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About Wellington Network

 

Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, is situated on the edge of a spectacular harbour, encircled by green, towering hills. Vibrant, exciting and cultured, the nation's capital is home to nearly 500,000 people. It supports two premier universities, some of New Zealand's finest schools, theatres, New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa, and boasts a unique blend of arts and culture, shopping sensations and scenic beauty.

The Wellington Local Network caters for the needs of IET members located in the lower north island of New Zealand.

History of the Wellington Local Network:


One of the early New Zealand members of the Institution then situated in Wellington was Robert Thorburn Turnbull who was " desirous of admission into the Institution of Electrical Engineers"  proposed to the council by a Mr. Jobin Raworth on the 15th of April 1898.

Mr Turnbull was a founder, along with Mr Jones, also a member, of the company Turnbull and Jones Ltd which became a household name to New Zealanders.  Incidentally, Mr Turnbull remained a member until 1921 when he resigned in protest at the subscription rate increase. After much correspondence, Council reinstated Mr Turnbull as a member on 1st February 1923

Between the 1920's and 1950's the IEE conducted internal examinations for graduates in this country supervised, you will note, by the Engineer - in - Chief of the Post and Telegraph Department, as the formal representative of the Institution. Many Electrical Engineers achieved AMIEE status through completing sections A and B of the examination followed by two years of appropriate responsible experience.

With the academic level of the examination increasing after 1944, it became more difficult, part time, or through evening classes, to study and in due course the Bachelor of Electrical Engineering Degree was seen as the more important attainment although there were still AMIEE students at the Auckland School of Engineering in 1956.

As a result of the early interest in the Institution, taken by the New Zealand Post Office, New Zealand Electricity Department and industry, the Institution was traditionally based in Wellington until not long ago, when the need was seen to create sub centres in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to bring about a certain degree of competition. Christchurch for example had the first Younger Members Group formed outside the UK. And Christchurch has recently been followed by the establishment of a YMG in Auckland. There is a fledgling group in Palmerston North at Massey University.