City at the Centre

Overview

Once a small town sited at Te Papaioea, a clearing in the bush that cloaked the Manawatu Plains, Palmerston North has always had big-city aspirations. Critical to its growth was the railway that runs through it, farming, and education. Originally settled by Rangitane, today Palmerston North is home to people from many parts of the world. Why they chose to come to the city, and what they did when they got there, is the subject of this richly illustrated and engaging history.

Author Biography

Associate Professor Kerry Taylor is Head of the School of Humanities at Massey University, and a historian of labour, dissent, and political surveillance. On the local history front, he was a contributor to, and co-editor of, Te Hao Nui: The Great Catch (2011). Geoff Watson is an associate professor in the history programme in the School of Humanities, Massey University. He grew up in Palmerston North. His specialist field is sports history, and he has authored and co-authored a number of books and articles in this field, including Sport and the New Zealanders: A History (2018) and Will to Win: New Zealand Netball Greats on Team Culture and Leadership (2020). He has also contributed articles on sport in Palmerston North to the Manawatu Journal of History. Emeritus Professor Margaret Tennant's past publications have mainly been in the areas of women's history and the history of social policy. Most recently she has published articles, chapters, and books on the non-profit sector, including a history of the New Zealand Red Cross. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Aparangi.