(Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm) , image_map = Nelson CC.PNG , mapsize = 200px , map_caption = , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = New Zealand , subdivision_type1 =

Unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

, subdivision_name1 = Nelson City , subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_name2 = , established_title1 = Settled by Europeans , established_date1 = 1841 , founder =

Arthur Wakefield Captain Arthur Wakefield (19 November 1799 – 17 June 1843) served with the Royal Navy, before joining his brother, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, in founding the new settlement at Nelson, New Zealand. Early life Arthur Wakefield was born in Essex, a ...

, named_for =

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought a ...

, parts_type = Suburbs , p1 =

Nelson Central Nelson Central is the central suburb and central business district of Nelson, New Zealand. Amenities The suburb includes the Christ Church Cathedral and the surrounding Church Hill reserve. Nelson Provincial Museum, the regional museum, is lo ...

, p2 =

Annesbrook Annesbrook is an industrial suburb of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies between and Nelson Airport to the southwest of Nelson city centre and north of Stoke. The Nelson Classic Car Museum (which was previously the World of WearableArt & Classic C ...

, p3 =

Atawhai Atawhai is a suburb of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies north of Nelson and is the location of Wakapuaka Cemetery, a burial place since 1861. It also has a coastline on Nelson Haven and access to Boulder Bank from . Geography Atawhai covers an ar ...

, p4 = Beachville , p5 = Bishopdale , p6 = Britannia Heights , p7 = Enner Glynn , p8 = Maitai , p9 = Marybank , p10 = Moana , p11 =

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

, p12 = Stepneyville , p13 = Stoke , p14 = Tāhunanui , p15 =

The Brook The Brook is a private club located at 111 East 54th Street in Manhattan inNew York City. It was founded in 1903 by a group of prominent men who belonged to other New York City private clubs, such as the Knickerbocker Club and the Union Club.

, p16 = The Wood , p17 = Toi Toi , p18 = Wakatu , p19 = Washington Valley , government_footnotes = , seat_type = Electorates , seat = Nelson
Te Tai Tonga , leader_title =

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, leader_name = Nick Smith , leader_title1 = Deputy mayor , leader_name1 = Rohan O'Neill-Stevens , leader_title2 = MPs , leader_name2 = Rachel Boyack ( Labour)
Rino Tirikatene (Labour) , total_type = Territorial , unit_pref = , area_magnitude = , area_urban_footnotes = , area_urban_km2 = 54.33 , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 422.19 , area_total_sq_mi = , area_land_km2 = , area_land_sq_mi = , area_water_km2 = , area_water_sq_mi = , area_water_percent = , area_note = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , elevation_ft = , population_footnotes = , population_total = , population_as_of = , population_urban = , population_density_km2 = auto , population_density_urban_km2 = auto , population_density_sq_mi = , timezone =

NZST Time in New Zealand is divided by law into two standard time zones. The main islands use New Zealand Standard Time (NZST), 12 hours in advance of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) / military M (Mike), while the outlying Chatham Islands use Cha ...

, utc_offset = +12 , timezone_DST = NZDT , utc_offset_DST = +13 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = 7010, 7011, 7020 , area_code = 03 , website = , footnotes = Richmond And Nelson From Southeast

Nelson ( mi, Whakatū) is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. Nelson is the oldest city in the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

and the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand – it was established in 1841 and became a city by royal charter in 1858. Nelson City is bordered to the west and south-west by Tasman District Council and to the north-east, east and south-east by Marlborough District Council. The Nelson urban area has a population of , making it New Zealand's 15th most populous urban area. Nelson is well known for its thriving local arts and crafts scene; each year, the city hosts events popular with locals and tourists alike, such as the Nelson Arts Festival. The annual Wearable Art Awards began near Nelson and a local museum, World of WearableArt now showcases winning designs alongside a collection of classic cars.

Sister cities

Nelson's sister cities are; * Miyazu, Japan (1976) * Huangshi, China (1996) *

Yangjiang Yangjiang (, ), alternately romanized as Yeungkong, is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Guangdong Province in the People's Republic of China. It borders Maoming to the west, Yunfu to the north, Jiangmen to the east, and looks out to the S ...

, China (2014)

Etymology

Nelson was named in honour of the

Admiral Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

who defeated both the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Spanish fleets at the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1 ...

in 1805. Many roads and public areas around the city are named after people and ships associated with that battle and Trafalgar Street is the main shopping axis of the city. Inhabitants of Nelson are referred to as Nelsonians. Nelson's

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

name, Whakatū, means 'build', 'raise', or 'establish'. In an article to ''The Colonist'' newspaper on 16 July 1867, Francis Stevens described Nelson as "The

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

of the Southern Hemisphere". Today, Nelson has the nicknames of "Sunny Nelson" due to its high sunshine hours per year or the "Top of the South" because of its geographic location. In New Zealand Sign Language, the name is signed by putting the index and middle fingers together which are raised to the nose until the fingertips touch the nose, then move the hand forward so that the fingers point slightly forward away from oneself.

History

Early settlement

Settlement of Nelson began about 700 years ago by Māori. There is evidence the earliest settlements in New Zealand are around the Nelson-Marlborough regions. Some of the earliest recorded iwi in the Nelson district are Ngāti Hāwea, Ngāti Wairangi, Waitaha and Kāti Māmoe. Waitaha people developed the land around the Waimea Gardens, are believed to have been the first people to quarry argillite in around Nelson. They also developed much of the Waimea Gardens complex – more than 400 hectares on the Waimea Plains near Nelson. In the early 1600s,

Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri is a Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand, who arrived on the ''Kurahaupō'' waka. In the 1600s the iwi settled northwestern South Island, becoming a major power in the region until the 1800s. In 1642, members of Ngāti Tūmat ...

displaced other te Tau Ihu Māori, becoming the dominant tribe in the area until the early 1800s. Raids from northern tribes in the 1820s, led by Te Rauparaha and his Ngāti Toa, soon decimated the local population and quickly displaced them. Today there are eight mutually recognised tribes of the northernwestern region:

Ngāti Kuia Ngāti Kuia is a Māori iwi of the Northern South Island in New Zealand. They first settled in the Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere, and later spread to the Marlborough Sounds, Nelson and Tasman districts to Taitapu on the West Coast, and as far south ...

, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō,

Rangitāne Rangitāne is a Māori iwi (tribe). Their rohe (territory) is in the Manawatū, Horowhenua, Wairarapa and Marlborough areas of New Zealand.Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama and Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui.

New Zealand Company

Planning

The New Zealand Company in London planned the settlement of Nelson. They intended to buy from the

some of land which they planned to divide into one thousand lots and sell to intending settlers. The company earmarked profits to finance the free passage of artisans and labourers, with their families, and for the construction of public works. However, by September 1841 only about one third of the lots had sold. Despite this the colony pushed ahead, and land was surveyed by Frederick Tuckett. Three ships, the ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...

'', ''

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cl ...

'', and '' Will Watch'', sailed from London under the command of Captain

. Arriving in New Zealand, they discovered that the new Governor of the colony, William Hobson, would not give them a free hand to secure vast areas of land from the Māori or indeed to decide where to site the colony. However, after some delay, Hobson allowed the Company to investigate the Tasman Bay area at the north end of the South Island. The Company selected the site now occupied by Nelson City because it had the best harbour in the area. But it had a major drawback: it lacked suitable

arable land Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for th ...

; Nelson City stands right on the edge of a mountain range while the nearby Waimea Plains amount to only about , less than one third of the area required by the Company plans. The Company secured land from the Māori, that was not clearly defined, for £800: it included Nelson, Waimea, Motueka,

Riwaka Riwaka ( mi, Riuwaka) is a small settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island. It lies beside Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, five kilometres north of Motueka, and close to the mouth of the Riuwaka River. The land where the ...

and Whakapuaka. This allowed the settlement to begin, but the lack of definition would prove the source of much future conflict. The three colony ships sailed into Nelson Haven during the first week of November 1841. When the four first immigrant ships – '' Fifeshire'', '' Mary-Ann'', ''

Lord Auckland Baron Auckland is a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain. The first creation came in 1789 when the prominent politician and financial expert William Eden was made Baron Auckland in the Peerage of Ireland. I ...

'' and '' Lloyds'' – arrived three months later, they found the town already laid out with streets, some wooden houses, tents and rough sheds. Within 18 months the Company had sent out 18 ships with 1052 men, 872 women and 1384 children. However, fewer than ninety of the settlers had the capital to start as landowners.

Cultural and religious immigrants

Lutheran Church of Upper Moutere, February 2007

The early settlement of Nelson province included a proportion of German immigrants, who arrived on the ship ''Sankt Pauli'' and formed the nucleus of the villages of Sarau (

Upper Moutere Upper Moutere (originally called Sarau by its founding German settlers) is a locality in the Tasman District near Motueka at the top of New Zealand's South Island. History As early as 1839 the New Zealand Company had resolved to "take ste ...

) and Neudorf. These were mostly Lutheran Protestants with a small number of Bavarian Catholics. In 1892 the New Zealand Church Mission Society (NZCMS) was formed in a Nelson church hall.

Problems with land

After a brief initial period of prosperity, the lack of land and of capital caught up with the settlement and it entered a prolonged period of relative depression. The labourers had to accept a cut in their wages. Organised immigration ceased (a state of affairs that continued until the 1850s). By the end of 1843, artisans and labourers began leaving Nelson; by 1846, some 25% of the immigrants had moved away. The pressure to find more arable land became intense. To the south-east of Nelson lay the wide and fertile plains of the Wairau Valley. The New Zealand Company tried to claim that they had purchased the land. The Māori owners stated adamantly that the Wairau Valley had not formed part of the original land sale and made it clear they would resist any attempts by the settlers to occupy the area. The Nelson settlers led by Arthur Wakefield and Henry Thompson attempted to do just that. This resulted in the Wairau Affray, where 22 settlers died. The subsequent Government inquiry exonerated the Māori and found that the Nelson settlers had no legitimate claim to any land outside Tasman Bay. Public fears of a Māori attack on Nelson lead to the formation of the Nelson Battalion of Militia in 1845.

City

Nelson township was managed by the Nelson Provincial Council through a Board of Works constituted by the Provincial Government under the Nelson Improvement Act 1856 until 1874. It was proclaimed a Bishop's See and city under letters patent by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

on 27 September 1858, the second New Zealand city proclaimed in this manner after

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

. Nelson only had some 5,000 residents at this time. Edmund Hobhouse was the first Bishop. The Municipal Corporations Act 1876 stated that Nelson was constituted a city on 30 March 1874.

Coat of arms

Nelson City has a coat of arms, obtained in 1958 from the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...

to mark the Centenary of Nelson as a City. The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The ...

of the arms is: :"Barry wavy Argent and Azure a Cross Flory Sable on a Chief also Azure a Mitre proper And for the Crest on a Wreath of the Colours Issuant from a Mural Crown proper a Lion rampant Gules holding between the fore paws a Sun in splendour or. The supporters on the dexter side a Huia Bird and on the sinister side a Kotuku both proper." Motto "''Palmam qui meruit ferat''" (Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm). This motto is the same as that of Lord Nelson.

Nelson Province

From 1853 until 1876, when provincial governments were abolished, Nelson was the capital of

Nelson Province Nelson Province was constituted in 1853 under the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, and originally covered the entire upper South Island, including all of present-day Buller, Kaikoura, Marlborough, and Tasman districts, along with Nelson ...

