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Lily Robertson and the Nelson Lighthouse
My Life by Lily Robertson (1878-1956)Nelson Lighthouse Excerpt from the Lighthouse by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, from Lily's diary.Click image to enlargeMy birthplace was at the home of my...
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Nelson's gateway sculptures
The Novella Sculpture“Nau mai ki tōku Āhuru Mōwai” – Welcome to my safe home, to my sheltered haven. He wāhi e tau ana te wairua pai, e marino ana, e kore e taea e te kino.The Novella Sculpture....
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Port Nelson
Nelson Haven has undergone remarkable change over the last 150 years. From its humble beginnings as a snapper spawning ground to the full scale international port here today, the Haven has always...
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Protecting Nelson Haven
Public pressure and commonsense saved Nelson HavenA large part of Nelson Haven might have been ‘a place of sprawling ribbon development’ on reclaimed land at Wakapuaka, if a group of Nelson people...
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New and altered geographic names of Te Tau ihu
On 1 August 2014 a number of new or altered geographic names took effect as a result of the following Treaty Claims settlements:Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Treaty of...
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Te Rae o Karaka or Karaka Point
Te Rae o Karaka Historic Reserve occupies a narrow headland that juts out into Totaranui (Queen Charlotte Sound), between Waikawa and Whatamango Bays. It is situated on what is now known as Karaka...
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New Zealand's first rugby club
On 30 May 1868 a notable event occurred in the small town of Nelson: the formation of The Nelson Football Club which, within two years, became the Nelson Rugby Football Club. This was something that in...
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St John The Evangelist Church at Hira
The Anglican Church of St John at Hira, formerly known as Happy Valley, sits on an acre of land donated by Mr. Hugh Martin. The site for St John’s was the choice of Bishop Suter who liked the position...
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Bishopdale College
A unique and inspirational institution, Bishopdale Theological College is the only college of its kind to ever exist in provincial New Zealand. Its evangelical convictions have remained true and it has...
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Nelson’s Early Churches
The first settlers to Nelson brought with them a variety of religious beliefs and backgrounds. The system of hierarchy and emphasis on religion in immigrants' homelands were important, and even though...
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William Stud Bovey
William Study Bovey, 1872-1917, was one of the eight Stoke men who died in World War One. He is commemorated on the Stoke Memorial Gates.William Stud Bovey. Image supplied by authorClick image to...
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Aorere gold
A few specks of gold, found in the Aorere Valley by a musterer in October 1856, saw more than 2000 men flood into Massacre Bay over the following three years. The gold rush was short-lived, but the...
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Colonial furniture makers in Nelson
Furniture for a colonial lifeThe colonial settlement of Nelson was among the first in New Zealand to establish a furniture making industry and examples of colonial furniture from the region form a...
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Wreck of the Fifeshire 1842
The Fifeshire was one of the first New Zealand Company immigrant ships to arrive in the Nelson region; on its maiden voyage from London it carried 159 immigrants to New Zealand, 17 died in transit from...
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Fellworth House
History of the houseDignitaries, eminent scientists and many more, have passed through the doors of Fellworth House since it was built in 1876. The opulent 620 square metre home was designed for one of...
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Stranding of the Hawea
Imagine the drama there would be today if a ship ran aground on Rocks Road.The Union Company steamer, Hawea aground on the Nelson foreshore in 1886. Kingsford and Baigent, Museum of Wellington...
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Taonga Pūoro or Singing Treasures
The first Polynesian settlers in Aotearoa were greeted by a noisy soundscape and a plethora of new materials for making musical instruments. Centuries later, the botanist Joseph Banks described the...
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Stoke Library
The first Stoke library was opened in the 1940's, thanks to the commitment of a group of residents, led by Fred Reed, who were mainly connected with the Stoke School board. The group applied for access...
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The Neal Canoe 1902
In 1902, while whaling along Rarangi Beach, Edward Neal spied a long, overturned canoe somewhere along the beach. He returned with a team of horses and dragged the canoe to his home in Marshlands and...
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Wreck of the City of Newcastle
City of Newcastle was a three-masted barque, 133 feet long and, at the time of her wreck, 39 years old. A frequent traveller between New South Wales and New Zealand ports, she left Wellington on...
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