Nelson, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Tasman Bay
Tasman Bay is a large V-shaped bay at the north end of New Zealand's South Island. Located in the centre of the island's northern coast, it stretches along of coastline and is across at its widest point. It is an arm of the Tasman Sea, lying on the western approach to Cook Strait.At the bay's...
, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in 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...
and the oldest in the South Island
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...
.
Nelson received its name in honour of the Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated both the French
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
and Spanish fleets 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 ....
in 1805. Many of the 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.
Together with the town of Richmond
Richmond, New Zealand
Richmond, the seat of the Tasman District Council, lies 13 km south of Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay...
, the Nelson Urban Area has a population of around 60,000 ranking it as New Zealand’s 9th most populous city and the geographical centre of New Zealand.
Nelson is well known for its arts and crafts, and each year hosts popular events such as the Nelson Arts Festival. The annual Wearable Art Awards began near Nelson and a museum, World of Wearable Art
World of Wearable Art
The World of Wearable Art is a museum devoted to wearable art and classic cars located in Nelson, New Zealand, opened in October 2001. It is a tourist attraction...
, is now housed close to Nelson Airport
Nelson Airport (New Zealand)
Nelson Airport is an airport in Nelson, New Zealand. Approximately 1.2 million passengers and visitors are said to use the airport terminal annually. Total passenger numbers for the 2011 financial year were 758,250. This represents passenger growth of approximately 11% on the previous...
showcasing winning designs.
Nelson's Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name, Whakatū, means 'build', 'raise', or 'establish'. Nelson is one of the few New Zealand cities to have its own flag
Flag of the City of Nelson
The flag of the City of Nelson represents Nelson City, New Zealand. The flag is flown from many public buildings and other landmarks in Nelson including Christ Church Cathedral...
.
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. The earliest recorded iwiIwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
in the Nelson district are the Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Tumatakokiri, Ngāti Apa and Rangitane tribes.
Raids from northern tribes in the 1820s, led by Te Rauparaha
Te Rauparaha
Te Rauparaha was a Māori rangatira and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars. He was influential in the original sale of conquered Rangitane land to the New Zealand Company and was a participant in the Wairau Incident in Marlborough...
and his Ngāti Toa
Ngati Toa
Ngāti Toa , an iwi , traces its descent from the eponymous ancestor Toarangatira. The Ngāti Toa region extends from Miria-te-kakara at Rangitikei to Wellington, and across Cook Strait to Wairau and Nelson....
, soon decimated the local population and quickly displaced them.
New Zealand Company
New Zealand Company
The New Zealand Company originated in London in 1837 as the New Zealand Association with the aim of promoting the "systematic" colonisation of New Zealand. The association, and later the company, intended to follow the colonising principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
planned the settlement of Nelson. They intended to buy cheaply from the Māori some 200000 acres (809.4 km²) which they planned to divide into one thousand lots and sell (at a considerable profit) to intending settlers. The Company earmarked future profits to finance the free passage of artisans and labourers and 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.
Three ships sailed from London under the command of Captain Arthur Wakefield
Arthur Wakefield
Captain Arthur Wakefield served with the Royal Navy, before joining his brother, Edward Gibbon Wakefield, in founding the new settlement at Nelson, New Zealand.-Royal Navy:...
. Arriving in New Zealand, they discovered that the new Governor of the colony, William Hobson
William Hobson
Captain William Hobson RN was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.-Early life:...
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
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
; Nelson City stands right on the edge of a mountain range while the nearby Waimea Plains amount to only about 60000 acres (242.8 km²), less than one third of the area required by the Company plans.
The Company secured a vague and undetermined area from the Māori for £800 that included Nelson, Waimea, Motueka
Motueka
The town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
, Riwaka
Riwaka
Riwaka is a small town in the north of New Zealand's South Island. It lies beside Tasman Bay, five kilometres north of Motueka, and close to the mouth of the Riwaka River....
