Hastings-New Zealand
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Hastings New Zealand
Hastings city is situated in the province of Hawke's Bay on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand.
Until the first European settlers arrived in 1864 the fertile Heretaunga Plains (pronounced here-a-tonga), on which Hastings was established, was inhabited by the Maori who are the indigenous race of New Zealand. The Maori initially leased, then later sold, the land to the settlers.
The Europeans named the settlement after the first Governor General of British India, Warren Hastings, and grew quickly enough to be officially declared a town in 1884.
By 1931 the population had grown to 10,850 when, at 10.46 on the morning of Tuesday 3rd February, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 (Richter scale) shook the region destroying a large section of the town and killings 93 people.
Hastings was rebuilt, grew and was constituted a City in 1956.
Serving an agricultural and pastoral region, it is a food processing centre with canning, quick-freezing, dairy and meat-packing plants, stockyards and breweries, it also produces fertilizer, tallow and stock-food.
With a current population exceeding 50,000 Hastings also boasts a thriving tourist trade offering such diverse attractions as jet boating, paragliding, surfing, trout fishing, as well as vineyard and orchard tours.
Hastings city is situated in the province of Hawke's Bay on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand.
Until the first European settlers arrived in 1864 the fertile Heretaunga Plains (pronounced here-a-tonga), on which Hastings was established, was inhabited by the Maori who are the indigenous race of New Zealand. The Maori initially leased, then later sold, the land to the settlers.
The Europeans named the settlement after the first Governor General of British India, Warren Hastings, and grew quickly enough to be officially declared a town in 1884.
By 1931 the population had grown to 10,850 when, at 10.46 on the morning of Tuesday 3rd February, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 (Richter scale) shook the region destroying a large section of the town and killings 93 people.
Hastings was rebuilt, grew and was constituted a City in 1956.
Serving an agricultural and pastoral region, it is a food processing centre with canning, quick-freezing, dairy and meat-packing plants, stockyards and breweries, it also produces fertilizer, tallow and stock-food.
With a current population exceeding 50,000 Hastings also boasts a thriving tourist trade offering such diverse attractions as jet boating, paragliding, surfing, trout fishing, as well as vineyard and orchard tours.