. The province itself was much larger than present-day Nelson City and included all of the present-day Buller, Kaikoura, Marlborough, Nelson, and Tasman, as well as the Grey District north of the

Grey River Grey River may refer to: *Grey River (New Zealand), a major river in the west of New Zealand's South Island. * Grey River (Victoria), Australia *Grey River, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada * Grey River (Chile) See also * Little Grey River, a ...

and the

Hurunui District Hurunui District is a territorial local government district within the Canterbury Region on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, north of Christchurch. It stretches from the east coast to the Main Divide. Its land area is . Local gove ...

north of the

Hurunui River The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand, with a catchment area of . The river flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps, to the Pacific Ocean. Geography The head of the Hurun ...

. The Marlborough Province split from Nelson Province in October 1859.

Nelson provincial anniversary

Nelson Anniversary Day is a public holiday observed in the northern half of the South Island of New Zealand, being the area's provincial anniversary day. It is observed throughout the historic Nelson Province, even though the provinces of New Zealand were abolished in 1876. The modern area of observation includes all of Nelson City and includes all of the present-day Buller, Kaikoura, Marlborough, Tasman districts as well as the Grey District north of the Grey River / Māwheranui and the Hurunui District north of the Hurunui River. The holiday usually falls on the Monday closest to 1 February, the anniversary of the arrival of the first New Zealand Company boat, the ''Fifeshire'' on 1 February 1842. Anniversary celebrations in the early years featured a sailing regatta, horse racing, running races, shooting and ploughing matches. In 1892, the Nelson Jubilee Celebration featured an official week-long programme with church services, sports, concerts, a ball and a grand display of fireworks.

Time gun

In 1858 the Nelson Provincial Council erected a time gun at the spot on Brittania Heights where in 1841, Captain Wakefield erected his flagpole. The gun was fired each Saturday at noon to give the correct time. The gun is now preserved as a historical relic and the Songer Tree marks the site on Signal Hill of the original flagpole.

Geography

The Nelson-Tasman area comprises two unitary authorities – Nelson City, administered by the Nelson City Council, and Tasman District, administered by the Tasman District Council, based in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

to the southwest. It is between Marlborough, another unitary authority, to the east, and the

West Coast Regional Council The West Coast ( mi, Te Tai Poutini, lit=The Coast of Poutini, the Taniwha) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand on the west coast of the South Island that is administered by the West Coast Regional Council, and is known co-offici ...

to the west. For some while, there has been talk about amalgamating Nelson City and the Tasman District to streamline and render more financially economical the existing co-operation between the two councils, exemplified by the jointly owned Port Nelson and the creation of Nelson Tasman Tourism, a jointly owned tourism promotion organisation. However, an official poll conducted in April 2012 showed nearly three-quarters of those who voted in Richmond were opposed to the proposal with a narrow majority in favour. Nelson has beaches and a sheltered harbour. The harbour entrance is protected by a

Boulder Bank The Boulder Bank ( Māori: ''Te Taero a Keropa'' or ''Te Tāhuna o Tama-i-ea'') is a very unusual naturally formed landform in Nelson, New Zealand. It is a 13 kilometre long stretch of rocky substrate which begins at the Mackay Bluff and ends a ...

, a natural, bank of rocks transported south from Mackay Bluff via

longshore drift Longshore drift from longshore current is a geological process that consists of the transportation of sediments (clay, silt, pebbles, sand, shingle) along a coast parallel to the shoreline, which is dependent on the angle incoming wave direction ...

. The bank creates a perfect natural harbour which enticed the first settlers although the entrance was narrow. The wreck of the ''Fifeshire'' on Arrow Rock (now called Fifeshire Rock in memory of this disaster) in 1842 proved the difficulty of the passage. A cut was later made in the bank in 1906 which allowed larger vessels access to the port. The creation of Rocks Road around the waterfront area after the Tāhunanui slump in 1892 increased the effects of the tide on Nelson city's beach, Tāhunanui, and removed sediment. This meant the popular beach and adjoining car park were being eroded (plus the sand dunes) so a project to replace these sands was put in place and has so far proved a success, with the sand rising a considerable amount and the dunes continuing to grow.

Waterways

The Nelson territorial authority area is small (just 445 km²) and has four main waterways, the Whangamoa, Wakapuaka, Maitai and Roding Rivers. The Roding River, the southernmost in Nelson, arises in the hills between Mount Meares and Dun Mountain. From there it flows westward before entering the Tasman District where it eventually joins the Waimea River which flows into Waimea Inlet near Rabbit Island. The Maitai River flows westward from the Dun Mountain area into the town centre of Nelson before entering the Nelson Haven then Tasman Bay via 'The Cut'. Major tributaries of the Maitai River are:

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

and

Brook A brook is a small river or natural stream of fresh water. It may also refer to: Computing *Brook, a programming language for GPU programming based on C *Brook+, an explicit data-parallel C compiler * BrookGPU, a framework for GPGPU programmin ...

Streams plus Sharland, Packer,

Groom A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man ...

, Glen, Neds, Sclanders, Beauchamp and Mill Creeks. The Wakapuaka River, which flows north from the Saddle Hill area to its mouth at Cable Bay in North Nelson, has two main tributaries, the Lud and Teal Rivers. Entering Tasman Bay near Kokorua in the north of Nelson, the Whangamoa River is the longest waterway in Nelson. Smaller waterways in the south of Nelson include: Saxton Creek, Orchard Stream, Poorman Valley Stream, Arapiki Stream, Jenkins Creek and Maire Stream.