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 arrived three months later they found the town already laid out with streets, some wooden houses, tents and rough sheds. These ships were the Fifeshire, the Mary-Ann, the Lord Auckland and the Lloyds. 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.
Notably, the early settlement of Nelson province included a proportion of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrants, who arrived on the ship Sankt Pauli and formed the nucleus of the villages of Sarau (Upper Moutere
Upper Moutere
Upper Moutere is a locality in the Tasman District near Nelson at the top of New Zealand's South Island.-History:...
) and Neudorf. These were mostly Lutheran Protestants with a small number of Bavarian Catholics.
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. Organised immigration ceased until the 1850s and the labourers had to accept a cut in their wages by a third. By the end of 1843 artisans and labourers began leaving Nelson and by 1846 some twenty five percent 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
Wairau Affray
In New Zealand history, the Wairau Affray on 17 June 1843 was the first serious clash of arms between Māori and the British settlers after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the only one to take place in the South Island...
, where 22 settlers died. The subsequent Government enquiry exonerated the Māori and found that the Nelson settlers had no legitimate claim to any land outside Tasman Bay.
City
Nelson township was managed by the Nelson Provincial CouncilNelson Province
The Nelson Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-History:The Marlborough Province split away from the Nelson Province on 1 November 1859 because the majority of the income of the Provincial Council came from land sales in the...
through a Board of Works constituted by the Provincial Government under the Nelson Improvement Act 1856 until 1874. It was proclaimed a Bishop's
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
and city under letters patent by Queen Victoria on 27 September 1858, the second New Zealand city proclained in this manner after Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Edmund Hobhouse
Edmund Hobhouse
Edmund Hobhouse 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 second son of Henry Hobhouse, under-secretary of state for the home department...
was the first Bishop. The Municipal Corporations Act 1876 stated that Nelson was constituted a city on 30 March 1874.
Nelson Province
From 1853 until 1876, when provincial governments were abolished, Nelson was the capital of Nelson ProvinceNelson Province
The Nelson Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-History:The Marlborough Province split away from the Nelson Province on 1 November 1859 because the majority of the income of the Provincial Council came from land sales in the...
.
The provincial anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
date for Nelson Province is 1 February and a public holiday
Public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year....
is celebrated on the nearest Monday.
Geography
The Nelson Tasman or "Top of the South" region is administered as two unitary authoritiesUnitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
by Nelson City Council
Nelson City Council
Nelson City Council is a Unitary Authority that administers the Nelson Tasman or "Top of the South" region alongside Tasman District Council. Nelson City Council is one of only five Unitary Authorities in the country...
and the (much larger in geographical area) adjoining Tasman District Council
Tasman district council
Tasman District Council is the Territorial Local Authority for the Tasman District of New Zealand.-Mayor:The current mayor of Tasman is Richard Kempthorne, who previously served as a Richmond councillor for two terms before being elected Mayor in October 2007.-Councillors:Tasman elects its...
, headquartered in Richmond
Richmond, New Zealand
Richmond, the seat of the Tasman District Council, lies 13 km south of Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay...
15 kilometres to the south west. It is between Marlborough
Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...
, another unitary authority, to the east, and the West Coast Regional Council
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
to the west.
For some while, there has been talk about amalgamating the two authorities in order to streamline and render more financially economical the existing co-operation between the two councils, exemplified by similar action in the creation of Nelson Tasman Tourism,a jointly owned tourism promotion organisation.
Nelson has beaches and a sheltered harbour. The harbour entrance is protected by a Boulder Bank
Boulder Bank
The Boulder Bank is a very unusual naturally formed land form in Nelson, New Zealand. It is a 13 kilometre long stretch of rocky substrate which begins at the Mackay Bluff and ends at the Cut of the Nelson Harbour. Haulashore Island was once apart of the Boulder Bank, but after the Cut being made...
, a natural, 13 km bank of rocks transported south from Mackay Bluff via longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
. 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 Tahunanui slump in 1892 increased the effects of the tide on Nelson city's beach, Tahunanui, and removed sediment. This meant the popular beach and adjoining car park was 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.
