A richly illustrated history celebrating 150 years. City at the Centre tells the story of a small town carved out of the bush that once cloaked the Manawata plains, whose growth was driven by the railway that runs through it, by farming, by defence and by Massey University. From Maori history and early settlement to business and sport, the arts and the environment, this engaging history, written by leading historians, is supported by over 150 outstanding photographs. The thematic approach draws on multiple views of Palmerston Norths past to provide a fresh look at an ambitious city at the centre of its region.
Emeritus Professor Margaret Tennant was formerly Professor of History at Massey University, and is now an Honorary Research Professor within the School of Humanities. She is the author of four books, including Across the Street, Across the World: A History of the Red Cross in New Zealand 19152015 (2015) and co-editor of five books covering womens history and the history of social policy. She is involved in a number of heritage organisations and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Dr Geoff Watson is an Associate Professor of History at Massey University. His research focuses on sports history and he was one of the editors of, and a contributor to, Legends in Black: New Zealand Rugby Greats on Why We Win (2014). His most recent publication, co-authored with Greg Ryan, is Sport
and the New Zealanders: A History (Auckland University Press, 2018), a general history of sport in New Zealand.