Central city

The central city of Nelson, also referred to as the central business district (CBD), is bounded by Halifax Street to the north, Rutherford Street to the west, Collingwood Street to the east, and Selwyn Place to the south. Other major streets within the CBD include Trafalgar Street, Bridge Street and Hardy Street.

Suburbs

Suburbs within Nelson City's territorial area borders are grouped into four city districts: Nelson North: *

Glenduan Glenduan is a small township lying to the north of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies on the shore of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere between the northern end of Boulder Bank and Pepin Island. The settlement's main park, Glenduan Reserve, is a public bea ...

* Wakapuaka * Todds Valley * Marybank *

* Dodson Valley *

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields ...

City Centre: *

* Port Nelson * Beachville * The Wood * Hanby Park * Maitai * Nelson East * Nelson South * Toi Toi (Victory Village) * Bishopdale *

* Washington Valley * Stepneyville * Britannia Heights Tāhunanui-Port Hills: * Tāhunanui * Enner Glynn * Moana * Tasman Heights *

* Wakatu Stoke: * Stoke * Greenmeadows Park *

Nayland Nayland is a village and former civil parish in the Stour Valley on the Suffolk side of the border between Suffolk and Essex in England. In 2011 the built-up area had a population of 938. In 1881 the civil parish had a population of 901. H ...

* Maitlands * Saxton The Nelson commuter belt extends to

, Brightwater,

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...

, Māpua and

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

in the Tasman District.

National parks

Nelson is surrounded by mountains on three sides with Tasman Bay on the other and the region is the gateway to

Abel Tasman National Park Abel Tasman National Park is a New Zealand national park located between Golden Bay and Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere at the north end of the South Island. It is named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight Ne ...

, Kahurangi National Park, Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa in the Nelson Lakes National Park. It is a centre for both

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

and

adventure tourism Adventure travel is a type of niche tourism, involving exploration or travel with a certain degree of risk (real or perceived), and which may require special skills and physical exertion. In the United States, adventure tourism has grown in r ...

and has a high reputation among caving enthusiasts due to several prominent cave systems around Takaka Hill and Mounts

Owen Owen may refer to: Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin. Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born. Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...

and Arthur, which hold the largest and deepest explored caverns in the southern hemisphere.

Climate

Nelson has a temperate

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

( Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers. Nelson has rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year and has fewer frosts due to the highly marine geography of New Zealand. Winter is the stormiest time, when gales and storms are more common. Nelson has one of the sunniest climates of all major New Zealand centres, earning the nickname 'Sunny Nelson' with an annual average total of over 2400 hours of sunshine. The highest recorded temperature in Nelson is , the lowest .

"Centre of New Zealand" monument

Nelson has a monument on Botanical Hill, near the centre of the city. The walk to this is called the "''Centre of New Zealand walk''". Despite the name, this monument does not mark the actual geographic centre of New Zealand. Instead, the monument marks the "zero, zero" point to which the first geodetic surveys of New Zealand were referenced. These surveys were started in the 1870s by John Spence Browning, the Chief Surveyor for Nelson. From this 360-degree viewpoint, survey marks in neighbouring regions (including Wellington in the North Island) could be triangulated and the local surveys connected. In 1962, Dr Ian Reilly from the now defunct

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development. * Department of Scientific and Industria ...

calculated the geographic centre of New Zealand (including Stewart Island and some smaller islands in addition to the North and South Island, but excluding the Chathams) to be in a forest in Spooners Range southwest of Nelson at . Owing to the coarse nature of the underlying data (use of rectangular areas of 7.5 minutes of arc on each side), the centre calculated by Dr Reilly has quite large error margins. Recalculating the result with more modern and accurate data shows the geographic centre of New Zealand is approximately 60 km southwest of Nelson, in the Big Bush Conservation Area north of Saint Arnaud, New Zealand.

Demographics

Nelson Region covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². TasmanNelsonRegionPopulationDensity

Nelson Region had a population of 50,880 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...

, an increase of 4,443 people (9.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 7,992 people (18.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 19,821 households. There were 24,804 males and 26,076 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female. The median age was 43.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 9,027 people (17.7%) aged under 15 years, 8,469 (16.6%) aged 15 to 29, 23,541 (46.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 9,843 (19.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 86.7% European/Pākehā, 10.7% Māori, 2.3% Pacific peoples, 7.1% Asian, and 2.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 23.6, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 56.2% had no religion, 31.8% were Christian, 0.9% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 1.2% were Buddhist and 2.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 9,150 (21.9%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 7,674 (18.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 5,634 people (13.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 19,311 (46.1%) people were employed full-time, 7,119 (17.0%) were part-time, and 1,278 (3.1%) were unemployed.

Economy

The Nelson economy (and that of the neighbouring Tasman District) is based on the 'big five' industries; seafood, horticulture, forestry, farming and tourism. Port Nelson is the biggest fishing port in

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologic ...

. There are also a range of growth industries, including art and craft, aviation, engineering technology, and information technology. The region is sixth in terms of GDP growth in the 2007–10 period. The combined sub-national GDP of Nelson and Tasman District was estimated at $3.4 billion in 2010, 1.8% of New Zealand's national GDP. Nelson is home to various business agencies that serve the city and its surrounds, including Nelson Tasman Tourism (NTT), which aims to promote the region and help advertisers reach visitors from New Zealand and overseas, and the Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency (EDA), which works to "coordinate, promote, facilitate, investigate, develop, implement, support and fund initiatives relating to economic development ndemployment growth ... within the Nelson region ..." Below is a list of some of the region's largest companies and employers: * Regional airline Air Nelson has its headquarters and maintenance base at Nelson Airport. * Helicopters (NZ) has its headquarters and maintenance base at Nelson Airport. * Japanese automobile manufacturer

