Danpoll
21st November 2004, 02:37 AM
Iam reading a book at the moment on New zealand, this 1963 William J Cameron book is a view of the Modern Nation in Historical prospective. True its 41 years out of date but maybe there are some still sentiments in its writting.
The Aucklander is supposed to be brash, brezy and rather boastful. Auckland wa sthought to be more Australian than any other city in NZ.
Wellingtonians are supposed to be much smoother characters than Aucklanders, more metropolitan and wise in the trickery bussiness of Government.
The stereotype of Christchurch inhabitant is genteel, Anglican, cultured and decourously conservative. He is thought to be more english than the English and to inhabit an illusionary world of collianal gentry.
In contrast the Dunedinite is stereotyped as a slightly mellowed Scot-tough ,resilant, canny and stoutly respectful of learning. His cold, rather bleak, and orderly city, with its stern Victorian Facades reveals its past commercial imporatance.
Southern resentment of the northern cities is understandable considering Dunedin was the largest city in NZ up to 1881, and that ChCh was probably the most important city in the last two decades in the 19th century. Indeed the south Island was the mainland up until 1901, The phrase mainlander still remains within southern minds and the jocular parlance of dubbing the North Islanders "pig islanders" as Captain Cook liberated pigs there.
Hope these facts will become of no use whatsoever, but a little history never hurt anyone.
(please note that opionions expressed are that of the author's and not mine)
Dan
The Aucklander is supposed to be brash, brezy and rather boastful. Auckland wa sthought to be more Australian than any other city in NZ.
Wellingtonians are supposed to be much smoother characters than Aucklanders, more metropolitan and wise in the trickery bussiness of Government.
The stereotype of Christchurch inhabitant is genteel, Anglican, cultured and decourously conservative. He is thought to be more english than the English and to inhabit an illusionary world of collianal gentry.
In contrast the Dunedinite is stereotyped as a slightly mellowed Scot-tough ,resilant, canny and stoutly respectful of learning. His cold, rather bleak, and orderly city, with its stern Victorian Facades reveals its past commercial imporatance.
Southern resentment of the northern cities is understandable considering Dunedin was the largest city in NZ up to 1881, and that ChCh was probably the most important city in the last two decades in the 19th century. Indeed the south Island was the mainland up until 1901, The phrase mainlander still remains within southern minds and the jocular parlance of dubbing the North Islanders "pig islanders" as Captain Cook liberated pigs there.
Hope these facts will become of no use whatsoever, but a little history never hurt anyone.
(please note that opionions expressed are that of the author's and not mine)
Dan