Palmerston North (pop. 84,639) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is in the Wellington region on the inland fringe of the Manawatu Plains. It stands on the banks of the Manawatu River. The city is the center of a major road, rail, and air transportation network that serves the southern half of the North Island. Palmerston North is the marketing and distribution center for the prosperous dairying and sheep-farming Manawatu region. It is also an industrial center. Several institutions of higher education, including the main campus of Massey University, are in Palmerston North. The city is also home to several agricultural research and development centers.
Māori people have lived in the Palmerston North area for hundreds of years. Palmerston North was founded in 1866 as Palmerston township. The town was renamed Palmerston North in 1871 to avoid confusion with a town in the South Island that was also named Palmerston. The town grew steadily, and became a city in 1930.