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

has its New Zealand distribution centre in the Whakatu Industrial Estate in Stoke. * Beverage company McCashins has a

microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

in Stoke * Sea Dragon Marine Oils has a fish oil refinery in Annesbrook. * The

Cawthron Institute The Cawthron Institute is New Zealand's largest independent science organisation, specialising in science that supports the environment and development within primary industries. Cawthron has its main facilities in Nelson. It works with regional ...

has a research facility in The Wood. * Food manufacturer, the

Talley's Group Talley's Group Limited is a privately owned, New Zealand-based agribusiness company that provides seafood, vegetable and dairy products. Talley's was established in 1936 in Motueka by Ivan Peter Talijancich (later known as Ivan Talley) as a ...

has processing facilities at Port Nelson. * The New Zealand King Salmon Company processes

Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus '' Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ...

at its factory in

. * Pic's Peanut Butter is made in its Stoke, New Zealand factory. In 2013, Nelson Mayor

Aldo Miccio Cataldo (Aldo) Miccio (born 1971) is a New Zealand former local-body politician. He was the Mayor of Nelson for one term from 2010 to 2013. Background Miccio is married to Kimberley, a former Sydney hotel reservations sales manager, and has ...

worked on a proposal that would see Australian

call centres A call centre ( Commonwealth spelling) or call center ( American spelling; see spelling differences) is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone ...

for companies such as Gen-i and Xero relocated to Nelson. The plan was in response to Australian companies moving call and contact centres out of Asia because their Australian customers preferred English-speaking centres. If the plan was successful, Mr Miccio expected 100 to 300 jobs paying NZ$50,000-plus in the first year to be created in Nelson.

Government

Local

As a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

, the Nelson City Council has the combined responsibilities and functions of both a territorial (local) and

regional council Regional Council may refer to: * Regional Council (Hong Kong), disbanded in 1999 ** Regional Council (constituency) Regional council may refer to: * Regional council (Cameroon) * Regional council (France), the elected assembly of a region of Fran ...

. This is different from most other local authorities in New Zealand. More often a regional council is a separate organisation with several territorial authorities (city or district councils) within its borders. Other unitary authorities are the Auckland Council, Gisborne District Council, Marlborough District Council, Tasman District Council and the

Chatham Islands Council The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about t ...

. The Nelson City Council currently holds its elections under the

First Past the Post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...

electoral system once every three years, with the most recent election held on 12 October 2019. Electors vote by indicating their choice for Mayor by placing a tick beside one of the names and the person who receives the most votes becomes Mayor.

Councillors A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

are elected the same way but voters could cast multiple votes, with the 12 candidates who each receive the most votes becoming Councillors. Voters in this system may vote for no more than 12 candidates. The elections are conducted by post over a three-week period to make it as convenient as possible for people to vote. The other option permitted under the Local Electoral Act 2001, but not currently used in Nelson, is the

Single Transferable Vote Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate p ...

system. Multiple-member districts are used. Electors vote by ranking candidates in order of preference by placing a number beside candidates' names. The elector can mark a preference for one or up to the total number of candidates on the paper. The number of votes required for a candidate to be elected, the quota, depends on the number of positions to be filled and the number of valid votes. (Election of mayor may be held using the

Instant-runoff vote Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is a type of ranked preferential voting method. It uses a majority voting rule in single-winner elections where there are more than two candidates. It is commonly referred to as ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the U ...

method.) Under the Local Electoral Act 2002, the Nelson City Council can resolve to change the electoral system to be used for the next two elections, and it must review this decision every six years. A referendum was held in 2003 to decide which electoral system would be used for the 2004 and 2007 Nelson City Council elections. The outcome was that the First Past the Post system was retained. The 2008 review retains that system for the 2010 and 2013 elections. On 12 October 2013, Rachel Reese was elected as Nelson's first woman mayor after receiving 1,500 votes more than incumbent mayor

. As of 13 October 2022, the current council members for the 2022 to 2025 term are:-

National

Nelson is covered by one general electorate: Nelson and one Maori electorate: Te Tai Tonga. As of the 2020 general election, Nelson is held by Rachel Boyack of the Labour Party. The Maori electorate Te Tai Tonga, which covers the entire South Island and part of

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

in the North Island, is currently held by Labour and represented by Rino Tirikatene.

Culture and the arts

As the major regional centre, the city offers many lodgings, restaurants, and unique speciality shopping such as at the Jens Hansen Goldsmiths where " The One Ring" in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy was designed. * Nelson has a vibrant local music and arts scene and is known nationwide for its culturally idiosyncratic craftsmen. These include potters, glass blowers (such as Flamedaisy Glass Design and Höglund Art Glass Studio & Gallery), and dozens of wood carvers using native New Zealand southern beech and exotic macrocarpa. * Nelson is a popular visitor destination and year-round attracts both New Zealanders and international tourists. * The Nelson Saturday Market is a popular weekly market where one can buy direct from local artists. * The Theatre Royal was restored in 2010 and is the oldest wooden functioning theatre in the Southern Hemisphere (built 1878) * Art organisations include the Suter Art Gallery and Nelson Arts Festival. * The

Victory Village The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...

community received the 2010 New Zealander of the Year award for Community of the Year. The first

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

match in New Zealand took place at the Botanic Reserve in Nelson on 14 May 1870, between the

Nelson Suburbs FC Nelson Suburbs FC is a football club in Nelson, New Zealand. They compete in the Mainland Premier League. They have won the Mainland Premier League three times. Nelson Suburbs FC has strong ties with the region's most successful football scho ...

and Nelson College, and an informative commemorative plaque was renovated at the western edge of the grassed area by Nelson City Council in 2006.

Marae

Whakatū Marae, in the suburb of

, is the '' marae'' (meeting ground) of

, Ngāti Kōata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama ki Te Tau Ihu, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui. It includes the Kākāti '' wharenui'' (meeting house). In October 2020, the Government committed $240,739 from the Provincial Growth Fund to restore the marae, creating an estimated 9 jobs.

