Long before Europeans settled in Wellington, the waterfront area was the centre of local Maori life. The Polynesian voyagers Kupe and Ngahue are credited with the first discovery of Wellington when they camped at the southern end of the harbour 1000 years ago. The first major settlement of the area began when Whatonga, a chief in the Mahia Peninsula sent Tara and Tautoki, his sons, in search of fresh land. The British explorer Captain Cook anchored inside the harbour in 1773. The first planned European settlers arrived in the summer of 1839-40. The directors of the New Zealand Company decided upon the name Wellington in 1840, in order to express their gratitude to the Duke of Wellington who was a supporter of the company in England. In 1865, Wellington became the capital of New Zealand.

Wellington is surrounded by hills and a rugged coastline, and boasts a stunning harbour. Wellington's climate is mild, with plenty of wind. Typical summer daytime maximum air temperatures range from 19°C (66.2°F) to 24°C (75.2°F), and seldom exceed 30°C (86°F). Typical winter daytime maximum air temperatures range from 10°C (50°F) to 14°C (57.2°F). Sunshine in summer is 50% of the possible amount; in winter increased cloudiness reduces it to 40%. For the year the average duration is 2,000 hours.

As the seat of Government, Wellington is the location for most head offices of national and international organizations and for agricultural, scientific and industrial bodies, cultural archives and records. In recent decades, Wellington's traditional business base has diversified into new economy sectors such as film, software development and multi-media. Although manufacturing in the city itself has declined since the late 1980s, the region still has a printing industry and produces plastics, chemicals and machinery.

Wellington has an excellent public transport system - Metlink, which services include buses, trains and ferries. Buses and trolley buses are the best way to get around central Wellington.The Cable Car travels from downtown Wellington up to the Botanic Garden and Carter Observatory. Ferries ply between Wellington harbour and the village of Eastbourne. There are plenty of taxi companies in Wellington.

New Zealand education has moved from a quite centralized structure to one in which individual schools and tertiary institutions have considerable responsibility for their own governance and management. Schooling is compulsory in New Zealand for all children from six to sixteen and funded by the government. Students commence secondary education at approximately 13 years of age. They may choose to study at either a state or private school. Wellington boasts a network of high-calibre primary, secondary and tertiary learning institutions.

Wellington has a great range of attractions on offer. The city is home to Parliament Buildings as well as many historic buildings and museums which tell the story of New Zealand. It is also home to the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, as well as national dance, drama, opera and musical groups.

The city's latest attraction is the new Te Papa National Museum located on Wellington’s waterfront. Te Papa opened its doors on 14 February 1998 and over 13.8 million visitors have visited since then (an average of 1.3 million visitors per year), making it the most visited museum in Australasia. It hosts plenty of permanent exhibitions from the history and culture of the Maori and the Pakeha. Te Papa is free to enter but donations are accepted.

The Wellington Botanic Garden features 25 hectares of unique landscape, protected native forest, specialized plant collections, conifers, colourful floral displays and views over Wellington city. Garden was established in 1868 and is classified as a Garden of National Significance. The garden is beautifully adorned with large sculptures and carvings by renowned artists like Henry Moore, Andrew Drummond and Chris Booth.

Wellington is the arts and culture capital of New Zealand, festivals and events are held here throughout the year.