(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 , subdivision_name1 = Nelson City , subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_name2 = , established_title1 = Settled by Europeans , established_date1 = 1841 , founder = Arthur Wakefield , 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 abo ...

, 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 Ca ...

, 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 area ...

, p4 = Beachville , p5 = Bishopdale , p6 = Britannia Heights , p7 =

Enner Glynn Enner Glynn is a suburb of Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson, New Zealand. It lies to the south of Nelson city centre and east of Stoke, New Zealand, Stoke, inland from Wakatu.Wise's Nelson-Blenheim "Easyread" Map Geography Enner Glynn covers an area ...

, p8 =

Maitai The Mai Tai is a cocktail made of rum, Curaçao liqueur, orgeat syrup, and lime juice. It is one of the characteristic cocktails in Tiki culture. History Victor J. Bergeron claimed to have invented the Mai Tai in 1944 at his restaurant, Trader ...

, p9 =

Marybank Marybank is a small village in Ross-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. The village of Muir of Ord lies south east of Marybank, along the A832 road. The village of Contin Contin (Gaelic: Cunndainn) i ...

, p10 = Moana , p11 = Monaco , p12 = Stepneyville , p13 = Stoke , p14 =

Tāhunanui Tāhunanui is one of the suburbs of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies between Port Nelson and Nelson Airport and is the site of the main beach for Nelson with a shoreline on the Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and ...

, p15 =

The Brook The Brook is a private club located at 111 East 54th Street in Manhattan in New 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 , leader_name = Nick Smith , leader_title1 = Deputy mayor , leader_name1 = Rohan O'Neill-Stevens , leader_title2 =

MPs MPS, M.P.S., MPs, or mps may refer to: Science and technology * Mucopolysaccharidosis, genetic lysosomal storage disorder * Mononuclear phagocyte system, cells in mammalian biology * Myofascial pain syndrome * Metallopanstimulin * Potassium perox ...

, 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 , 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 270px, Miyazu City Hall is a city located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 16,988 in 8348 households and a population density of 98 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Miyazu is loca ...

, Japan (1976) * Huangshi, China (1996) * Yangjiang, 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 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 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 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 displaced other

te Tau Ihu Māori Te Tau Ihu Māori are a group of Māori iwi in the upper South Island of New Zealand. It includes Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne, Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri and Ngāti Apa (from the Kurahaupō canoe), Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua and Ngāti Toa (from the Tainu ...

, 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 Apa ki te Rā Tō,

Rangitāne Rangitāne is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe). Their rohe (territory) is in the Manawatū-Whanganui, Manawatū, Horowhenua, Wairarapa and Marlborough Region, 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 Māori 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 c ...

'', '' Whitby'', and '' Will Watch'', sailed from London under the command of Captain Arthur Wakefield. 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; 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 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'' and ''

Lloyds Lloyd, Lloyd's, or Lloyds may refer to: People * Lloyd (name), a variation of the Welsh word ' or ', which means "grey" or "brown" ** List of people with given name Lloyd ** List of people with surname Lloyd * Lloyd (singer) (born 1986), American ...

'' – 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) and Neudorf. These were mostly Lutheran Protestants with a small number of Bavarian Catholics. In 1892 the

New Zealand Church Mission Society The New Zealand Church Missionary Society is a mission society working within the Anglican Communion and Protestant, Evangelical Anglicanism. The parent organisation was founded in England in 1799. The Church Missionary Society (CMS) sent missi ...

(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 on 27 September 1858, the second New Zealand city proclaimed in this manner after Christchurch. Nelson only had some 5,000 residents at this time.

Edmund Hobhouse Edmund Hobhouse (17 April 1817 – 20 April 1904) was the English-born bishop of Nelson, New Zealand, and an antiquary. Biography Edmund Hobhouse, born in London on 17 April 1817, was elder brother of Arthur Hobhouse, 1st Baron Hobhouse, and was ...

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 to mark the Centenary of Nelson as a City. The blazon 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 Ci ...

. 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 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 gover ...

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 Hurunu ...