Events and festivals

Several major events take place: * Nelson Jazz & Blues Festival – January * Nelson Kite Festival – January * Nelson Yacht Regatta – January * Adam Chamber Music Festival – biennial – January / February * Evolve Festival – February * Marchfest – March * Taste Nelson festival – March * Winter Music Festival – July * Nelson Arts Festival – October

Architecture

The tallest building in Nelson is the tall Rutherford Hotel located on the west edge of Trafalgar Square. Unlike many towns and cities in New Zealand, Nelson has retained many Victorian buildings in its historic centre and the South Street area has been designated as having heritage value.

Surviving historic buildings

Amber House, Nelson, New Zealand, 2005-11-16T01-33Z

* Nelson Cathedral * Amber House * Broadgreen House * Cabragh House * Chez Eelco * Fairfield House * Founders Park Windmill * Isel House * Melrose House *

Nelson Central School , type = Contributing Primary , established = 1878; years ago , address = 70 Nile Street, Nelson , coordinates = , principal = Pip Wells , roll = () , decile = 7 , MOE = 3209 , homepage nelsoncentra ...

Renwick House * Theatre Royal * Victorian Rose Pub * Redwood College (Founders Park) * Nelson Centre of Musical Arts (formerly Nelson School of Music) Est. 1894

Museums

The Nelson region houses several museums. * The Founders Heritage Park houses a number of groups with historical themes, including transport. * The

Nelson Provincial Museum The Nelson Provincial Museum, ''Pupuri Taonga O Te Tai Ao'' is a regional museum in the city of Nelson, New Zealand. The museum showcases the Nelson and Tasman regions' history, from geological origins to the stories of individuals and families. N ...

houses a collection of locally significant artefacts. * The World of WearableArt houses a collection of collectable cars and a collections of works from the Wearable Art Awards.

Parks and zoo

Nelson has a large number and variety of public parks and reserves maintained at public expense by Nelson City Council. Major reserves include Grampians Reserve, close to the suburb of

Braemar Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an elevation of . The Gaelic ''Bràigh Mhàrr'' pr ...

, and the botanical Reserve in the east of Nelson, close to The Wood. Natureland Zoological Park is a small zoological facility close to Tāhunanui Beach. The facility is popular with children, where they can closely approach

wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and som ...

, monkeys, meerkats, llamas and alpacas, Kune Kune pigs, otters, and peacocks. There are also turtles, tropical fish and a walk through aviary. Although the zoo nearly closed in 2008, the Orana Wildlife Trust took over its running instead. It looked like a bright future ahead for Natureland and its staff but since the repeated earthquakes in Christchurch in 2011 and the damage to Orana Park, Orana Wildlife Trust are uncertain of the future of Natureland. Orana Wildlife trust have since pulled out of Natureland, which is now run independently.

Sport

Major sports teams

Major venues

Infrastructure and services

Healthcare

The main hospital in Nelson is the Nelson Hospital. It is the seat of the

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board The Nelson Marlborough District Health Board (Nelson Marlborough DHB or NMDHB) was a district health board with the focus on providing healthcare to the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough districts of New Zealand. In July 2022, it was merged into ...

. The Manuka Street Hospital is a private institution.

Law enforcement

The Nelson Central Police Station, located in St John Street, is the headquarters for the Tasman Police District. The Tasman Police District has the lowest crime rate within New Zealand.

Gangs

Several gangs have established themselves in Nelson. They include the now disbanded Lost Breed and the Red Devils a support club for the Hells Angels. The Rebels Motorcycle Club also have a presence in the wider Nelson-Tasman area.

Electricity

The Nelson City Municipal Electricity Department (MED) established the city's public electricity supply in 1923, with electricity generated by a coal-fired power station at Wakefield Quay. The city was connected to the newly-commissioned Cobb hydroelectric power station in 1944 and to the rest of the South Island grid in 1958. The grid connection saw the Wakefield Quay power station was relegated to standby duty before being decommissioned in 1964. Today, Nelson Electricity operates the local distribution network in the former MED area, which covers the CBD and inner suburbs, while Network Tasman operates the local distribution network in the outer suburbs (including Stoke, Tāhunanui and Atawhai) and rural areas.

Transport

Air transport

Nelson Airport is located southwest of the city, at

. The airport operates a single terminal and 1,347-metre (4,420 ft) runway, and in 2018 was the fifth-busiest airport in New Zealand by passenger numbers. There are more than a million passenger movements using the airport terminal annually and the airport averages 90 aircraft movements every day, with a plane taking off or landing every 4.5 minutes during scheduled hours. It is primarily used for domestic flights, with regular flights to and from Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Kapiti Coast, Palmerston North and Wellington. Nelson Airport is home to Air Nelson, which operates and maintains New Zealand's largest domestic airline fleet and was also the headquarters of

Origin Pacific Airways Origin Pacific Airways was an airline based in Nelson in New Zealand. Its main base was at Nelson Airport (NSN). It ceased passenger operations on 10 August 2006, and its residual freight operations on 15 September 2006. History Starting ...

until their collapse in 2006. Sounds Air offers flights from Nelson to Wellington. In 2006, the airport received restricted international airport status to facilitate small private jets. In February 2018, the approach road to the airport was flooded when the adjoining Jenkins Creek burst its banks during a storm that brought king tides and strong winds. The airport was closed for about one hour. In 2022, the NZ SeaRise programme identified Nelson airport as one area of particular vulnerability to

sea level rise Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cr ...

, with a projected subsidence of per year. The airport's Chief Executive said that the proposed runway extension would be planned around the latest sea level rise forecast, and that the airport was "here to stay", despite the concerns over the threats posed by sea level rise.

