A RICHLY ILLUSTRATED HISTORY CELEBRATING 150 YEARS. City at the Centre tells the story of a small town carved out of the bush that once cloaked the Manawatu plains, whose growth was driven by the railway that runs through it, by farming, by defence and by Massey University. From Maori history and early settlement to business and sport, the arts and the environment, this engaging history, written by leading historians, is supported by over 150 outstanding photographs. The thematic approach draws on multiple views of Palmerston Norths past to provide a fresh look at an ambitious city at the centre of its region.