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

Nelson provincial anniversary

Nelson Anniversary Day Public holidays in New Zealand (also known as statutory holidays) consist of a variety of cultural, national, and religious holidays that are legislated in New Zealand. Workers can get a maximum of 12 public holidays (eleven national holidays plu ...

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 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 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-officially as Te Tai Poutini. ...

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, 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

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 A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

) 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 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 programm ...

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 an ...

, 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 The Boulder Bank (Māori: ''Te Taero a Keropa'' or ''Te Tāhuna o Tama-i-ea' ...

* Wakapuaka *

Todds Valley Todds Valley is a small township to the north of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies to the southeast of , immediately to the north of Marybank, New Zealand at the northern tip of Nelson Haven Nelson Haven is an extensive area of mudflats northeast o ...

Dodson Valley Dodson Valley is a sub-suburb in Nelson, New Zealand, located by heading north into Atawhai. It borders between the coast Nelson Haven Nelson Haven is an extensive area of mudflats northeast of Nelson, New Zealand. It is separated from Tasman Bay ...

* Brooklands City Centre: *

* Port Nelson * Beachville * The Wood *

Hanby Park Maitai is an inner suburb of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies at the western edge of Nelson city centre, immediately to the south of The Wood, on the northern bank of the Maitai River. A monument representing the location of the geographic centre of ...

* Nelson East * Nelson South * Toi Toi (Victory Village) * Bishopdale *

* Washington Valley * Stepneyville * Britannia Heights Tāhunanui-Port Hills: *

* Moana *

Tasman Heights Tasman Heights is one of the suburbs of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies to the southeast of Nelson city centre, between Wakatu and Moana, Nelson, Moana.Wise's Nelson-Blenheim "Easyread" Map References

Suburbs of Nelson, New Zealand Popula ...

* Wakatu Stoke: * Stoke *

Greenmeadows Park Greenmeadows Park is a park and suburb of Stoke, New Zealand. It lies close to the centre of Stoke, southwest of Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelso ...

* Nayland * Monaco *

Maitlands Maitlands is one of the suburbs of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies to the east of Stoke, immediately to the west of Enner Glynn.Wise's Nelson-Blenheim "Easyread" Map Geography Maitlands covers an area of 0.77 km². History The estimated popul ...

* Saxton The Nelson commuter belt extends to Richmond, 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 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 New ...

, Kahurangi National Park, Lakes

Rotoiti Rotoiti may be: Places *Lake Rotoiti (Bay of Plenty), a lake in the Bay of Plenty area of New Zealand :*Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty, a locality on the shore of Lake Rotoiti *Lake Rotoiti (Tasman), a lake in the Tasman area of New Zealand * Mount Rotoiti, ...

and Rotoroa in the Nelson Lakes National Park. It is a centre for both ecotourism and adventure tourism and has a high reputation among caving enthusiasts due to several prominent cave systems around Takaka Hill and Mounts Owen 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 In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by forming triangles to the point from known points. Applications In surveying Specifically in surveying, triangulation involves only angle me ...

and the local surveys connected. In 1962, Dr Ian Reilly from the now defunct Department of Scientific and Industrial Research 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 sho ...

, 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. 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 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 has processing facilities at Port Nelson. * The New Zealand King Salmon Company processes Chinook salmon at its factory in

. * Pic's Peanut Butter is made in its

Stoke, New Zealand Stoke ( mi, Omaio) is a suburb of Nelson in New Zealand, located between Richmond and Tāhunanui. Stoke was named by William Songer, the personal servant of Arthur Wakefield, after his birthplace Stoke-by-Nayland in Suffolk. In 2010 it was vote ...

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, New Zealand, Mayor of Nelson for one term from 2010 to 2013. Background Miccio is married to Kimberley, a former Sydney hotel reserv ...

worked on a proposal that would see Australian call centres for companies such as Gen-i and

Xero Xero may refer to: *Xero (band), an Australian punk band *Xero (company), a New Zealand financial software company * ''Xero'' (film), an experimental 2010 German film *Xero (Linkin Park), an early name for the band Linkin Park, as well as a demo ...

