12 Facts About Invercargill

1.

Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world.

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2.

Invercargill is the southernmost city in the Commonwealth of Nations.

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3.

Invercargill is situated on the fertile and alluvial Southland Plains, which is amongst some of New Zealand's most fertile farmland.

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4.

Under the Maori electorates system, Invercargill is part of the large Te Tai Tonga electorate, which covers the entire South Island and the surrounding islands, and is currently held by the Labour Party MP Rino Tirikatene.

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5.

Invercargill is home to the Southern Institute of Technology, which has introduced a zero-fees scheme.

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6.

However the major factor in Invercargill's regrowth is the dairy industrial boom of the 2000s due to an increased demand for New Zealand milk, cheese and butter.

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7.

Invercargill was home to Invercargill Brewery, the southernmost manufacturer of beer in New Zealand.

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8.

Invercargill is home to the only indoor cycling velodrome in the South Island.

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9.

When Invercargill hosted the national brass band contest in 1909, Alex's brother Tom asked for a test piece for the contest and Alex offered this piece to the city.

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10.

Invercargill is the southernmost city on New Zealand's state highway network and is linked to Fiordland and the Catlins by the Southern Scenic Route and Dunedin and Gore by SH 1.

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11.

Invercargill was the first town in New Zealand to have a steam locomotive and was once the centre of a much larger rail network than at present.

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12.

Until the cancellation of The Southerner in 2002, Invercargill had the southernmost passenger railway station in the world.

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