Invercargill
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| Invercargill | Missing image Invercargill.PNG |
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| Urban Area | Population | 48,200 |
| Extent | Makarewa to Woodend;
west to Otatara |
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| Territorial Authority |
Name | Invercargill City |
| Population | 51,800 | |
| Land area | 491km² | |
| Extent | Makarewa to Bluff;
Kennington |
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| Regional Council | Name | Southland |
Invercargill is the southernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the most southern 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 the Fiordland National park covering the south-west corner of the South Island.
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 near 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.
Invercargill is home to the Southern Institute of Technology which has introduced a fees-free scheme. There is a large park, Queens 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.
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.
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 1,064 mm annually, and measurable snowfall is occasionally seen during the winter months of June to September.
The average high temperature 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.
Education
- James Hargest College (http://www.jameshargest.school.nz/) is a school of about 1,800 students.
External links
- City of Invercargill (http://www.invercargill.org.nz/)
- Invercargill City Council (http://www.icc.govt.nz/)
- Invercargill Information Center (http://www.infocargill.co.nz/)