Wellington combines a compact harbour city with public institutions, independent cafés, theatre and film. Māori and Pacific creativity sits alongside a strong civic culture.
Te Ara records that, in Māori tradition, Tara and Tautoki settled by Wellington Harbour and named it Te Whanganui-a-Tara, meaning “the great harbour of Tara.” The name connects the city’s harbour setting with Māori histories of the place.