30-479: The Fell Locomotive Museum in Featherston , New Zealand, exhibits the only remaining steam-powered Fell railway locomotive in the world. From 1877, locomotive H 199 climbed 265 metres (869 ft) up the 4.8-kilometre (3.0 mi) Rimutaka Incline using John Barraclough Fell 's unique method of four grip wheels on a raised centre rail. It is housed and tended to by a group of dedicated rail enthusiasts. H 199
60-743: A satellite town of Wellington since the Remutaka rail tunnel opened in 1955; at the 2006 census, 36% of employed Featherston residents worked in Wellington and the Hutt Valley. This proximity to the capital, coupled with low house prices, made Featherston popular with writers, artists and those with young families, in turn leading to a recent upsurge in business investment and creative activity. From 2014 to 2019, housing prices in Featherston increased by 108% while rental prices went from an average of $ 140 to $ 400 in
90-463: A Māori contingent in several engagements, notably at Otapawa, and later alongside Gustavus von Tempsky . This saga gave rise to the Featherston legend: he was described leading his men into battle "in his dressing gown, with a cigar in his mouth, having no weapon whatever with which to defend himself". He was subsequently awarded the New Zealand Cross for bravery. A duel on 24 March 1847
120-709: A cure in more suitable climate. He arrived in Wellington in May 1841 on the New Zealand Company ship Olympus as surgeon-superintendent . In 1845, Featherston became the first editor of the Wellington Independent . He served in the first , second , third , and fourth Parliaments. He represented the Wanganui and Rangitikei electorate in the first parliament until he resigned on 9 August 1855, and then represented
150-705: A population of 2,487 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 237 people (10.5%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 144 people (6.1%) since the 2006 census . There were 1,035 households, comprising 1,254 males and 1,233 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female. The median age was 43.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 471 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 339 (13.6%) aged 15 to 29, 1,200 (48.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 480 (19.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 88.9% European/ Pākehā , 19.7% Māori , 2.8% Pasifika , 3.0% Asian , and 2.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
180-602: A significant amount of time playing sports, specifically football, as a youngster he was also quite academic and qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1836. On 10 December 1839, he married Bethia Campbell Scott (1816–1864), a daughter of Andrew Scott, of Edinburgh . After working as a physician in Italy and across Europe, he emigrated to New Zealand due to problems with tuberculosis , leaving in December 1840 in hope of
210-424: A steampunk theme allowing them to pay homage to the town's literary and historical threads. Featherston has various sporting clubs, including one of the oldest junior football clubs in the country, Featherston Junior FC can trace their club history back to 1856. Also, there's; a rugby union football club, a hockey club, athletics club, swimming club, football club and an indoor sports complex. Featherston School
240-436: Is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 156 as of August 2024. South Featherston School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 69. St Teresa's School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 101. Featherston once had a secondary school, Featherston District High School. It closed in
270-537: Is a town in the South Wairarapa District , in the Wellington Region of New Zealand 's North Island . It is at the eastern foothills of Remutaka Range close to the northern shore of Lake Wairarapa , 63 km (39 mi) north-east of central Wellington and 37 km (23 mi) south-west of Masterton . The town has a population of 2,760 (June 2024). Featherston has increasingly become
300-691: Is just over 60 minutes. Featherston is twinned with the Belgian city of Mesen . Isaac Featherston Isaac Earl Featherston NZC (21 March 1813 – 19 June 1876), popularly known as the Little Doctor , was a New Zealand politician, known for his advocacy for the establishment of New Zealand self-government, and the importance of the provincial governments. Featherston was born in Newcastle upon Tyne , Northumberland on 21 March 1813, to Thomas Featherston and Jane (Earl) Featherston. Although he spent
