The site of Wellington was
settled in 1840 by
emigrants from
Britain brought there by the
New Zealand Company. In 1865, Wellington became the
capital of New Zealand, superseding
Auckland (The only
reason for this was that Wellington had a more
central location between the two main
islands). It's named for
Arthur Wellesley, the first duke of Wellington.
The City Council of Wellington can be found at http://www.wcc.govt.nz/