Suburbs
Annesbrook, Atawhai, The Brook, The Glen, Inner Glen, Hira, Monaco, RichmondRichmond, New Zealand
Richmond, the seat of the Tasman District Council, lies 13 km south of Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay...
, Stoke
Stoke, New Zealand
Stoke is one of the suburbs of Nelson, New Zealand. It lies between Richmond and Tahunanui. Stoke has a population of around 7000. Stoke was voted 'Keep New Zealand Beautiful Peoples Choice Best Place in New Zealand' in 2010.-Main attractions:...
, Tahunanui, The Wood
The Wood, New Zealand
The Wood is a suburb of the South Island, New Zealand city of Nelson. It is located two kilometres east of the city centre.Notable features of The Wood include Nelson Botanical Reserve, which contains the geographic centre of New Zealand....
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 ParkAbel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is a national park located at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942, largely through the efforts of ornithologist and author Perrine Moncrieff to have land reserved for the purpose. With a coverage of only 225.3 square kilometres,...
, 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...
, Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa in the Nelson Lakes National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand.It was formed in 1956 and covers some 1,020 km². It is centered at two large lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa. The park also includes surrounding valleys and mountain ranges...
. It is a centre for both 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...
and adventure tourism and has a high reputation among caving
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
enthusiasts due to several prominent cave systems around Takaka Hill
Takaka Hill
Takaka Hill is a range of hills located in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. Made of marble which has weathered into many strange forms and with numerous sink holes, it is typical karst country....
and Mounts Owen
Mount Owen, New Zealand
Mount Owen is in the Tasman district of the South Island of New Zealand. It stands at 1875 metres above sea level and is part of the Marino Mountains....
and Arthur
Nettlebed Cave
Nettlebed Cave is a limestone cave located in the Mount Arthur region of the northwest South Island of New Zealand.Until April 2010, when the nearby Ellis Basin cave system was found to be deeper, Nettlebed Cave was thought to be the deepest cave system in the southern hemisphere...
, which hold the largest and deepest explored caverns in the southern hemisphere.
Climate
Many people believe Nelson has one of the best climates of all major New Zealand centres, with an annual average total of over 2400 hours of sunshine.Geographical centre of New Zealand
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
) of New Zealand lay in a patch of unremarkable dense scrub in a forest in Spooners Range near Tapawera
Tapawera
Tapawera is a small Kahurangi Gateway town in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 30 kilometres southwest of Nelson by the banks of the Motueka River...
, 35 kilometres south-west of Nelson: 41°30′S 172°50′E.
Demographics
Figures released on 23 April 2007 by Statistics New Zealand showed that 3,774 people born in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
lived in the Nelson City Council area and made up 9.1% of its population http://www.amberhouse.co.nz/location.html#Population - the highest proportion of residents from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in New Zealand - with another 9.5% born overseas. Although Statistics New Zealand no longer keeps statistics for numbers of residents born in Germany, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Wellington has stated that a greater proportion German speakers live in the Nelson and Bays area than anywhere else in New Zealand. There was a 23.7% rise in the number of Asians living in Nelson and a 35.4% rise in Tasman district.
Economy
The Nelson economy is based on the ‘big four’ industries; seafoodSeafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. Port Nelson is the biggest fishing port in Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. There are also a range of growth industries, including art and craft, aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, engineering technology, and information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
.
The sub-national GDP of the Tasman and Nelson regions was estimated at US$2.343 billion in 2003, 2% 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 [and] employment growth ... within the Nelson region ..."
Local
The Nelson City Council (NCC) governs the Nelson City territorial authority. It is made up of an elected mayor, a deputy mayor/councillor, and 11 additional councillors. They are elected under the First Past the Post system in triennial elections, with the most recent electionNew Zealand local elections, 2010
The 2010 New Zealand local elections were triennial elections to select local government officials and district health board members. All elections are conducted by postal ballot, with election day being Saturday 9 October 2010.Elected were:...
held on 9 October 2010, and the next due on 12 October 2013.
