Te Ngākau Civic Square

The Dominion of New Zealand was the historical successor to the Colony of New Zealand. It was a constitutional monarchy with a high level of self-government within the British Empire. New Zealand became a separate British Crown colony in 1841 and received responsible government with the Constitution Act in 1852. New Zealand chose not to take part in the Federation of Australia and became the Dominion of New Zealand on 26 September 1907, Dominion Day, by proclamation of King Edward VII. Dominion status was a public mark of the political independence that had evolved over half a century through responsible government. Just under one million people lived in New Zealand in 1907 and cities such as Auckland and Wellington were growing rapidly. The Dominion of New Zealand allowed the British Government to shape its foreign policy, and it followed Britain into the First World War. The 1923 and 1926 Imperial Conferences decided that New Zealand should be allowed to negotiate its own political treaties, and the first commercial treaty was ratified in 1928 with Japan. When the Second World War broke out in 1939 the New Zealand Government made its own decision to enter the war. In the post-war period, the term Dominion has fallen into disuse. Sovereignty on external affairs was granted with the Statute of Westminster in 1931 and adopted by the New Zealand Parliament in 1947. However, the 1907 royal proclamation of Dominion status has never been revoked and remains in force today.

The Colony of New Zealand was a Crown colony of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that encompassed the islands of New Zealand from 1841 to 1907. The power of the British government was vested in the Governor of New Zealand, as the representative of their monarch. The colony had three capitals: Old Russell in 1841; Auckland from 1841 to 1865; and Wellington, which was the capital until the colony's reorganisation into a Dominion, and continues to be the capital of New Zealand till the present day. In 1852, the colony was granted self-government with the passage of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852. Subsequently, the first parliament was elected in 1853, and responsible government was established in 1856. In 1907, the colony became the Dominion of New Zealand, which heralded a more explicit recognition of self-government within the British Empire.

Wellington (Māori: Te Whanganui-a-Tara [tɛ ˈɸaŋanʉi a taɾa] or Pōneke [pɔːnɛkɛ]) 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 by metro area, and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Wellington features a temperate maritime climate, and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed.Legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century, with initial settlement by Māori iwi such as Rangitāne and Muaūpoko. The disruptions of the Musket Wars led to them being overwhelmed by northern iwi such as Te Āti Awa by the early 19th century.Wellington's current form was originally designed by Captain William Mein Smith, the first Surveyor General for Edward Wakefield's New Zealand Company, in 1840. The Wellington urban area, which only includes urbanised areas within Wellington City, has a population of 212,000 as of June 2022. The wider Wellington metropolitan area, including the cities of Lower Hutt, Porirua and Upper Hutt, has a population of 434,900 as of June 2022. The city has served as New Zealand's capital since 1865, a status that is not defined in legislation, but established by convention; the New Zealand Government and Parliament, the Supreme Court and most of the public service are based in the city.Wellington's economy is primarily service-based, with an emphasis on finance, business services, government, and the film industry. It is the centre of New Zealand's film and special effects industries, and increasingly a hub for information technology and innovation, with two public research universities. Wellington is one of New Zealand's chief seaports and serves both domestic and international shipping. The city is chiefly served by Wellington International Airport in Rongotai, the country's second-busiest airport. Wellington's transport network includes train and bus lines which reach as far as the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa, and ferries connect the city to the South Island. Often referred to as New Zealand's cultural capital, the culture of Wellington is a diverse and often youth-driven one which has wielded influence across Oceania. One of the world's most liveable cities, the 2021 Global Livability Ranking tied Wellington with Tokyo as fourth in the world. From 2017 to 2018, Deutsche Bank ranked it first in the world for both livability and non-pollution. Cultural precincts such as Cuba Street and Newtown are renowned for creative innovation, "op shops", historic character, and food. Wellington is a leading financial centre in the Asia-Pacific region, being ranked 35th in the world by the Global Financial Centres Index for 2021. The global city has grown from a bustling Māori settlement, to a colonial outpost, and from there to an Australasian capital that has experienced a "remarkable creative resurgence".

2ZB was a radio station based in Wellington, New Zealand. This station was run by Radio New Zealand (formally the NZBS/NZBC/BCNZ) and eventually spawned a second FM station called B90FM. Today 2ZB and B90FM are part of a nationwide networks Newstalk ZB and The Hits respectively.

Quasi is a sculpture by New Zealand artist Ronnie van Hout currently located on the roof of City Gallery Wellington. The sculpture, van Hout's unsmiling face on the back of a 5-metre hand, has drawn negative remarks, with replies to the initial tweet announcing the installation of the sculpture on the roof of City Gallery Wellington ranging from "kinda creepy" and "really ugly" to "hideous" and "a Lovecraftian nightmare come to life".

The Wellington Town Hall (Māori: Te Whare Whakarauika) is a concert hall and part of the municipal complex in Wellington, New Zealand, which opened in December 1904. It is closed to the public since the 2013 Seddon earthquake for extensive strengthening work, and projected to reopen in January 2025.

