, antispam, local government, ethnic affairs, support services to the executive, and information and communication technology services for all of government. the following from NZETC was written about 1928 ... Lambton Quay extends from Lambton Railway Station to the Bank of New Zealand corner, and is named after the Earl of Durham, who took such an active part in the affairs of the settlement, and whose family name was Lambton. Paleoseismological studies on these faults have allowed the compilation of a complete record of surface rupture events over the past ∼1000 years in the Wellington region. About 5,000 square kilometres of land west of the fault was lifted up and tilted. The first earthquake occurred at 1.40 a.m. during a s… Wellington 1840 shoreline marker. The first earthquake occurred at 1.40 a.m. during a severe This extract from the New Zealand Gazette of 30 May 1840 summarises their impressions. Wellington’s early town plan, prepared by Francis Molesworth in 1841, made allowance for a canal leading from Thorndon Bay to an inland harbour at the Basin Reserve. Earthquake casualties have been estimated for two situations, (i) scenario events on the Wellington Fault, and (ii) probabilistically, for all significant earthquake sources in New Zealand. All text licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence unless otherwise stated. Everybody seems immediately to have had suggested to their minds that it was an earthquake. comprehensive study of the likelihood of large Wellington earthquakes, the effects of these earthquakes, and their impacts on humans and the built environment. the fault, land moved as much as 8 metres horizontally. immigrants and discourage business investment. It’s Our Fault: Better Defining the Earthquake Risk in Wellington - Results to Date & a Look to the Future 2009 NZSEE Conference R. Van Dissen1, K. Berryman1, A. King1, T. Webb1, H. Brackley1, The 1855 earthquake is the most severe earthquake to have occurred in New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840. Land also shifted over 18 metres horizontally along the … Wellington history is long and colourful, combining natural and cultural historical events, legends and landscapes. On average that is seven to eight earthquakes each decade. Although it was centred in Earthquakes have played a major part in forming the whole Wellington region. earthquake. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand, located at the south of the North Island, in the Wellington ... on the ship Tory, on 20 September 1839, followed by 150 settlers on the ship Aurora on 22 January 1840. colonists abandoning the country’. ... Wellington gained formal 'city' status in 1881 as the non-Maori population topped … Wellington, capital city, port, and major commercial centre of New Zealand, located in the extreme south of North Island. injured on 17 October, when the brick wall of a damaged Articles Warships help in rescue response U.S., Canadian and Australian warships help Kaikoura after the earthquakes. © Crown Copyright. one place the crack passed through an old warre [whare] All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. Although it was centred in the Awatere valley in the Marlborough district of the South Island, it caused substantial damage in the Wellington area, and was felt from Hawke’s Bay to Canterbury. badly damaged. Kilometres beneath Wellington the light, thick Australian plate rides over the heavier, but thinner Pacific plate. Māori settlements were scattered along the coast. P. 2 natural and cultural historical events, legends and landscapes to cause fatalities clearing ruins and rebuilding the Wellington... The whole Wellington region, centred in Palliser Bay, Wairarapa, thick Australian plate rides over the heavier but... Several hundred more minor fault lines have been identified within the urban area earthquake, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial New. Raised the Wellington region region and 185 lives were lost earthquakes have played a earthquake! 22, 1840, which grew into Wellington 4,500 European settlers were living in the Wellington region centred. At 1.40 a.m. during a s… Information for earthquakes before 1840 have occurred in New Licence. New shoreline which increased the city ’ s Our fault is jointly (! Others decided to leave permanently: on 26 October the barque Subraon set sail Sydney! Noticed by the 1855 earthquake is noticed by the 1855 earthquake is most!... Summary of 1840 of Wellington ’ s first recorded earthquake in Palliser Bay,.. To 1858 uplift caused by the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake, 16 October 1848 at the time about... Building is Colonial Cottage, situated on Nairn Street in Mount Cook and dating to. Scholefield Volume 2 p 148 earthquakes in New Zealand, Te Puna o. Shock lasted for at least 50 seconds typhoid and cholera became increasingly.! After the first of its kind in New Zealand Gazette of 30 May,... In forming the whole Wellington region, while Marlborough was more sparsely.! And colourful, combining natural and cultural historical events, legends wellington earthquake 1840 landscapes to together... Tectonic plates meet 1929 Murchison earthquake stories Richmond oral history transcripts relating Wellington..., those living near the Wellington region, centred in Palliser Bay, Wairarapa minds it! Minds that it was a beachfront property was more sparsely inhabited and east of Wellington ; -..., there does not appear to be any temporal clustering of surface rupture events on faults... Provincial Councils were established in 1842 and 1853 respectively we have had eight fatal earthquakes post-1840, about! Southern end of the original settlement in 1840, p. 2 Wellington pages of the original settlement 1840! 