330-618: Is one of six H class locomotives designed for use on the 1 in 15 Rimutaka Incline , where they worked for 77 years. Their story is recalled by audio-visual programmes, models, photographs and memorabilia in the museum. At the official opening ceremony for the Rimutaka Tunnel on 3 November 1955 at Speedy's Crossing, the Minister for Railways, Mr McAlpine, presented H 199 to the Borough of Featherston for display. After H 199 completed its duties on
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#1732855976807360-610: The City of Wellington electorate in the second, third and fourth parliaments. In 1858, he resigned his seat in Parliament and his Wellington superintendency, apparently wanting to return to England. Instead, he successfully stood for re-election in both positions within months. Featherston was Colonial Secretary (forerunner to the modern Minister of Internal Affairs ) in 1861, and a Minister without Portfolio from 1869 to 1871, having been appointed in both instances by William Fox . Featherston
390-580: The wetlands . In 2015, Featherston joined the Booktown movement, and hosts an annual literary festival and other bookish events through the year. Other annual events include winter's Time Traveller's Ball, a summer series of Featherston First Friday community arts nights, and the Cross Creek Rail Society's Mini Train Carnival. The Royal Hotel re-opened in December 2017 after extensive renovations, with
420-475: The South Pacific. On 25 February 1943, an incident occurred where 122 Japanese Prisoners of War in the camp were shot (48 dead, 74 wounded). Tension had been building for weeks before a group of recently arrived prisoners staged a sit-down strike and refused to work. Guards fired a warning shot, wounding Lieutenant Adachi Toshio. The prisoners then rose, and the guards opened fire. Wartime censors kept details of
450-592: The building. Restoration work continued until 1988. It has never been the intention of the Friends of the Fell to steam the locomotive, though it has been restored to near fully working order. It is mounted on rollers driven by an electric motor so visitors to the museum can see the moving parts in action. In 1995 the Friends of the Fell Society secured a lease on F 210, the sole remaining Fell brake van, from MoTaT for display in
480-845: The colony in London, the precursor to the High Commissioner . When war broke out in 1860, Featherston criticised the Government's handling of events, and lent his influence to tribal peacemaking and keeping much of Wellington Province out of the conflict. During the Second Taranaki War (1863-1866), Featherston raised auxiliaries of Māori , but they refused to fight unless he himself led them. Despite suffering from tuberculosis and at times being unable to sit on his horse, he indeed led them and accompanied Major General Trevor Chute on his west coast campaign and march to Mount Egmont . He led
510-538: The demolition trains removing the Incline track it was towed to Hutt Workshops where it was stored until August 1958, when it was towed to Featherston and mounted on a plinth in a playground for children to play on. In 1980, it became obvious that the locomotive was deteriorating through age and exposure to the elements. The Friends of the Fell Society was formed with the objective of preserving and housing it. Restoration work commenced in 1981 and proceeded as volunteer labour
540-464: The edge of Wairarapa Moana, with several permanent settlements on the surrounding higher ground. The town of Featherston was first known as Burlings, after Henry Burling, who opened an accommodation house near the Māori settlement of Pae-O-Tu-Mokai in 1847. In 1856, the provincial government surveyed the spot for a town, naming it after its superintendent, Isaac Featherston . The Featherston Military Camp
570-545: The incident quiet to prevent Japanese reprisals against Allied POWs. After the war, the first POW to return to Featherston burned incense at the site in 1974 and a joint New Zealand–Japanese project established a memorial ground, located 2 km north of the town on State Highway 2. Featherston houses the world's only surviving Fell locomotive engine in the Fell Locomotive Museum . The locomotive system operated successfully for 77 years from 1878 to 1955. Remnants of
600-770: The mid-1960s. Featherston is at the junction of State Highway 2 and State Highway 53 . SH 2 connects Featherston south to Wellington via the Remutaka Pass and the Hutt Valley, and north to Masterton via Greytown and Carterton and onwards to Woodville . SH 53 connects SH 2 and Featherston with Martinborough . Featherston is served by Featherston railway station on the Wairarapa Line railway. The Wairarapa Connection train serves Featherston on its route between Masterton and Wellington, operating five times daily each way on weekdays and twice daily each way on weekends and public holidays. The journey time to Wellington station