Maritime transport

Port Nelson is the maritime gateway for the Nelson,

Tasman Tasman most often refers to Abel Tasman (1603–1659), Dutch explorer. Tasman may also refer to: Animals and plants * Tasman booby * Tasman flax-lily * Tasman parakeet (disambiguation) * Tasman starling * Tasman whale People * Tasman (n ...

and Marlborough regions and a vital hub for economic activity. The following shipping companies call at Port Nelson: *

Australian National Line Australian National Line (ANL) was a coastal shipping line established in by the Government of Australia in 1956. It was sold in 1998 by the Howard government to CMA CGM. History Australian National Line was formed on 1 October 1956 as the ...

CMA CGM CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company. It is the world’s 3rd largest container shipping company, using 257 shipping routes between 420 ports in 160 countries. Its headquarters are in Marseille, France The name ...

Maersk Line Maersk Line or Maersk SeaLand is a Danish international container shipping company and the largest operating subsidiary of the Maersk Group, a Danish business conglomerate. Founded in 1928, it is the world's largest container shipping company by ...

* Mediterranean Shipping Company * Pacifica Shipping * Toyofuji Shipping * Swire Shipping In the mid-1994, a group of local businessmen, fronted by local politician Owen Jennings proposed building a deep-water port featuring a one-kilometre-long wharf extending from the Boulder Bank into Tasman Bay, where giant ships could berth and manoeuvre with ease. Known as Port Kakariki, the $97 million project was to become the hub to ship West Coast coal to Asia, as well as handling logs, which would be barged across Tasman Bay from Mapua. In January 2010 the Western Blue Highway, a Nelson to New Plymouth ferry service, was proposed by Port Taranaki. However, to date neither the Interislander nor Bluebridge have shown any interest in the route.

Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company

The 'Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company' was formed 31 March 1901 from the earlier companies of Nathaniel Edwards & Co (1857–1880) and the Anchor Steam Shipping Company (1880–1901). The Anchor Company never departed from its original aim of providing services to the people of Nelson and the West Coast of the

and was never a large company; it only owned 37 ships during its history. At its peak around 1930 there were 16 vessels in the fleet. The company operated three nightly return trips per week ferry service between Nelson and

and a daily freight service was maintained between the two ports in conjunction with the Pearl Kasper Shipping Company while another service carried general cargo on a Nelson- Onehunga route. In 1974, the Anchor Company was sold and merged into the Union Company.

Public transport

NBUS

NBus provides public transport services between Nelson and

, as well as on four local routes around Nelson city. The Late Late Bus is a weekend night transport service between Nelson and Richmond. NBus Cards were replaced by Bee cards on 3 August 2020.

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

provides daily bus services connecting Nelson with towns and cities around the South Island.

Taxis and shuttle vans

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

companies in Nelson include the following: * Nelson Bays Cabs * Nelson City Taxis There are no conventional bus services to Nelson Airport: the airport is served by a fleet of shuttle vans provided by several operators including Nelson Bays Shuttles & Coaches and Super Shuttles. Airport shuttle vans typically travel non-stop to or from the airport and about the city and suburbs picking up or dropping passengers at each address.

Rail transport

Nelson is one of only three major urban areas in New Zealand without a rail connection – the others being Taupo and Queenstown. The Nelson Section was an isolated, gauge, government-owned railway line between Nelson and Glenhope. It operated for years between 1876 and 1955. In 1886, a route was proposed from Nelson to the junction of the

Midland Railway Company The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...

at Buller via

Waimea West The Waimea Plains is a small but fertile area of low-lying land southwest of the port city of Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson, situated on Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere in the South Island of New Zealand. It is irrigated by the Waimea River from the ...

, Motueka, the Motueka Valley, Tadmor and Glenhope. The only sign of rail activity in Nelson today is a short heritage operation run by the

Nelson Railway Society The Nelson Railway Society operates a short heritage railway line in the Founders Heritage Park, Nelson, New Zealand. The society has recovered and now utilises station buildings from a couple of former stations on the Nelson Section, includin ...

from Founders Heritage Park using their own line between Wakefield Grove and Grove. The society has proposed future extensions of their line, possibly into or near the city centre. There have been several proposals to connect Nelson to the South Island rail network, but none have come to fruition.

Horse tramway

The

Dun Mountain Railway The Dun Mountain Railway was a privately owned and operated narrow gauge, long horse-drawn tramway from chromite mines in the vicinity of Duppa Lode on the eastern slopes of Wooded Peak to Nelson port in the Tasman District of New Zealand's ...

was a horse drawn tramway serving a mine.

Road transport

The Nelson urban area is served by , which runs in a north to southwest direction. The highway travels through the city and nearby town of

, continuing southwest across the plains of the Wairoa and Motueka Rivers. Plans to construct a motorway linking North Nelson to Brightwater in the south have so far been successful. A number of studies have been undertaken since 2007 including the 2007 North Nelson to Brightwater Study, the Southern Link Road Project and the Arterial Traffic Study. On 28 June 2013, the Nelson Mayor

and Nelson MP Nick Smith jointly wrote to Transport Minister

Gerry Brownlee Gerard Anthony Brownlee (born 4 February 1956) is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1996, was Leader of the House, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery and Minister of ...

seeking for the Southern Link to be given Road of National Significance (RoNS) status. Other significant road projects proposed over the years include a cross-city tunnel from Tāhunanui Drive to Haven Road; or from

(or Tāhunanui) to Emano Street in Victory Square; or from Tāhunanui to Washington Valley. The passenger and freight company Newmans Coach Lines was formed in Nelson in 1879, and merged with Transport Nelson in 1972.