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, 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 Fra ...

. 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 Auckland Council ( mi, Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau) is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is ...

, 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 te ...

. The Nelson City Council currently holds its elections under the First Past the Post 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 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 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 voting, ranked preferential Electoral system, voting method. It uses a Majority rule, majority voting rule in single-winner elections where there are more than two candidates. It is commonly referr ...

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 Rachel Hadley Reese (born ) is a New Zealand local-body politician. She was the mayor of Nelson from 2013 to 2022. She was Nelson's first female mayor. Early life and education Reese was born in Mosgiel and grew up in Dunedin. She attended St ...

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 The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2020. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems maintains a comprehensive list of upcoming elections on its E-Guide Platform. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calend ...

, 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 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 The One Ring, also called the Ruling Ring and Isildur's Bane, is a central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954–55). It first appeared in the earlier story '' The Hobbit'' (1937) as a magic ring that grants the ...

" 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 Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

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 Suter is a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Alexis P. Suter (born 1963), American blues, and soul blues singer and songwriter * Andrew Burn Suter (1830–1895), Bishop of the Diocese of Nelson, New Zealand * August Suter (1887& ...

and

Nelson Arts Festival Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

. * 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 The New Zealander of the Year Awards, currently known as the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, celebrate the achievements of New Zealanders, and were founded in 2010 by Australian Jeffrey John Hopp. Nominations are accepted from the gene ...

award for

Community of the Year A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place (geography), place, Norm (social), norms, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Identity (social science), identity. Communiti ...

. The first rugby union 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 schoo ...

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 Kuia,

Ngāti Kōata Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

, Ngāti Rārua,

Ngāti Tama ki Te Tau Ihu Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

Ngāti Toa Rangatira Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

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 Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

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 Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in upper Trafalgar Street, Nelson, New Zealand with seating for 350 people. It is 58 metres in length and 27 metres wide. The tower is 35 metres high. History The original church was erected in ...

* Amber House * Broadgreen House *

Cabragh House Cabragh House (school and residence) is a late Victorian, timber house at 48 Weka Street in Nelson, New Zealand built circa 1897. It is an historic site for exemplarising late Victorian furnishings and provincial New Zealand vernacular architect ...

Chez Eelco Chez may refer to: * Anthony Chez (1872-1937), American football, basketball, and baseball coach and college athletics administrator * Chez Reavie (born 1981), American golfer * Chez Hotels, an American chain of franchised hotels * CHEZ-FM, a Can ...

* Fairfield House * Founders Park Windmill * Isel House * Melrose House * Nelson Central School Renwick House * Theatre Royal *

Victorian Rose Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatu ...

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 Founders Heritage Park is a museum in Nelson, New Zealand, housing a number of groups with historical themes, including transport. A short heritage railway line is operated by the Nelson Railway Society. Several shops operate in the museum, selli ...

houses a number of groups with historical themes, including transport. * The Nelson Provincial Museum 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 Wearable may refer to: * Clothing * Wearable technology ** Wearable computer *** Activity tracker {{Disambiguation ...

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'' prop ...

, 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, monkeys, meerkats, llamas and alpacas,

Kune Kune The Kunekune or is a small breed of domestic pig from New Zealand. Kunekune are hairy with a rotund build, and may bear wattles hanging from their lower jaws. Their colour ranges from black and white, to ginger, cream, gold-tip, black, brown, ...

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 The Lost Breed Motorcycle Club was an outlaw motorcycle club in Nelson, New Zealand, formed in 1976. From that time on and up until their dissolution, they were essentially the only gang in the town and repelled attempts by other gangs (including ...

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 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, 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 (name), ...

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 th ...

/ CMA CGM *

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 Pacifica may refer to: Art * ''Pacifica'' (statue), a 1938 statue by Ralph Stackpole for the Golden Gate International Exposition Places * Pacifica, California, a city in the United States ** Pacifica Pier, a fishing pier * Pacifica, a conceiv ...