As of 9 October 2010, the current council members are:-
| Mayor | Aldo Miccio Aldo Miccio - Background :Miccio is married to Kimberley, a former Sydney hotel reservations sales manager, and has three children. He was born in Nelson in about 1971, lived in Tahunanui, is a second generation Nelsonian, and was educated at St Joseph’s primary school and Nelson College. He graduated from the... |
| Deputy Mayor | Ali Boswijk |
| Councillors | Ian Barker Gail Collingwood Ruth Copeland Eric Davy Kate Fulton Paul Matheson Jeff Rackley Jeff Rackley Jeffrey S Rackley is a retired boxer from New Zealand.Born in Nelson, New Zealand, Rackley competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. There he was defeated in the second round of the Welterweight by Günther Meier of West Germany.-References:... Pete Rainey Rachel Reese Derek Shaw Mike Ward Mike Ward (New Zealand) Mike Ward JP is a Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand politician. He was an MP for one term from 2002-2005. He was co-leader of the Values Party from 1985 to 1988... |
National
Nelson is covered by one general electorate: NelsonNelson (New Zealand electorate)
Nelson is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. From 1853 to 1860, the electorate was called Town of Nelson. From 1860 to 1881, it was City of Nelson...
and one Maori electorate: Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga
Te Tai Tonga is a New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Te Tai Tonga is Rino Tirikatene of the Labour Party, who in 2011 defeated Rahui Katene of the Māori Party, who won the seat in 2008.Te Tai...
.
As of the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, Nelson is held by Nick Smith of the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
. The Maori electorate Te Tai Tonga, which covers the entire South Island and part of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in the North Island, is currently held by the Maori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
and represented by Rahui Katene
Rahui Katene
Rahui Katene is a New Zealand politician. She was elected to the 49th New Zealand Parliament at the 2008 general election representing the Māori Party in the seat of Te Tai Tonga, but lost in the 2011 general election to Labour's Rino Tirikatene.- Ancestry :...
.
Secondary schools
- Garin College
- Nayland CollegeNayland CollegeNayland College is a coeducational secondary school which is located in Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand. It is one of two secondary schools in Nelson which are coeducational. Notable features of the college include its well-regarded student produced newspaper and biennial musical productions...
- Nelson CollegeNelson CollegeNelson College is a boys-only state secondary school in Nelson, New Zealand. It teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private Preparatory School for year 7 and 8 boys...
- Nelson College for GirlsNelson College for GirlsNelson College for Girls is a single-sex state school in Nelson, New Zealand. Established in 1883, it has close ties with Nelson College and has a private Preparatory School....
- Waimea CollegeWaimea CollegeWaimea College is a co-educational secondary school in Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand. With a growing roll of 1500+ students from year groups 9-13, Waimea College is equipped with a park-like campus and numerous facilities....
Tertiary institutions
Nelson hosts two Tertiary Education Institutions, the main one being Nelson Marlborough Institute of TechnologyNelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology is a New Zealand public Tertiary Education Institution. The main campuses are in Nelson and Blenheim, South Island, New Zealand. It has been providing tertiary education in the Nelson-Marlborough region since 1904...
. The institute has two main campuses, one in Nelson and the other in Blenheim
Blenheim, New Zealand
Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
, in the neighbouring Marlborough region
Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...
. The Institute has been providing tertiary education in the Nelson-Marlborough region for the last 100 years.
Nelson also has a University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
College of Education campus which currently has an intake two out of every three years for the Primary sector.
Media
The major daily newspaper is the Nelson Mail, which is part of the FairfaxFairfax New Zealand
Fairfax New Zealand Limited is the largest media company operating in New Zealand, and is part of Australia's Fairfax Media.Fairfax Media established its operation on the 1 July 2003 purchase of the publishing assets of Independent Newspapers Ltd...
Group.
