page_title: History of the Gisborne Region
section_title: 20th century
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Gisborne Region / 20th century
caption_attribution_description: English: View over Gisborne showing the Turanganui River and harbour with ships and small boats berthed, industrial buildings, and office buildings. Photographed by Albert Percy Godber circa 1920s.
context_page_description: The Gisborne Region has a deep and complex history which dates back to the early 1300s. The region, on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island, has many culturally and historically significant sites that relate to early Māori exploration in the 14th century and important colonial events, such as Captain Cook's first landfall in New Zealand.
context_section_description: The end of the 19th century marked an end to conflict and the beginning of flourishing trade opportunities along the coast. A thriving pastoral hinterland and two new freezing works boosted development and as a result many other industries were established.
  In 1868 the government bought 300 hectares of land in Tūranga for a town site. The town was laid out in 1870 and the name changed from Tūranga to Gisborne, after the then colonial secretary William Gisborne, and to avoid confusion with Tauranga. In 1872, Gisborne's first public school was opened and its first newspaper, the Poverty Bay Standard was established. A town council was formed in 1877.
  From the 1890s onwards, Ngati Porou leader Āpirana Ngata, rose to prominence as a political leader and staunch advocate for Māori development on the East Coast. His leadership helped revitalise the Māori population and morale through administration of farm land, cultural revival in the arts and literature, and promotion of sports. Ngata helped to organise Māori participation in both world wars and is remembered as the 'father of the Māori Battalion'.
  By 1926 the population of Gisborne had risen to 15,000, although it was overwhelmingly Pākehā (European) – fewer than 2% of the population were Māori. However, the opening of a new meeting house at Te Poho-o-Rāwiri marae in 1930 was a major public event that bought many Māori to the area. By that time Gisborne had developed into a provincial capital with an improved harbour, a post office, a high school and a flourishing main street (Gladstone Road). Homes were built along the banks of the Taruheru River, along with a botanical garden.
  Pastoral farming continued to thrive during the 1950s and 1960s. The port was complemented by a rail link and an airport, and a food-processing and canning industry developed. Gisborne attained city status on August 8, 1955 with a population of 20,000.
  From the second half of the 20th century, the Gisborne region began to grow as a major centre of Māori culture. While in 1961 the Māori population in the area was just under 12% of the total, by 2013 it had increased to 49%, the highest proportion of any regional population. The 2013 New Zealand census revealed that over 30% of Māori residents in Gisborne speak te reo Māori.
  In March 1988 Cyclone Bola hit Gisborne and the East Cape, bringing torrential rain that flooded the area for more than three days and caused significant damage to homes and farm land, costing the horticulture industry an estimated $90 million. Three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes. Cyclone Bola resulted in a government repair bill of more than $111 million.
  Due to its proximity to the international dateline, Gisborne has long regarded itself as the first city in the world to see the sun rise each day. Over the 1999/2000 new year, Gisborne hosted major celebrations as the world's first major settlement to witness the dawn of the new millennium. The festivities, which included a performance by opera singer Kiri te Kanawa, were broadcast to television audiences worldwide.
caption: View over Gisborne in the 1920s ATLIB 291659
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