Westport () is a town in the
West Coast region of the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand. Established in 1861, it is the oldest European settlement on the West Coast. Originally named Buller,
it is on the right bank and at the mouth of the
Buller River
The Buller River () is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. The Buller has the highest flow of any river in the country during floods, though it is only the 13th longest river; it runs for from Lake Rotoiti (Tasman), Lake Rotoiti throu ...
, close by the prominent headland of
Cape Foulwind. It is connected via
State Highway 6 with
Greymouth
Greymouth () (Māori language, Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast List of regions in New Zealand, region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The populat ...
, to the south, and with
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
in the northeast, via the
Buller Gorge. The population of the Westport urban area was as of . The
Buller District had a population of .
Name
The Māori language name for the river and the region is , meaning deep and swift. The town is thought to have been named after
Westport, County Mayo
Westport (, historically anglicised as ''Cahernamart'') is a town in County Mayo in Republic of Ireland, Ireland.Westport Before 1800 by Michael Kelly published in Cathair Na Mart 2019 It is at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the ...
in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, although the choice of name was no doubt also guided by its location.
History
From an archaeological excavation site, near the mouth of the Buller River (), it is clear that
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
were living close to Westport by the early 14th century. Māori mostly lived in coastal areas, though they explored the mountains for
pounamu
Pounamu is a term for several types of hard and durable stone found in the South Island of New Zealand. They are highly valued in New Zealand, and carvings made from pounamu play an important role in Māori culture.
Name
The Māori word ...
(jade or greenstone), which they then traded with other
iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
.
The first wave of European settlers came to Westport in 1861 as
gold miners, and the first European vessel said to have entered the river was the
sealing schooner
A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
''Three Brothers'' in 1844, though other sealing vessels were recorded in the Cape Foulwind area in the 1820s. The 1880s saw many exploratory parties of
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
s and
surveyor
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...
s combing the area for the presence of valuable resources and taking the measure of the land. Amongst them were
Charles Heaphy,
William Fox and
Thomas Brunner. While gold brought initial interest to the area, and for example, led to large areas of the coastal areas (covered by sediment from the river) being
dredged for the valuable mineral, the area soon became much more famous for
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
, still a dominant concern in the region today.
A coal mining company was formed in 1878 called the Westport Colliery Company Ltd, and then became
The Westport Coal Company in 1881 when a group of Dunedin businessmen purchased the mines. The coal fields were at Coalbrookdale (
Denniston) and Granity Creek (
Millerton) and coal was transported to the Westport harbour to be shipped out. By 1905 The Westport Coal Company was New Zealand's largest coal producer.
Westport was administrated as part of the
Nelson Province
Nelson Province was constituted in 1853 under the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, and originally covered the entire upper South Island, including all of present-day Buller District, Buller, Kaikoura District, Kaikoura, Marlborough District, ...
from 1853 to 1876.
Westport has been damaged by several earthquakes, the worst the
1929 Murchison earthquake
The 1929 Murchison earthquake occurred at 10:17 am on 17 June. It struck the Murchison region of the South Island, with an estimated magnitude of 7.3, and was felt throughout New Zealand. There were 17 deaths, mostly as a result of landsli ...
, in which several buildings collapsed, including the post office tower. The town now has a number of
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
buildings that were constructed after the earthquake,
[ for example the Clock Tower Chambers.
]
Flooding
Westport and the Buller District have had several floods since 1846. In January 1868, heavy rain led to flooding, which destroyed two wharves. The town was flooded again in October and November 1926, and yet again in 1970, 2012, and 2015. In 2018, Westport was damaged by Cyclone Fehi during the 2017–18 South Pacific cyclone season. According to Land River Sea Consulting founder and river engineer Matthew Gardner, Westport is sited on a flood-prone catchment and climate change is causing water levels to rise. A West Coast Regional Council spokesperson expressed concern about the under-investment in flood protection including dredging and river management work in Westport.
In July 2021, wet weather throughout New Zealand caused more flooding, leading to the evacuation of about 2,000 people, roughly half of the town's 4,600 residents. The flood caused millions of dollars in damages and damaged hundreds of homes in Westport. 563 homes were damaged with 70 homes being red stickered and 393 homes being yellow stickered. 23% of the town's 983 dwellings required repairs. By mid-October 2021, 450 homes remained uninhabitable or damaged. 140 remained in temporary accommodation including cabins, motels, or relatives' homes.