The city is served by all major national radio and television stations, with terrestrial television (both analogue and Freeview) and FM radio. Local radio stations include Classic Hits FM
Classic Hits FM
Classic Hits is an Adult Contemporary music radio network broadcasting in 25 markets throughout New Zealand, targeting 25 - 55 year olds. Its a family-focused radio network with some of New Zealand's most experienced broadcasters on air and behind the scenes. It currently has around 387,000...
(formerly Radio Nelson
Radio Nelson
Radio Nelson was a radio station in Nelson. The station was first started in 1932 broadcasting on 1340AM with the callsign 2ZR. The station changed call signs to 2YN followed by 2XN and finally 2ZN. In 1978 the AM band in New Zealand was adjusted from 10khz to 9khz, as a result 2ZN moved to 1341AM...
), More FM
More FM
MORE FM is a New Zealand radio network playing adult contemporary music or Pop music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.MORE FM broadcasts in 22 centres throughout New Zealand with local programming in most markets between 6am and 1pm and networked programming the rest of the day...
(formerly Fifeshire FM
Fifeshire FM
Fifeshire FM was a New Zealand radio station owned by RadioWorks. The station broadcast on 93.0FM in Nelson, 92.0FM in Motueka & Takaka and 94.1FM in Murchison....
), ZM
ZM (New Zealand)
ZM is a New Zealand contemporary hit radio network owned by The Radio Network. It broadcasts 19 markets throughout mainland New Zealand via terrestrial FM, and worldwide via the Internet. The network targets the 15–39 demographic specialises in a chart-music playlist of pop, rock, hip hop and dance...
and community station Fresh FM. The city has one local television station, Mainland Television.
Transport
The Nelson urban area is served by State Highway 6New Zealand State Highway 6
State Highway 6 is a major New Zealand State Highway. It extends from the northeastern corner of the South Island across the top of the island, then down the length of the island, initially along the West Coast and then across the Southern Alps through inland Otago and finally across the Southland...
, which runs in a north to southwest direction. The highway travels through the city and nearby town of Richmond
Richmond, New Zealand
Richmond, the seat of the Tasman District Council, lies 13 km south of Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay...
, continuing southwest across the plains of the Wairoa
Wairoa River
Wairoa is the name of several rivers and streams in New Zealand. Wairoa is Māori for long water.* Wairoa River * Wairoa River * Wairoa River * Wairoa River * Wairoa River...
and Motueka River
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 catchment and flows north to the Tasman...
s.
Nelson is only one of two major urban areas in New Zealand without a rail connection - the other being Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
. The Nelson Section
Nelson Section
The Nelson Section was an isolated, gauge, government-owned railway line between Nelson and Glenhope in the Tasman district of New Zealand's South Island. It operated for years between 1876 and 1955...
was an isolated, gauge, government-owned railway line between Nelson and Glenhope. It operated for years between 1876 and 1955. The only sign of rail activity in Nelson today is a short heritage operation run by the Nelson Railway Society
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, including the Tui Railway Station building.The society uses a DSA...
from Founders Historical Park using their own line between Wakefield Quay Station and Grove Station. The society has proposed future extensions of their line, possibly into or near the city centre. There have been several proposals
Nelson Railway Proposals
There have been various proposals to link the city of Nelson to New Zealand’s South Island rail network, but none have come to fruition.Nelson was served by the Dun Mountain Railway, a mineral tramway that was also used by a horse tram between the city and its port, and by the Nelson Section, an...
to connect Nelson to the South Island rail network, but none have come to fruition.
Nelson has four bus routes within its urban area, forming loops into the city's suburbs from a hub at Wakatu Square. There is also a separate service to Richmond
Richmond, New Zealand
Richmond, the seat of the Tasman District Council, lies 13 km south of Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay...
which is outside Nelson's official boundaries but which is often considered part of the Nelson urban area. Both InterCity Coachlines
Intercity (New Zealand)
InterCity Group Ltd is a passenger transport and tourism company and operates New Zealand's largest coach network and ferries and cruises in the Bay of Islands...
and Nakedbus.com
Nakedbus.com
Nakedbus.com is a provider of low-cost intercity bus transport services around New Zealand. It uses concepts such as yield management and no-frills to provide low fares...
provide daily services into Nelson from around the South Island.
