Abstract:
In this study, Greater Wellington is taken to include the City of Wellington, the City of Lower, Hutt, the Petone, Eastbourne and Upper Hutt Boroughs, and the Town Districts, Johnsonville This town district has since been incorporated with Wellington City, but as this had not taken place in 1951, it will be treated as a separate administrative unit for the purposes of this study and Tawa Flat This town district has since been declared a borough.
Despite its numerous administrative units, Greater Wellington can be resolved into three main areas. Each of these areas has a unity of geographic character, a common situation, and all are very closely linked, socially and economically.
The first area, Wellington city, has spread between 1901 and 1951, from the old central core of the Thorndon and Newtown flats, to incorporate by amalgamation the erstwhile boroughs of Karori, Melrose, Miramar and Onslow. During the same period its population has grown not only because of these amalgamations but also because of the increased population of its outlying suburbs such as Brooklyn and Island Bay.