In February 2022, Westport and the Buller District had heavy rain and significant flooding, which damaged homes, infrastructure, farms, and roads. Residents were also evacuated. On 10 February, a state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
was declared in the Buller District. Minister of Rural Affairs Damien O'Connor described the February flooding in Westport as "one of the worst he had seen" and attributed it to climate change. On 23 February, Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Jacinda Ardern
Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician and activist who was the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. She was ...
announced a NZ$500,000 scheme to assist farmers in Westport and the wider West Coast region with flood damage called "Task Force Green."
In July 2022, Stuff
Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to:
*Physical matter
*General, unspecific things, or entities
Arts, media, and entertainment
Books
*''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly
*''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jeremy Strong
Fictional c ...
reported that over 400 homes in Westport had not been fully repaired since the floods that struck the city in July 2021. Of the 563 flood damaged homes, just over 100 had fully completed their repairs. The Buller District Council and the West Coast Regional Council submitted a NZ$54 million business case for the region which includes investing in flood walls, subsidising people to move from flood-prone areas, and investing in Westport's stormwater system.
Geography
Climate
The Westport climate is strongly influenced by the high amount of precipitation from the Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...
, with all months being rather wet on average. Despite very high annual rainfall, Westport is often prone to drought and conservation measures are sometimes triggered. While colder than the more northern parts of New Zealand, average temperature changes over the year are not extreme.
Demographics
Westport covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Westport had a population of 4,389 at the 2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, a decrease of 366 people (−7.7%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 120 people (−2.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,998 households, comprising 2,214 males and 2,172 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female, with 729 people (16.6%) aged under 15 years, 651 (14.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,911 (43.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,092 (24.9%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 91.9% European/Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 12.1% Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 1.8% Pasifika, 2.7% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 9.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.3% had no religion, 33.6% were Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.5% were Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.1% were Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 0.3% were Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 1.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 303 (8.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,179 (32.2%) people had no formal qualifications. 351 people (9.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,398 (38.2%) people were employed full-time, 561 (15.3%) were part-time, and 159 (4.3%) were unemployed.
Rural surrounds
Westport Rural surrounds Westport on the west, south and east, and includes Carters Beach. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Before the 2023 census, Westport Rural had a smaller boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Westport Rural had a population of 1,260 at the 2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, an increase of 30 people (2.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 285 people (29.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 498 households, comprising 624 males and 639 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 50.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 249 people (19.8%) aged under 15 years, 96 (7.6%) aged 15 to 29, 606 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 306 (24.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 94.0% European/Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 8.8% Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.7% Pasifika, 1.7% Asian, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 9.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.7% had no religion, 32.9% were Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.5% were Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.5% were Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 1.2% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 129 (12.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 285 (28.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $24,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 144 people (14.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 441 (43.6%) people were employed full-time, 192 (19.0%) were part-time, and 21 (2.1%) were unemployed.
Economy
Economic activity is based around fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
, coal mining and dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...
. Historically, gold mining was a major industry, and coal mining was much more extensive than today (especially in terms of employment numbers). However, the region still is home to New Zealand's largest opencast mining operation in Stockton. Some native forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucks[Holcim
Holcim is a Swiss-based global building materials and Construction aggregate, aggregates flagship division of the Holcim Group. The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge (company), Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new c ...]
company had a large cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
plant in the southwest side of town until its closure on 30 June 2016.
Westport is also home to EPIC Westport an innovation hub, which houses software developers and business startups.
Media
A daily local newspaper is published in Westport, the '' Westport News''. The Westport News building also houses coast-wide local radio station Coast FM.
Tourism
Tourist attracts in the area include Cape Foulwind, Tauranga Bay with its large fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family Otariidae. They are much more closely related to sea lions than Earless seal, true seals, and share with them external ears (Pinna (anatomy ...
colony, and fine surfing beaches. The opening of the Old Ghost Road which runs between Lyell and Seddonville to the north of Westport has seen an explosion in the number of mountain bikers visiting the area. The Kawatiri Coastal Trail is under development between Westport, Carters Beach, Cape Foulwind, and Charleston.The Pūwaha Section of the trail from Westport to Carters Beach was the first of nine sections to be built. It was officially opened on 6 December 2020. The remaining sections are expected to be completed by June 2022.
Rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
and jetboat
A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses an external propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat through a ...
ing in the Buller Gorge are popular. Westport is a base for trips to Karamea and the Oparara Basin Arches with the only road access to the area running north from Westport. Paparoa National Park is also located nearby.
