63-687: Mount Rochfort is a mountain peak 1,040 metres (3,410 ft) in elevation, located approximately 10 km east of Westport in the Buller District on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It rises above the south-west portion of the Denniston Plateau and overlooks the town of Westport and the plains of the Buller River . Mount Rochfort was named after John Rochfort (1832–1893), who
126-618: A battle took place between the forces of the Hah Hau rebel Riwha Tītokowaru and the Colonial army commanded by Thomas McDonnell . The colonial forces were ambushed and retreated. During the retreat, two Māori scouts found two boys who were about six years old. One boy was killed, and the other, Ngatau Omahuru, was given by Māori scout, Pirimona, to Herewini of the Ngāti Te Ūpokoiri Iwi. While in Whanganui
189-597: A business in Hawera teaching the Māori language. He never married. He corresponded with old soldiers about the Taranaki War and died in 1918. In 1879, Fox was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). He was appointed a commissioner to inquire into Native Land Titles. Fox was involved in the temperance movement against alcohol . He was a founder of
252-699: A constitution for New Zealand, strongly supporting self-rule, provincial autonomy, and two elected houses of parliament. He also attempted to meet Earl Grey , the Secretary of State for the Colonies but was refused. When the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 was passed by Britain's parliament the following year, it incorporated some of Fox's ideas but was not satisfactory to him. Before returning to New Zealand, Fox and his wife spent some time travelling in Canada,
315-544: 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
378-486: 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 5,600 metres (18,400 ft) 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
441-502: A lawyer when, in 1843, he refused to swear an oath that he considered "degrading". This event forced him to focus almost entirely on writing and journalism. That year, following the death of Arthur Wakefield , Fox was appointed local agent for the New Zealand Company at Nelson . Initially, Fox was opposed to government negotiations with Māori over land, stating that Māori had a right only to land that they used. He also condemned
504-578: A mystery. In 1838 he studied law in London. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1842. Shortly after that he married Sarah Halcomb. The couple decided that they would emigrate to New Zealand. Upon his arrival in Wellington Fox's legal qualifications were recognised, but there was little work, and so he supplemented his income by writing for local periodicals. Fox lost the right to practice as
567-534: A photo taken with the other students and staff on Inauguration Day 1874. In 1875 The Fox family took William Junior on a world tour to San Francisco by paddle steamer and then across the US and on to Great Britain to visit Fox relatives. At 16, William junior joined a law firm as a clerk with Buller, Lewis and Gully, where he received about five years training. On a trip to the Taranaki area in 1878 he met members of his tribe and
630-696: A population density of 406 people per km . Westport had a population of 4,389 at the 2018 New Zealand census , 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 , 12.1% Māori , 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
693-410: A smaller boundary, covering 88.76 km (34.27 sq mi). Using that boundary, Westport Rural had a population of 1,260 at the 2018 New Zealand census , 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
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#1732858737843756-403: A statement about the conservation values of the area: The Te Kuha area is one of the last two areas of intact, elevated Brunner coal measure ecosystems. It is an undisturbed area which is precious and unique and supports complex and diverse habitats for threatened plants and wildlife including great spotted kiwi, land snails and lizards. The Mount Rochfort Conservation Area is land classified in
819-508: A young Māori woman, Hinemoa. He met the Māori leaders Te Whiti and Tohu Kākahi at Parihaka , and decided to live in Taranaki. It appears he was heavily influenced by Te Whiti and Tohu and at some stage had an office in Tohu's meeting house at Parihaka. He set up a Māori school near Parihaka. Later after the closure of Parihaka he worked as a translator and interpreter in Whanganui and then set up
882-418: Is a full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 147. 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 August 2024. William Fox (politician) Sir William Fox KCMG (20 January 1812 – 23 June 1893)
945-474: Is a lake to the north west called Lake Rochfort. This West Coast Region (New Zealand) geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Westport, New Zealand Westport ( Māori : Kawatiri ) is a town in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1861, it is the oldest European settlement on the West Coast. Originally named Buller , it
1008-432: Is a secondary (years 9–13) school with a roll of 349. 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 245 and 236, respectively. The schools were founded in 1942 and 1941 St Canice's School
