1886 The Wellington and Manawatu Railway opens between Wellington and Longburn railway (later the North Island Major Trunk), superseding the Foxton link and guaranteeing Palmerston North’s growth. 1908 The North Island Main Trunk reaches Taumarunui and thence Auckland, opening up the inland districts for development. State Highway 1, the main highway, and the North Island Predominant Trunk railway, which both link Auckland and Wellington, run by way of the region. 1876 A railway opens between Foxton and Palmerston North by way of Longburn, later named the Foxton Department. 1878 A railway line opens between Palmerston North and Wanganui. 1872 Wanganui turns into a borough. 1926 Electricity supply from Mangahao to Wanganui completed. 1856 The Wanganui Chronicle is first revealed. 1991 In formal recognition of its unique name the federal government renames the Wanganui River the Whanganui River. To the southeast, an additional, extra sparsely populated area of the Tararua District lies between the sources of the Manawatū River close to Norsewood and the Pacific coast.

In the Manawatū and Horowhenua districts there are sandy soils and swampy hollows across the coast with loess-lined terraces and river flats inland. Pre-1769 Approximately 3% of Māori lived within the Whanganui Basin and 8% on the Taranaki coast. A dispute with native Māori leads to the death of three of his social gathering and his personal head is reduce off and preserved. 1847 In July the “Battle of St John’s Wooden” occurs when four hundred Māori clash with an equal drive of British Regulars. 1939 Ohakea Air Drive Station commences operations. Manawatu-Wanganui previous to 2019) is a region within the lower half of the North Island of new Zealand, whose important population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. Manawatū-Whanganui Area had a inhabitants of 251,412 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 12,615 folks (5.3%) for the reason that 2018 census, and a rise of 28,740 folks (12.9%) since the 2013 census. New Zealand Sign Language was recognized by 0.8%. The share of people born overseas was 15.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.Ethnicities in the 2018 census were 79.4% European/Pākehā, 22.9% Māori, 4.2% Pacific peoples, 6.4% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to greater than 100% since people may identify with a number of ethnicities).

The Whanganui River, in the northwest, is the longest navigable river in New Zealand. 1995 Occupation of Moutoa Gardens (Whanganui) in protest at the slowness of the Waitangi Tribunal claim settlement process and loss of management of the Whanganui River. 1870s The bush is progressively felled and the Manawatu opened up for European farms and settlement. These constructions can present natural storage areas for oil and a few of the Manawatu domes have been drilled. The Manawatū River begins just contained in the Hawke’s Bay Region, then flows by a deep gorge to the Manawatu Plains earlier than exiting within the Tasman Sea. The land was underneath the sea until about 500,000 years in the past and still has a very thick layer of marine sediment, which is about 5 – 6 million years outdated. The Manawatū District has a much gentler topography, consisting primarily of the flat, tree-studded Manawatū Plains that run between the ranges and the sea. Farming occupied 72.5% of land, which was much higher than the national average of 60.1%. Approximately 80% of this land was used for agricultural purposes (grazing, arable, fodder and fallow land). The flatter more fertile soils swimsuit intensive sheep farming and cropping while the hill nation of Rangitikei favours semi-intensive sheep and beef farming.

These river flats and swamp areas comprise fertile alluvial and organic soils. As late as the 1950s the Whanganui River remained a river of mystery. 1831 European traders arrive within the Whanganui area, led by Joe Rowe, supposedly a seller in preserved heads (moko mokai). 1842 The first organised European settlers in Horowhenua arrive at Paiaka. Forestry has an extended historical past in the Manawatū since Palmerston North developed as a saw-milling town, and the region’s preliminary prosperity depended on heavy exploitation of native timbers. 1930 Palmerston North becomes a metropolis. The region has roughly 16% of the North Island‘s highway length. Mount Ruapehu at 2,797 m is the tallest mountain within the North Island, Ngauruhoe 2,291 m and Tongariro 1,968 m. 1830 Te Rauparaha (Ngāti Toa) lay siege to Pūtiki Pā in retaliation for an attack on Kapiti Island, sacking the pā and killing its inhabitants. A practice with Christmas vacation-makers plunges into the flood, killing 151 folks.