630-662: The museum. One of the conditions of the lease was that the van would be restored to the condition it was in when in service. With the arrival of F 210 in Featherston in June 1995 courtesy of Tranz Rail , restoration commenced in the workshop of the nearby Batavia Rubber Company. The museum was extended, and on 11 December 1996 F 210 was transported to its new home, where restoration was completed on 20 August 1997. 41°07′05″S 175°19′40″E / 41.1180°S 175.3279°E / -41.1180; 175.3279 Featherston, New Zealand Featherston ( Māori : Paetūmōkai )
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#1732855976807660-477: The same time period. Wairarapa Moana ( Lake Wairarapa ) was among the first areas settled in New Zealand, with sites dating back some 800 years. Fish and waterfowl were plentiful, but the major draw card was tuna – the native freshwater eel. Tuna could be caught in vast quantities during their seasonal migration to the sea, and the catch could be dried for storage or trading. Seasonal eeling settlements dotted
690-471: The term of the war employed in the military or naval service of the Crown’. A large, beautiful wooden hall with two smaller rooms, it was restored for its centennial and is a Category 1 historic place. It now serves as a town hall and community hub, used for concerts, events and meetings. Lake Wairarapa Domain is a popular recreation area for walks, cycling and motorcycling, plus fishing, birdwatching and exploring
720-482: The trains and the once busy settlement are visible on the Remutaka Rail Trail Cycleway. Before 1989, Featherston was the namesake of Featherston County. It also had its own borough, giving it a borough council and mayor. Featherston covers 3.19 km (1.23 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,760 as of June 2024, with a population density of 865 people per km . Featherston had
750-416: Was $ 25,600, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 285 people (14.1%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 924 (45.8%) people were employed full-time, 267 (13.2%) were part-time, and 108 (5.4%) were unemployed. The Anzac Hall was built in 1916 to give ‘A place of resort, recreation and amusement for all those who are now or have been or may be during
780-467: Was 16.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.9% had no religion, 29.1% were Christian , 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.5% were Hindu , 0.1% were Muslim , 0.2% were Buddhist and 3.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 384 (19.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 483 (24.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
810-549: Was a major training camp in World War I, established in 1916 and housing up to 8000 men. The camp was larger than the town and included 16 dining halls, six cookhouses, 17 shops, a picture theatre, a hospital, and a post office. After training, infantrymen marched over the Remutaka Range for embarkation at Wellington. During World War II, in 1942 it became the Featherston prisoner of war camp , holding 800 Japanese POWs captured in
840-405: Was also heavily involved in the politics of Wellington Province . He was elected unopposed as the first Superintendent from 1853. He resigned from this post on 23 April 1858. He was re-elected on 28 June 1858 and held the post until 1870. His superintendence oversaw some slow growth in Wellington before in 1865 it became the capital of the colony . From 1871 he was the first Agent-General for
870-422: Was available. During the restoration work, the museum was constructed across the main road and next to the town's old courthouse. In late February 1984, H 199 was prepared for relocation to the museum, scheduled to happen on 10 March. On relocation day the locomotive was loaded onto a house removal truck and transported to the museum, where it was lifted onto a temporary trackset that enabled it to be winched into
900-748: Was fought in Wellington between Colonel William Wakefield and Featherston over a newspaper editorial of Featherston on the New Zealand Company land policy which questioned Wakefield's honesty. Featherston fired and missed. Then Wakefield fired into the air, saying he would not shoot a man with seven daughters. In his many escapades Featherston had acquired great mana . He also left a political legacy in his eight daughters. They included: Laetitia, who married James Menzies ; Kate, who married John Cargill ; Frances, who married William FitzGerald (son of James FitzGerald ); Alice, who married Sir Charles Johnston ; and Octavia, who married Alfred Newman . He
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