* 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 New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

ferry service, was proposed by

Port Taranaki Port Taranaki is a port complex located in New Plymouth, New Zealand. It is the only deep water port on the west coast of New Zealand, and is owned by the Taranaki Regional Council. The port handles a wide range of coastal and international ...

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

Taxis and shuttle vans

Taxi 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 am ...

at Buller via Richmond,

Waimea West The Waimea Plains is a small but fertile area of low-lying land southwest of the port city of 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 Waimea Inlet in the n ...

, Upper Moutere, 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 from

using their own line between Wakefield Grove and

Grove Grove may refer to: * Grove (nature), a small group of trees Places England *Grove, Buckinghamshire, a village * Grove, Dorset * Grove, Herefordshire * Grove, Kent * Grove, Nottinghamshire, a village * Grove, Oxfordshire, a village and civil ...

. 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 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 Richmond, continuing southwest across the plains of the Wairoa and

Motueka River The Motueka River is located in the north of the South Island of New Zealand and is a popular tourist destination for watersports and fishing. The Motueka flows from the mountains 40 km west of the city of Nelson in the southeast of the ca ...

s. 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 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 * 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, 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 The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

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) and FM radio. Local radio stations include The Hits (formerly Radio Nelson), More FM (formerly Fifeshire FM), The Breeze, ZM (formerly The Planet 97FM) and community station

Fresh FM Fresh or FRESH may refer to: People * DJ Fresh (born 1977), UK-based drum and bass artist *DJ Fresh (producer), US-based R&B producer born Marqus Brown Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Fresh'' (1994 film), a crime film * ''Fresh'' (20 ...

. The city has one local television station,

Mainland Television Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...

Print

The Nelson Examiner ''The Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle'' (also known as ''The Nelson ailyExaminer'', was the first newspaper published in New Zealand's South Island. It was launched in 1842 by Charles Elliott (1811–1876), a few weeks after New Zealan ...

'' 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'' publishes four days a week and is part of the

Fairfax Fairfax may refer to: Places United States * Fairfax, California * Fairfax Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California * Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California, centered on Fairfax Avenue * Fairfax, Georgia * Fairfax, Indiana * Fa ...

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 Sophia Anstice (née Catesby, 5 November 1849 – 1 August 1926) was a New Zealand dressmaker, draper and businesswoman who started a chain of dressmaking and drapery shops in 19th century New Zealand. Early life Anstice was born on 5 Novemb ...

– seamstress and businesswoman * Harry Atmore – politician * Francis Bell – politician *

George Bennett George Bennett, Bennette, or Bennet may refer to: Politics and law *George Bennett (Ontario politician) (1888–1948), Canadian politician, mayor of Windsor * George Bennett (Wisconsin politician) (1810–1888), Wisconsin state senator *George C. ...

– cyclist * Chester Borrows – politician * Mark Bright – rugby union player * Jeremy Brockie – footballer * Cory Brown – footballer * Paul Brydon – footballer * Mel Courtney – politician * Ryan Crotty – 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. Prior to running ...

– nun and educator *

Rose Frank Rosaline Margaret Frank (21 December 1864 – 6 October 1954), known as Rose Frank, was a New Zealand photographer. She was born in Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson, New Zealand, on 21 December 1864. When she was 21, she started working as an assist ...

– photographer * John Guy – cricket player * Frederick Nelson Jones – inventor *

Nina Jones Nina Lucy Mary Jones (22 June 1871 – 8 February 1926) was an artist and botanical illustrator from Nelson, New Zealand. Biography Nina Jones was born in the Christchurch suburb of St Martins to Eliza and Charles Jones, before moving to Nelson ...

– 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 William ...

– rower *

Liam Malone Liam Bevan Malone (born 23 December 1993) is a former New Zealand para-athlete, primarily competing in sprint events. He represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he won gold medals in the Athletics at the ...

– 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, New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consi ...

– concert impresario * Rhian Sheehan – composer and musician *

Riki van Steeden Riki van Steeden (born 24 December 1976) is a former professional association football player, who played as a defender. He was part of the Auckland City team at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, and played five times for the New Zealand national ...

– 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