1071-551: Is also located nearby. 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 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, for example to the Port of Onehunga in Auckland . The first railway of
1134-400: Is based at Westport. It is a marae (tribal meeting ground) of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō and its Pūaha Te Rangi hapū, and includes a wharenui (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. Buller High School
1197-502: Is on the right bank and at the mouth of the Buller River , close by the prominent headland of Cape Foulwind . It is connected via State Highway 6 with Greymouth , 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the south, and with Nelson 222 kilometres (138 mi) in the northeast, via the Buller Gorge . The population of the Westport urban area was 4,680 as of June 2024. The Buller District had a population of 10,500. The Māori language name for
1260-623: 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
1323-538: Is strongly influenced by the high amount of precipitation from the Tasman Sea , 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. Westport covers 11.53 km (4.45 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 4,680 as of June 2024, with
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#17328587378431386-643: The New Zealand Alliance (for the Abolition of the Liquor Traffic), of which he was the first president, from 1887 to 1893. He continued to undertake considerable physical exercise and, guided by Harry Peters , climbed Mount Taranaki in 1892, aged 80. He died in Auckland on 23 June 1893 aged 81. He was buried at Purewa Cemetery in the Auckland suburb of Meadowbank . The town of Foxton , founded in 1885,
1449-495: The wars in Taranaki , which broke out when a Māori chief refused to sell his land. Fox was widely believed to have converted to support of the Māori, although many modern historians claim that his opposition to land seizure was due to a pragmatic wish to avoid war, not a change of philosophy. Lack of evidence makes it difficult to tell which was the case. In 1861, Fox successfully proposed a vote of no confidence in Stafford, and took
1512-522: 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
1575-528: The Māori. After his term as a minister ended, Fox and his wife travelled in Australia for several years. Upon returning to New Zealand, Fox was encouraged by the Opposition to return to politics, which was once again dominated by Fox's rival Edward Stafford. Fox was elected to parliament, and relaunched his attack on Stafford's policies on Māori relations and provincial affairs. Fox defeated Stafford in 1869, taking
1638-479: The United States, and Cuba . When they returned to New Zealand, the new constitution was in effect, and elections had already been held. In 1855 Fox was elected MP for Wanganui . He fought on a strong platform of provincial autonomy, and was particularly opposed to the government formed the following year by Henry Sewell , who took the newly created office of Premier of New Zealand. Fox managed to oust Sewell from
1701-404: 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 , still
1764-509: The area in 1864 ran from Westport 18 kilometres (11 mi) 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 lines was developed: a Westport-Inangahua branch line of about 12 miles (19 km)
1827-483: The area include Cape Foulwind , Tauranga Bay with its large fur seal 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
1890-503: The area until cessation around 1999. The Holcim company had a large cement 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. A daily local newspaper is published in Westport, the Westport News . The Westport News building also houses coast-wide local radio station Coast FM . Tourist attracts in
1953-457: The boy came to the attention of the magistrate Walter Buller , who purchased him a set of European clothes and boots. The boy's picture was taken in these clothes. The Buller family looked after the boy. He was baptised William Fox in the presence of William Fox senior, then an MP. The young William was taken to Wellington by coach, probably on 25 January 1869. He was housed at a hostelry where visiting Māori lodged, lived there for three years, and
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2016-521: The census's question about religious affiliation, 55.7% had no religion, 32.9% were Christian , 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.5% were Hindu , 0.5% were Buddhist 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
2079-592: The colonial government's "weak" response to the killing of Arthur Wakefield , a New Zealand Company official who had attempted to expand the settlement at Nelson into Māori-held lands. Fox's criticism of Governor Robert FitzRoy eventually played a part in FitzRoy's removal from office. In 1843 Fox was chosen by the New Zealand Company as Wakefield's replacement in Nelson. In Nelson, Fox met with mixed success. There
2142-446: The colonial government. He was a strong opponent of Governor George Grey , had suspended the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846 to grant self-government to the settlers. He frequently denounced the administration and the judiciary as corrupt and incompetent. In 1851, Fox travelled to London on behalf of a group of Wellington settlers. There he met Edward Gibbon Wakefield, elder brother of William and Arthur. He discussed his ideas about
