Levin, New Zealand

Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway, 90km north of Wellington, 50km south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua.

The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The name is a variation of the Jewish clan Levi. It is a shibboleth - unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the "second" syllable of the word. The name thus rhymes with the word 'begin'. The town's Maori name is "Taitoko".

Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre of light manufacturing. According to the 2006 census, the resident population was 19,137, an increase of 0.5% from 2001 [ [http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:uADfUAzlYC0J:www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/E9FF000F-BE26-46A4-9BC0-281AF175E417/0/HorowhenuaDistrict.xls+population+Levin&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=nz "Population Count for Horowhenua District, 1996, 2001 and 2006"] ] [ [http://www.nowwhere.com.au/StatsNZ/Locator/Default.aspx?txtTown=Levin+Urban&NZSearch=General "Interactive map, Levin statistical area"] ] . Over 20% of inhabitants were listed as over the age of 65, a considerably higher percentage than the national average [ [http://www2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/web/CommProfiles.nsf/f5707c256626ece5cc256d120011b32b/bb3a8c285b8d0938cc256d310074974d?OpenDocument#age "Levin age profile, NZ Stats"] ] . The town celebrated its centenary in 2006.

Notable people

*Michele A'Court (comedian)
*Paul Beresford (British politician)
*Jez Brown (radio/television)
*Suzy Clarkson (newsreader)
*Joy Cowley (novelist)
*Rebecca Gibney (actress)
*Bronwyn Hayward (disabled rights activist and film maker)
*Hewitt Humphrey (broadcaster)
*Dean Kent (Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer)
*Doug Kidd (politician)
*Matthew Saunoa (New Zealand Idol winner 2006)
*George Silk (photographer)
*Carlos Spencer (Rugby Union Player)
*Jack Afamasaga (Rugby League Player)

chools

References

* [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/L/Levin/Levin/en "Levin" in the 1966 "Encyclopaedia of New Zealand"]