Education

Secondary schools

Garin College Garin College is a New Zealand Catholic, integrated, co-educational day and boarding secondary school in Nelson on the northern outskirts of Richmond. The college opened on 28 January 2002 to serve the Catholic community, particularly in the upp ...

* Nayland College * Nelson College * Nelson College for Girls

Tertiary institutions

Nelson hosts two tertiary education institutions, the main one being Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. The institute has two main campuses, one in Nelson and the other in

Blenheim Blenheim ( ) is the English name of Blindheim, a village in Bavaria, Germany, which was the site of the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Almost all places and other things called Blenheim are named directly or indirectly in honour of the battle. Places ...

, in the neighbouring Marlborough region. The Institute has been providing tertiary education in the Nelson-Marlborough region for the last 100 years. Nelson also has a University of Canterbury College of Education campus which currently has an intake two out of every three years for the primary sector

Media

Broadcasting

The city is served by all major national radio and television stations, with terrestrial television (

Freeview Freeview may refer to: *Freeview (Australia), the marketing name for the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia *Freeview (New Zealand), a digital satellite and digital terrestrial television platform in New Zealand *Freeview (UK), a ...

) and FM radio. Local radio stations include The Hits (formerly

Radio Nelson Radio Nelson was a New Zealand radio station in Nelson. The station was started by Radio New Zealand (which at the time was known as the ''New Zealand Broadcasting Board'') in 1932. The station originally broadcast on 1340AM with the callsign ...

), More FM (formerly Fifeshire FM), The Breeze, ZM (formerly The Planet 97FM) and community station Fresh FM. The city has one local television station, Mainland Television.

Print

'' The Nelson Examiner'' was the first newspaper published in the South Island. It was established by Charles Elliott (1811–1876) in 1842, within a few weeks of New Zealand Company settlers arriving in Nelson. Other early newspapers were ''The Colonist'' and the '' Nelson Evening Mail''. Today the ''

Nelson Mail ''The Nelson Mail'' is a 4-day a week newspaper in Nelson, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff Ltd. It was founded in 1866 as ''The Nelson Evening Mail''; the first edition was published on 5 March 1866. It absorbed another local paper, ' ...

'' publishes four days a week and is part of the Fairfax Group. The ''Nelson Mail'' also publishes the weekly community papers ''The Nelson Leader'' and ''The Tasman Leader''. The city's largest circulating newspaper is the locally owned ''Nelson Weekly'', which is published every Wednesday. ''WildTomato'' is a glossy monthly lifestyle magazine, focused on the Nelson and Marlborough regions – the Top of the South Island of New Zealand. The regional magazine was launched by Murray Farquhar as a 16-page local magazine in Nelson in July 2006.

Notable people

* Sophia Anstice – seamstress and businesswoman * Harry Atmore – politician *

Francis Bell Francis Bell may refer to: * Arthur Bell (martyr) (1590–1643), also known as Francis Bell, Franciscan and English martyr *Dillon Bell (Francis Dillon Bell; 1822–1898), New Zealand politician, father of the New Zealand Prime Minister * Francis B ...

– politician * George Bennett – cyclist *

Chester Borrows Kerry James "Chester" Borrows (born 20 June 1957) is a National Party politician who served as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament (MP) from 2005 to 2017. Borrows worked as a police officer, including as a sole charge officer, and received ...

– politician * Mark Bright – rugby union player * Jeremy Brockie – footballer * Cory Brown – footballer * Paul Brydon – footballer *

Mel Courtney Melvyn Francis Courtney (born 2 October 1943) is a Nelson City Councillor and a former Labour then Independent Member of Parliament for Nelson, in the South Island of New Zealand. Early life and family Courtney was born in Christchurch on 2 O ...

– politician *

Ryan Crotty Ryan Stevenson Crotty (born 23 September 1988) is a New Zealand-born rugby union footballer. He currently plays as a midfield back for the Kubota Spears in the Japanese Top League. Crotty played 48 tests for New Zealand's international team, t ...

– rugby union player * Rod Dixon – athlete * Dame Sister

Pauline Engel Dame Sister Pauline Frances Engel (10 September 1930 – 15 November 2017) was a New Zealand educator and Roman Catholic religious sister. A member of the Sisters of Mercy, she served as the third principal of Carmel College (New Zealand), Car ...

– nun and educator * Rose Frank – photographer * John Guy – cricket player * Frederick Nelson Jones – inventor * Nina Jones – painter *

Charles Littlejohn Charles William Berry Littlejohn (4 January 1889 – 4 August 1960) was a New Zealand-born rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Born in Nelson, New Zealand, on 4 January 1889, Littlejohn was the son of Willia ...

– rower * Liam Malone – athlete * Simon Mannering – rugby league player *

– politician * Edgar Neale – politician * Geoffrey Palmer – politician and former Prime Minister * Nick Smith – politician *

Frank Howard Nelson Stapp Frank Howard Nelson Stapp (1908–1993) was a notable New Zealand railway worker and concert impresario. He was born in Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey ...

– concert impresario *

Rhian Sheehan Rhian Sheehan is a New Zealand composer and producer born in Nelson and now based in Wellington. He is known for his fusing of orchestral chamber music and piano, with ambient electronic and post-rock cinematic atmospheres. He has also written m ...

– composer and musician * Riki van Steeden – footballer * Mike Ward – politician * Guy Williams – comedian

Panoramas

References

Bibliography * ''A Complete Guide To Heraldry'' by A.C. Fox-Davies, 1909.

External links

*
Historic images of Nelson from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Nelson City Council

Nelson Tasman Tourism
{{Authority control 1858 establishments in New Zealand Former provincial capitals of New Zealand German-New Zealand culture Marinas in New Zealand Populated places established in 1858 Port cities in New Zealand South Island Wine regions of New Zealand * Geographical centres