Nelson Airport
Nelson Airport (New Zealand)
Nelson Airport is an airport in Nelson, New Zealand. Approximately 1.2 million passengers and visitors are said to use the airport terminal annually. Total passenger numbers for the 2011 financial year were 758,250. This represents passenger growth of approximately 11% on the previous...
is located southwest of the city, at Annesbrook. The airport operates a single terminal and 1,347-metre (4,420 ft) runway, and is the fourth-busiest airport in New Zealand. Approximately 1.2 million people use 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 and Wellington. Nelson Airport is home to Air Nelson
Air Nelson
Air Nelson, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand is a regional airline based in Nelson, New Zealand. It operates services on provincial routes under the Air New Zealand Link brand. Its main base is Nelson Airport, with hubs at Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch.The...
, which operates and maintains New Zealand’s largest domestic airline fleet and was also the headquarters of Origin Pacific Airways
Origin Pacific Airways
Origin Pacific Airways was an airline based in Nelson in New Zealand operating freight services. Until 10 August 2006, the airline also operated scheduled and charter passenger services. Its main base was at Nelson Airport . It ceased all operations on 15 September 2006- Starting out :Origin...
until their collapse in 2006. Sounds Air
Sounds Air
Sounds Air is a New Zealand airline based at Picton. Founded in 1986, Sounds Air operates five aircraft in and around the Marlborough Sounds, Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, and Wellington.-Fleet:-External links:*...
offers flights from Nelson to Wellington. In 2006, the airport received restricted international airport status to facilitate small private jets.
Panoramas
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 GoldsmithGoldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
s where "The One Ring" in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
was designed.
- Nelson has a vibrant local music and arts scene and is known nationwide for its culturally idiosyncratic craftsmen and women. These include PottersPotteryPottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, Glass BlowersGlassblowingGlassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of a blowpipe, or blow tube...
(such as Flamedaisy Glass Design and Höglund Art Glass Studio & Gallery), Fibre Spectrum Handweavers & Fibre Artists' Studio and dozens of Wood carversWood carvingWood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool 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 of a wooden object...
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 you can buy direct from local artists.
- Art organizations include the Suter Gallery and Nelson Arts Festival.
- The Victory Village community received the 2010 New Zealander of the Year award for Community of the Year.
The first rugby union
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
match in New Zealand took place at the Botanic Reserve in Nelson on 14 May 1870, between the Nelson Suburbs
Nelson Suburbs
Nelson Suburbs is a semi-professional football club in Nelson, New Zealand. They compete in the Robbie's Premier Football League.They have won the Matson's Premier Football League three times and were the first club to reach 300 points, the milestone was reached in just 164 games...
and Nelson College
Nelson College
Nelson College is a boys-only state secondary school in Nelson, New Zealand. It teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private Preparatory School for year 7 and 8 boys...
, and an informative commemorative plaque was renovated at the western edge of the grassed area by Nelson City Council in 2006.
Festivals
Music lovers may attend the biennial Nelson School of Music Winter Music Festival, the Adam New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music and the annual Nelson Jazz Festival.The Taste Nelson festival at Founders Heritage Park highlights this region's gastronomy, the Festival of Opportunities features alternative health and lifestyle possibilities, while the Suter International Film Festival screens 20 non-Hollywood films in late May to June every year.
The Nelson Kite Festival takes advantage of the reliable sea breezes that blow inland from Tasman Bay across Neale Park each afternoon with kite lovers arriving from around New Zealand and from overseas.
Architecture
Unlike many towns and cities in New Zealand, Nelson has retained many VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
buildings in its historic centre. The South Street area has been designated as having heritage value.
Surviving historic buildings
- Nelson Cathedral
- Amber HouseAmber HouseAmber House is one of the older two storey villas in New Zealand's third founded city of Nelson in the top of the South Island at 46 Weka Street....
- Broadgreen House
- Cabragh HouseCabragh HouseCabragh House 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 architecture...
