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Story: Whanganui region

Whanganui, New Plymouth and Palmerston North populations, 1926–2013

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Whanganui, New Plymouth and Palmerston North populations, 1926–2013

In 1926 Whanganui was the largest of these three lower North Island centres, but its hinterland had less scope for growth than the other two. Educational and defence institutions also fostered the growth of Palmerston North, while New Plymouth benefited from the oil and natural gas industries in Taranaki.

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Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Diana Beaglehole, Whanganui region – Hard times, easier times, 1920s–1960s, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/19041/whanganui-new-plymouth-and-palmerston-north-populations-1926-2013 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Diana Beaglehole, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 June 2015.