Collingwood, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Collingwood is a town in the north-west corner of the South Island
of New Zealand
. It is located in the hub of the Aorere Valley, in the western half of the Golden Bay
area.
60 in Golden Bay. As it is close to Kahurangi National Park
, and the closest town to Farewell Spit
, it is an ecotourism
destination, although it is in an isolated location away from major tourist routes.
, but was later renamed Collingwood for Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood
, Lord Nelson's second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar
. The town was proposed as the capital of New Zealand in the 19th century. A small goldrush caused a rapid but brief rise in population in 1857. The town was substantially damaged by a major fire in 1904.
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is located in the hub of the Aorere Valley, in the western half of the Golden Bay
Golden Bay
Golden Bay lies at the edge of the junction between the Tasman Sea and Cook Strait. It stretches for 45 kilometres from the long sand spit of Farewell Spit in the north to Separation Point in Abel Tasman National Park at its southern extremity...
area.
Geography
The town lies at the end of State HighwayNew Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
60 in Golden Bay. As it is close to Kahurangi National Park
Kahurangi National Park
Kahurangi National Park is a national park in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It was gazetted in 1996 and covers 4,520 km². It is the second largest of New Zealand's fourteen national parks...
, and the closest town to Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit is a narrow sand spit situated at , at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. Known to the Māori as Tuhuroa, it runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point...
, it is an ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
destination, although it is in an isolated location away from major tourist routes.
History
The town was originally named Gibbstown after William GibbsWilliam Gibbs (New Zealand politician)
William Gibbs was a 19th century Member of Parliament from the Nelson Region of New Zealand.He represented the Collingwood electorate from 1873 to 1881, when he was defeated for Motueka....
, but was later renamed Collingwood for Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood
Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Lord Nelson's second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. The town was proposed as the capital of New Zealand in the 19th century. A small goldrush caused a rapid but brief rise in population in 1857. The town was substantially damaged by a major fire in 1904.