Our district's history

By Mayor Meng Foon

Tena koutou ki a matau o te kainga nei me nga manuhiri e tau nei, nau mai haere mai, ki enei wharangi o te Kaunihera a rohe.

Welcome to the first city in the world to see the first sun light.  This wonderful gift was presented to us by Maui-Tikitiki-a-Taranga who fished up the Ika-a-Maui (North Island).  His waka (canoe) "Nukutaimemeha" is said to rest atop of Mount Hikurangi, the ancestral mountain of the Ngati Porou people.
Rawhiti (the east) was first inhabited by Māori who sailed in canoes from far away; the canoes were Horouta, Takitimu, Nukutere, Tereanini and others. The main tribes that are known today are, Ngati Porou, Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Rongo Whakaata, Whanau a Kai and Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki.
 
Captain James Cook arrived here on 9 October 1769.  He landed on Kaiti beach.  No stores were traded so he named our region 'Poverty Bay'.
 
In the late 1880s there was confusion between the original name of our place - 'Turanga' and Tauranga and due to a clerical bungle, our name Turanga was debated in parliament and by our community.  William Gisborne, Colonial Secretary proposed that the city be named after him - to this day we are known as Gisborne city.

We boast many firsts in our 'Rawhiti' region

• Eastwoodhill Arboretum - has the largest collection of northern hemisphere trees planted in the southern hemisphere
• Tologa Bay Wharf - at 660 metres is the longest concrete wharf in the southern hemisphere
• The Turanganui River - at 1200 metres is the shortest river in the country
• We are the first city to greet the sun each day
• We have the largest pohutukakwa tree in the world at Te Araroa
• One of 2 airports in the world which has a railway line crossing the tarmac
• We are known as the chardonnay capital

Many famous people come from our district including sports greats.

Our district today

Our district's population is about 44,499 (2006 census).   Our business sectors are supported by horticulture, agriculture, tourism, viticulture, manufacturing, food processing, forest and timber processing.
 
Our region represents 5% of New Zealand's land area.  The drive around East Coast along State Highway 35 and through the Waioeka Gorge is stunning.  It's good to be the passenger, soaking up the scenery.
 
The people of our region are rich in culture, dominated by iwi culture, supported by 87 ethnicities.  We continue to strive towards excellence in all aspects of our council and our community.
 
Our doors are always open, nau mai, piki mai, ki a matau rohe ataahua.