8Once a small town sited at Te Papaioea, a clearing in the bush that cloaked the Manawatu Plains, Palmerston North has always had big-city aspirations. Critical to its growth was the railway that runs through it, farming, and education. Originally settled by Rangitane, today Palmerston North is home to people from many parts of the world. Why they chose to come to the city, and what they did when they got there, is the subject of this richly illustrated and engaging history.