"Wellington in colonial times was a flourishing centre of commerce and manufacturing, a dignified seat of government, and a colourful, rapidly expanding settlement. Shops, offices, factories and warehouses sprung up in profusion along newly formed roads, and Parliament Buildings, Government House and a multitude of administrative buildings gave the developing cityscape an air of stability and permanence. Mansion like houses and imposing business premises ... contrasted starkly with the living conditions of the poor -- squalid slum housing with no sanitation and rampant infectious diseases. The libraries, parks and pleasure gardens for the wealthy wre matched by prisons, asylums and charitable institutions for the less privileged. "Colonial capital" documents Wellington's development as New Zealand's captial city from 1865-1910 ... " -- Back cover.