| Westport, New Zealand |
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influenced civic building in Westport.]] Westport is a town in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand . It is located on the northern bank and at the mouth of the Buller River , close by the prominent headland of Cape Foulwind . It is connected via State Highway 6 with Greymouth, New Zealand 100 kilometres to the south, and with Nelson in the northeast, via the Buller Gorge . The town is thought to have been named for Westport in Connacht , Ireland , although the choice of name was no doubt also guided by the town's location. The 2001 Census gave a population of 3,783. The Buller District Council gives a 2007 population of about 5,000. HISTORY There is evidence that Māori settlers lived in the Buller (''Kawatiri'') area from very early on. Legends actually place the first visit as early as 950 AD via the waka website) The first white settlers came to Westport in 1861 as ) (from the ''Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society Of New Zealand , 1868-1961'') The first section of railway from Westport to Fairdown via Sergeants Hill opened on 31 December 1875 ; this line ultimately reached Seddonville in 1895 and was known as the Seddonville Branch . From this beginning, an isolated network of Branch Line s was developed and it was not linked to the national network until the completion of the Stillwater - Westport Line through the Buller Gorge in 1942. ECONOMY Economic activity is based around website) Some native Forest Logging occurred in the area until cessation around 1999 . The Holcim company has a large Cement plant in the southwest near the city. Tourism has some famous destinations in this area, such as the website) Many South Island visitors do however pass by this quieter area, opting instead to go to Abel Tasman National Park , to Hanmer Springs or, if they do visit the west coast, to Greymouth and the Fox- and Franz Josef Glacier s further south. Westport is also a base for trips to Karamea . The 'Coaltown Museum' in Westport illustrates the history of the Buller District . Coaltown Museum (official museum website) FACILITIES The city has one cinema / theatre, the website) The Holcim company manages the day-to-day operations of website) There are several primary schools in Westport, but Buller High School is the only high school. REFERENCES |
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