- Chez Eelco
- Founders Park Windmill
- Isel House
- Melrose House
- Nelson Central SchoolNelson Central SchoolNelson Central School is a state primary contributing school located in the inner city of Nelson at the top of the South Island of New Zealand teaching children of both genders aged 5 to 11 years....
Renwick House - Te Puna Wai Lodge
- Victorian Rose Pub
- Redwood College (Founders Park)
Museums
The Nelson region houses several museums,.- The Nelson Provincial MuseumNelson Provincial MuseumThe 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 region's history, from geological origins to the stories of individuals and families....
houses a collection of locally significant artifacts. - The World of Wearable ArtWorld of Wearable ArtThe World of Wearable Art is a museum devoted to wearable art and classic cars located in Nelson, New Zealand, opened in October 2001. It is a tourist attraction...
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, and the botanical Reserve in the east of nelson, close to The WoodThe Wood, New Zealand
The Wood is a suburb of the South Island, New Zealand city of Nelson. It is located two kilometres east of the city centre.Notable features of The Wood include Nelson Botanical Reserve, which contains the geographic centre of New Zealand....
.
Natureland Zoological Park is a small zoological facility close to Tahunanui Beach. The facility is popular with children, where they can closely approach wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, monkeys, meerkats, llamas and alpacas, Kune Kune
Kunekune
The kunekune is a small breed of domestic pig from New Zealand. Kunekune are hairy, and have a dumpy build and can have wattles hanging from their lower jaw. Colour ranges include black and white, ginger, cream, gold-tip, black, brown and tri-coloured...
pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
, otters, and peacocks. There are also turtles, tropical fish
Tropical fish
Tropical fish include fish found in tropical environments around the world, including both freshwater and salt water species.Tropical fish are popular as aquarium fish, due to their often bright coloration...
and a walk through aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
. 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
2011 Christchurch earthquake
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at on local time , The earthquake was centred west of the town of Lyttelton, and south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous...
and the damage to Orana Park, Orana Wildlife Trust are uncertain of the future of Natureland]
Major teams
- Tasman Rugby UnionTasman Rugby UnionThe Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. It is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions...
– Air New Zealand CupAir New Zealand CupThe ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
rugby union team - Nelson GiantsNelson GiantsThe Fico Finance Nelson Giants are a basketball team that play in the National Basketball League in New Zealand. Their home games are played at the Trafalgar Centre in Nelson....
– National Basketball LeagueNational Basketball League (New Zealand)The National Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NBL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in New Zealand.There were 10 teams in the 2010 season with teams based in Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth, North Shore, Palmerston North,...
team
Major venues
- Saxton OvalSaxton OvalSaxton Oval is a cricket ground in Nelson, Nelson Region, New Zealand. Constructed by the Nelson Cricket Association following their move from Trafalgar Park, it was constructed at a cost of $3.8 million...
- The Trafalgar CentreTrafalgar CentreThe Trafalgar Centre is a multipurpose events centre located in Nelson, New Zealand. The stadium was built in 1972 and opened in 1973. The main stadium holds up to 2,460 people. It can be used as two tennis courts or four basketball courts.-Home teams:...
- Trafalgar ParkTrafalgar Park, NelsonTrafalgar Park is a large sports ground within the heart of the city of Nelson, in New Zealand's South Island. The stadium now has a capacity of 20,080, following upgrades completed for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It takes its name from the Battle of Trafalgar.It is one of the home grounds for Air...
Sister cities
MiyazuMiyazu, Kyoto
is a city located in Kyoto, Japan.As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 21,512 with 8,360 households and the density of 127.06 persons per km². The total area is 169.31 km²....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
City of Huangshi
Huangshi
Huangshi is a prefecture-level city in China's Hubei province.-Geography and climate:The prefecture-level city of Huangshi is located in southeastern Hubei province, along the southwestern bank of one of the major bends in the Yangtze River. It is located 100 km south-east of Wuhan, and...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
, United States of America