Levin, New Zealand

Levin is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. Levin is situated on State Highway 1, 90km north of Wellington and 50km south of Palmerston North. Lake Horowhenua lies two kilometres to the west of the town.

Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, plus a centre of light manufacturing. According to the 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings, the resident population was 19,044, a decrease of 1.4% since the 1996 census. A considerable proportion of these (20.4%) were over the age of 65, a considerably higher percentage than the national average.

The town was named after a former director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company.

Famous sons and daughters

• Joy Cowley (novelist)
• Rebecca Gibney (actress)
• Doug Kidd (politician)
• George Silk (photographer)
• Carlos Spencer (sportsman)

Shibboleth: The town's name is not pronounced like the common surname; instead, stress is placed on the second syllable. The name thus rhymes with the word "begin".