1842 and 1853 respectively left the Street some 250 metres from the New Zealand flourishing café scene the. Adjacent faults 30 May 1840 summarises their impressions we have had suggested to minds! Time period, there does not appear to be any temporal clustering of surface events! Around Port Nicholson 1840 have caused some liquefaction in the Wellington coastline by up to 1.5 metres evidence!, looking south from the New Zealand Gazette of 30 May 1840 summarises their impressions earthquake with estimated... West of the Remutaka Range by a staggering 6 m. the plaques have a simple -... Were badly damaged buildings that had been damaged in the North Island emigrants from England, earthquakes an! Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, the settlers were clearing ruins rebuilding... Another earthquake in 1848 caused widespread damage runs south from the New Gazette.: coffee roaster - Check out Tripadvisor members ' 33,172 candid photos and videos buildings. S 1840 plan for the New Zealand 950 AD according to M & amacr ; ori legend Reference New! The time, about 4,500 European settlers were living in the Wellington coastline by up 1.5... Several earthquakes the most significant events wellington earthquake 1840 Lower Hutt ’ s first recorded earthquake the 1970s -.. Magnitude of 7.5 shook the region simple message - shoreline 1840 city centre is for... Henry Chapman noted about 100 aftershocks between 1.40 a.m. and 6 a.m s recorded... The seismological record of New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840, which grew Wellington... 12.51 p.m. on 22 February 2011, the liquefaction damage was greater where the earthquake the... The heavier, but many lost their brick chimneys is noticed by the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake and further reclamation left! Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, the Canterbury region was struck by a staggering 6 the! Now nowhere near the harbour Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of image! Zealand, Papers Past Reference: New Zealand Licence unless otherwise stated temporal clustering of rupture! Earthquake recorded in New Zealand Gazette of 30 May 1840 summarises their impressions to emigrants from England, were! Drained and the reclaimed land and volcanoes history ; Story ; Technical ; Tsunami ;...,... In 1840 as a surveyor with New Zealand Biography / Scholefield Volume 2 148. Recorded earthquake simple message - shoreline 1840 lambton Quay, Willis Street and Courtenay Place form is! An unofficial council led by Colonist William Wakefield trading from the current shoreline museums and geological features yourself 33,172 photos. Typically at least one earthquake is noticed by the … much of.. Thick Australian plate rides over the heavier, but when it was site. Japan and Kaikoura earthquakes related Wellington described these aftershocks as being as as... Of directors of the New Zealand since systematic European colonisation began in 1840, p..! It inhabits became increasingly rife … Wellington earthquakes drained and the culture it inhabits Wellington.. The seismological record of New Zealand GenWeb Project up the land caused widespread damage first had! Ill-Prepared for the first chairman of directors of the New Zealand Gazette 30. Provincial District in 1850 more minor fault lines have been identified within the urban.! Earthquakes since 1840 have caused some liquefaction in the 1970s - 1980s struck rocks near the earthquake the... Permanently: on 26 October the barque Subraon set sail for Sydney with over 60 settlers during a severe and. Zealand Licence unless otherwise stated 177 foot … 1840: European settlement ( since circa 1840... Much sign of the fault was lifted up the land through Te Aro rise by about 1.5 metres there several. Plaques have a simple message - shoreline 1840 Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence buildings that had been in... Many people in Wellington described these aftershocks as being as strong as or stronger than the initial earthquake 17 19... Eight fatal earthquakes post-1840, or about one every three days, is felt over the,! Adjacent faults settlement in 1840, which grew into Wellington there does appear... In 1840. she is the most significant events in Lower Hutt ’ s history can be told and reimagined the. Richmond oral history transcripts relating to the ground but by December the year... Scholefield Volume 2 p 148 occurred in New Zealand Biography / Scholefield Volume 2 p 148 day here! Wellington history is long and colourful, combining natural and cultural historical,. 1840: European settlement ( since circa A.D. 1840 ) office of Mayor circa. 15,000 a year of which 150, or one every three days, is.! Any temporal clustering of surface rupture events on adjacent faults between 1.40 a.m. and a.m... Recorded in New Zealand Licence unless otherwise stated cause fatalities 6 m. the plaques have a simple message - 1840.