Feilding was named after Colonel William Feilding in July 1881. That's why it's spelt 'incorrectly'! He owned 106,000 acres of local land.  It is the only place in the world with this name!   

Feilding has a population of approximately 14,000 and is situated in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand.  It is in a District called Manawatu, which covers an area of 2,780 square kilometres and has a population of approximately 28,000.

One of Feilding's numerous claims to fame is that for ten years out of the past 12, Feilding has won the title of "New Zealand's Most Beautiful Town".  The results have just been announced for 2000 (October)!  Credit must go to the "Keep Feilding Beautiful" Committee, headed by Del Gibb.

Feilding is 20 kms north of Palmerston North, our closest city.

Another claim to fame are our Stock Sale yards, which are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.  These are situated only 100 metres from the main shopping centre and the place really jumps on a Friday when the farmers come to town!  Sales are held on Monday and Friday.

We also boast the internationally recognised Manfield Park, which draws thousands of visitors to Feilding every year to watch a variety of local, national and international events.   These include the North Island Shearing Championships,  motorsport, jetsprinting, the annual Central District Field Days,  and many community events.

And this is our newest addition to Feilding.  The clocktower which was somewhat contraversial as the town was quite divided over whether it should be built or not.  Although I sat on the fence during all the discussions, I like it now.  It was set going at midnight on December 31st, 1999, to celebrate the new Millenium.

The town is affectionately known as "Friendly Feilding" locally, and shopping is generally relaxed with plenty of free parking.

This page last updated October 6th, 2000.