On the Clock

The town was named after Colonel William H. A. Feilding, a director of the Emigrants and Colonists Aid Corporation Ltd. who negotiated the purchase of a 100,000 acre 400 km² block of land from the Wellington provincial government in 1871. The first European settlers arrived from Great Britain on 22 January 1874.[citation needed] The Feilding Edwardian Project Inc. was established in September 1993 by local businesses with the aim of revitalising the central business area of Feilding. Many of the commercial buildings were built in the 1900s Edwardian era and have been restored and preserved over time. Feilding is home to a number of historic collections, buildings, monuments and museums, including THE Coach House Museum, St Johns Church, Feilding Club, Feilding Hotel, AND Feilding & Districts Steam Rail Society.