Wellington Central Library (Māori: Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui) is a public library building in the central business district of Wellington, in New Zealand. It is owned by Wellington City Council and is listed as a Category 1 historic place by Heritage New Zealand. The building was opened in 1991 and was a key element of Wellington’s municipal centre, Te Ngākau Civic Square. It served as the main hub for the municipal library service, Wellington City Libraries. The building was closed to the public at short notice on 19 March 2019, after Wellington City Council was advised by engineers that the building had structural vulnerabilities which meant it might not perform well in the event of a significant earthquake.

The Dominion Building is a historic structure on the corner of Mercer Street and Victoria Street in Wellington, New Zealand. Originally designed as the headquarters of The Dominion newspaper, it now houses a mix of apartments, offices and retail areas. A distinctive seven-storey building of some elegance, the Dominion has a frontage of stone imported from Caen in France and interiors of Queensland marble. The building follows the bend in the road. Its most striking feature is topped by a copper-covered tower with a lantern turret.In the mid-1970s, The Dominion newspaper moved out of the building. The complex was redesigned by Ian Athfield in 1995.The building is classified as a "Category 2" by Heritage New Zealand.

The City to Sea Bridge is a pedestrian bridge and public artwork located in Wellington City, New Zealand. Opened on 31 October 1993, the wedge-shaped bridge crosses arterial road Jervois Quay, connecting the public spaces of Civic Square to the Wellington waterfront precinct at Whairepo Lagoon. Around the square are the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Town Hall, Wellington City Art Gallery and Wellington Central Library. Architects Rewi Thompson and John Gray were commissioned by Wellington City Council to design the bridge, and they brought in artist Paratene Matchitt to contribute to the design. The Council's brief was that the bridge should address the significance of the waterfront and public space. The bridge is adorned with non-traditional wooden sculptures carved by Matchitt, some of which form the sides of the bridge. On one side are two large birds representing welcome and festivity. On the other are two whales which can also be seen as the taniwha Ngake and Whātaitai, who according to Māori legend created Wellington Harbour. Poles on the bridge have metal shapes on them. Some represent the moon and stars, signifying celestial navigation. Other symbols on the poles are inspired by those on Te Kooti's flag Te Wepu. Matchitt's work was influenced by Te Kooti's philosophies and he used these symbols in other sculptures as well as the bridge. The whole layered bridge structure represents the uplifted and eroded landforms of Wellington and a point of arrival and change. At the Civic Square base of the bridge are two Oamaru stone sculptures by Matt Pine, titled Prow and Capital. A plaque here states:Capital and Prow The sculptures by Matt Pine on either side of the stairs are part of a series of 10 works called Reflections on an Ancient Past. Capital (above) is based on European classical architectural elements with koru form on the edges. Prow (on the other side) depicts a Maori canoe prow with Taniko weave motif on the edges - a mix of European and Maori cultural elements.Public reaction to the bridge was mixed when it was built, but it has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Problems with the bridge's design and construction have been ongoing. Remedial work was undertaken shortly after the bridge opened when it was found that small children could fall through gaps. Rot was discovered in 2009 and strengthening undertaken in 2010 and 2011, and then a 2019 report considered its resistance to earthquakes.Between 15 October 2011 and 31 January 2012 protesters set up a camp on the raised grassed area on the Civic Square side of the bridge. The protest, 'Occupy Wellington', began in support of the international Occupy movement but during the occupation the focus changed to an emphasis on homelessness. The protest cost ratepayers more than $65000 in legal fees, security and repairing damage to the lawn.

The Wellington 500 was a 500 km (310 mi) street race for touring cars which took place at Wellington City in Wellington, New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s. The 1987 event was a round of the 1987 World Touring Car Championship. The final running of the race was in 1996, a non-championship sprint event for teams from the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Unity Books is an independent New Zealand bookseller. It has a flagship store in Wellington, and a location in Auckland with separate adult and children's bookshops.The business was founded by Alan Preston in 1967.

Whairepo Lagoon is an open public area at the centre of Wellington, New Zealand. It is a small man-made lagoon filled with sea water and connected to Wellington Harbour through a narrow channel. A split-level footbridge over the mouth of the lagoon was designed by Eastbridge. The lagoon is surrounded by The Boat Shed, City-to-Sea bridge, and the Wellington Rowing, Star Boating Club, and Te Raukura buildings. Tanya Ashken's Albatross fountain sits on the north side of the lagoon between it and Frank Kitts Park. On 17 December 2015 the lagoon was officially named Whairepo Lagoon, as it previously had no official name. The lagoon was previously referred to as Frank Kitts Lagoon, Frank Kitts Park Lagoon or simply The Lagoon. 'Whairepo' is the Maori name for the Eagle ray which can sometimes be seen in the lagoon.