2205-528: 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. The Westport climate
2268-468: The government, and the resulting disunity allowed Stafford to defeat Fox in 1872. After this, Fox decided that he would not seek further office. His role in politics, however, was not quite over – when George Waterhouse , Stafford's successor, suddenly resigned, Fox was called upon to assume the premiership as a caretaker until a new leader was found. When Vogel returned to New Zealand from an overseas trip Fox stepped down, and Vogel's premiership began. He
2331-509: The mountains for pounamu (jade or greenstone), which they then traded with other iwi . 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 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 geologists and surveyors combing
2394-516: The new post in only 13 days, becoming New Zealand's second Premier. Fox, however, lasted only 13 days himself before being ousted by Edward Stafford . Fox spent the first years of Stafford's premiership in semi-retirement, but later returned to be Stafford's primary opponent in parliament. Fox appears to have changed his views somewhat regarding Māori land rights, as he strongly opposed the government's policy on that issue. He blamed Stafford's administration, along with Governor Thomas Gore Browne , for
2457-462: The position before instructions could be received from other cities. He was not the first choice of the Company's board in London, which preferred Dillon Bell , but his quick action managed to gain him enough support to receive the appointment. The Company was in decline after the deaths of both Edward and Arthur Wakefield . Fox gradually became less active in the Company, taking more of an interest in
2520-435: The premiership again. Among the measures introduced were law changes designed to accommodate Māori political structures, a halt on attempts to acquire Māori land, and a less confrontational attitude in existing conflicts. Again, dispute exists as to whether this was motivated by pragmatism or support of Māori rights. His attempts to reduce conflict with Māori were undermined by Governor Grey, who had returned for another term, and
2583-489: The premiership for the third time. Fox set about reducing military activities, and ceased any major attempts to engage the Māori with force. Increasingly Fox found himself overshadowed by his treasurer, Julius Vogel . Vogel's extensive plans for the development of New Zealand, involving borrowing money to finance public works, soon became the most prominent feature of Fox's government, but had little to do with Fox himself. Eventually, Fox began to abandon his leadership role within
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2646-554: The river and the region is Kawatiri, meaning deep and swift. The town is thought to have been named after Westport, County Mayo in Ireland , although the choice of name was no doubt also guided by its location. From an archaeological excavation site, near the mouth of the Buller River (Kawatiri) , it is clear that Māori were living close to Westport by the early 14th century. Māori mostly lived in coastal areas, though they explored
2709-462: The ship aground and thereby saved the lives of all those on board. After becoming increasingly involved in a dispute with Grey over responsibility for policy towards Māori, Fox lost a vote of confidence in 1862. The following year he returned to government, but only as a minister – the premiership went to Frederick Whitaker . Fox appears to have had little to do with the policies of this government, which involved considerable confiscations of land from
2772-520: The stewardship category by the Department of Conservation. Mount Rochfort is one of two locations where the nationally critical moth Arctesthes avatar can be found. There is a 4WD access road from the Denniston Plateau to the summit of Mount Rochford, for servicing a transmission site on the peak. There is a water supply reserve for the town of Westport on the slopes of Mount Rochfort. There
2835-415: 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
2898-540: 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 and jetboating 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
2961-441: The wilderness near Nelson, an activity which he seems to have enjoyed. Fox was physically active all through his life. In 1848, William Wakefield died. As the New Zealand Company's senior officer in the colony, he was Fox's superior. Fox quickly travelled to Wellington, and managed to secure himself Wakefield's position. He accomplished this mainly because of the short distance between Nelson and Wellington, which enabled him to win
3024-476: 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 , 8.8% Māori , 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
3087-560: 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 , 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.5% were Hindu , 0.1% were Muslim , 0.3% were Buddhist 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