Transport
Westport is served by State Highway 67, and the 8.9 km spur State Highway 67A to Carters Beach and Cape Foulwind which terminates at the former Holcim
Holcim is a Swiss-based global building materials and Construction aggregate, aggregates flagship division of the Holcim Group. The original company was merged on 10 July 2015 with Lafarge (company), Lafarge to form LafargeHolcim as the new c ...
cement plant location.
The Holcim company managed the day-to-day operations of Westport's port until ceasing operations in the district, using it to ship their cement product to market,[Westport](_blank)
(from the Buller District Council website) for example to the Port of Onehunga in Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
.
The first railway of the area in 1864 ran from Westport to the coal fields, most of them north of town. The first section of railway from Westport to Fairdown via Sergeants Hill opened on 31 December 1875; this line ultimately reached Seddonville in 1895 and was known as the Seddonville Branch. From this beginning, an isolated network of branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located ...
s was developed: a Westport-Inangahua branch line of about 12 miles (19 km) was authorised by the Railways Authorisation Act, 1904. But the lines were not linked to the national network until the completion of the Stillwater–Westport Line through the Buller Gorge in 1942.
Westport Airport is a small airport. It was formerly served twice daily on weekdays and daily in the weekend by Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily within the Pacific Rim. The airline h ...
from Wellington
Wellington 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 third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
, and prior to that, flights to Christchurch and Hokitika were also operated. The Air New Zealand service from Wellington service ceased in April 2015 and its place was taken by Sounds Air. Sounds Air announced that it would cease their service in December 2024 and from January 2025 Originair took on this route.
Facilities
The town used to have one cinema/theatre, the St James Theatre, able to seat 424 patrons for film screenings, theatre productions or other activities. After being found structurally unsound, the theatre had to be demolished. A new theatre has since opened. The NBS theatre has two movie theatres, one which seats 55 people and a boutique theatre that seats approximately 20 people. This theatre also has a large facility with seating for approximately 370 people and a stage for performing.
The township also has a links-style, 18-hole, par-72 golf course. The course measures around with medium to narrow fairways and small "target" greens.
The Pulse Energy Recreation Centre (originally named the Solid Energy Centre), a sports complex, was opened on 18 April 2009.
Te Taha o Te Awa Marae is based at Westport. It is a ''marae
A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...
'' (tribal meeting ground) of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō
Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe) in the upper South Island of New Zealand. Its rohe (tribal lands) include the areas around Golden Bay / Mohua, Golden Bay, Tākaka, Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, Motueka, Nelson, Ne ...
and its Pūaha Te Rangi hapū, and includes a ''wharenui
A wharenui (; literally "large house") is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a ''marae''. Wharenui are usually called meeting houses in New Zealand English, or simply called ''wikt:wh ...
'' (meeting house), also called Te Taha o te Awa.
The Coaltown Museum, opened in 2013, illustrates the area's local history.
Sue Thomson Casey Memorial Library, Buller District's library, is located on Palmerston Street.
Education
Buller High School is a secondary (years 9–13) school with a roll of . The school celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1997 but also claims to have been operating for over 100 years, due to its connection to earlier secondary schooling in the district.
Westport North School and Westport South School are full primary (years 1–8) schools with rolls of and , respectively. The schools were founded in 1942 and 1941
St Canice's School is a full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of . It is a state integrated Catholic school and has operated since at least 1882.
All these schools are coeducational. The town's primary schools all have a decile rating of 4, and Buller High School has a decile rating of 3. School rolls are as of
Notable people
* Marlene J Bennetts – poet and children's author
* Ben Blair – rugby union player
* James Colvin – politician
* G. F. J. Dart – educationalist, playwright
* Alan Deere – World War II fighter ace
* Anna Harrison – netball player
* Peter Hawes – playwright, author, actor
* Laura Suisted – journalist
Notable buildings
File:Clock Tower Chambers Westport MRD 01.jpg, Clock Tower Chambers
File:Westport MRD 05.jpg, Westport Post Office
File:Westport MRD 02.jpg, Former Bank of New Zealand building which now houses the '' Westport News''
File:Westport MRD 04.jpg, Buller County Chambers
File:Westport MRD 12.jpg, Old Westport Library building
File:St John's Westport MRD.jpg, Church of St John the Evangelist
File:St Canice's Westport 05.jpg, St Canice's Church
References
External links
Westport Tourism Website
(Official Westport tourism website, Tourism New Zealand)
Buller High School
Westport North School
{{Authority control
Populated places in the West Coast Region
Buller District
Mining communities in New Zealand