3150-558: Was New Zealand's largest coal producer. Westport was administrated as part of the Nelson Province from 1853 to 1876. Westport has been damaged by several earthquakes, the worst the 1929 Murchison earthquake , in which several buildings collapsed, including the post office tower. The town now has a number of Art Deco buildings that were constructed after the earthquake, for example the Clock Tower Chambers . Westport and
3213-618: Was a strong believer in the need to confront Māori militarily. Grey's construction of military infrastructure and his deployment of troops reduced Māori trust of any initiatives by the government. In 1862, Fox was a passenger on the SS White Swan together with several other senior members of the New Zealand government. The ship was holed by a rock while steaming from Napier to Wellington and began sinking. Captain Allen Harper deliberately ran
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#17328587378433276-531: Was a surveyor and engineer involved in mineral surveys in the Buller District. Rochfort was the first pākehā to climb the peak and Julius von Haast named it. In 2018, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Minister of Energy Resources Megan Woods declined an application to mine 12 hectares (30 acres) near Te Kuha , in the Mount Rochfort Conservation Area. The announcement including
3339-700: 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 from Wellington , 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
3402-538: Was born on 20 January 1812 at 5 Westoe Village in South Shields , then part of County Durham, in north-east England, and baptised on 2 September of that year; he was the son of the Rev. George Townshend Fox, deputy lieutenant of co. Durham. He was educated initially at Durham School . He matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford in 1828, graduating B.A. 1832 and M.A. 1839. His activities for several years after graduating are
3465-536: 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 Jacinda Ardern 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 reported that over 400 homes in Westport had not been fully repaired since
3528-479: Was educated at a private school called Mowbray's near the hostelry. Three other Māori students, two of them the sons of Chief Wi Tako , attended the same school. The adopted son then moved in with the Fox family. According to Māori sources, William Junior and Mrs Sarah Fox, who was childless, became very close. He lived with the family until he was about 12. In 1874 he was enrolled in the new Wellington College where he had
3591-472: Was little direct conflict with the Māori, and most of Fox's work was related to economic development. Poor planning and inaccurate land surveying had left colonists with considerably less than had been promised them, and Fox was responsible for resolving the matter. While many modern historians believe that he did a good job, Fox himself found that even his best efforts were not good enough for the angry colonists. Fox increasingly spent his time leading parties into
3654-502: Was named after Sir William. Fox bought 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of the controversially acquired Rangitīkei block, near Greatford , about 1849. In 1868 an attempt to subdivide a township of Marsden failed because of a liquor ban. The current Westoe was designed by Charles Tringham and built for Fox in 1874 in Italianate style. It was sold in 1885 and was listed as a Category 1 Historic Place on 29 November 1985. The gardens include
3717-491: Was taken by Sounds Air . 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
3780-412: Was that 1,398 (38.2%) people were employed full-time, 561 (15.3%) were part-time, and 159 (4.3%) were unemployed. Westport Rural surrounds Westport on the west, south and east, and includes Carters Beach . It covers 90.06 km (34.77 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,390 as of June 2024, with a population density of 15 people per km . Before the 2023 census, Westport Rural had
3843-532: Was that 441 (43.6%) people were employed full-time, 192 (19.0%) were part-time, and 21 (2.1%) were unemployed. Economic activity is based around fishing , coal mining and dairy farming . 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 logging occurred in
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#17328587378433906-449: Was the Member of Parliament for Wanganui and Rangitikei in the second parliament (1855–1860), Rangitikei in the third, fourth and fifth parliaments (1861–1865, when he resigned; 1868–1870; 1871–1875, when he resigned), Wanganui in the sixth parliament (1876–1879, when he was defeated), and Rangitikei again (1880–81, when he was defeated). In 1868 at Te Ngutu O Te Manu (Beak of the bird),
3969-596: Was the second premier of New Zealand and held that office on four occasions in the 19th century, while New Zealand was still a colony. He was known for his confiscation of Māori land rights, his contributions to the education system (such as establishing the University of New Zealand ), and his work to increase New Zealand's autonomy from Britain. He has been described as determined and intelligent, but also as bitter and "too fond" of personal attacks. Different aspects of his personality are emphasised by different accounts. Fox
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