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Graves of Fairfield Park
Fairfield Park, one of Nelson’s first cemeteries, was created in 1851 and over 78 people were buried here before it closed in 1910. It had various names, including Old Trafalgar Street Cemetery, or...
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Nelson's early settlement
Nelson's early history is a fascinating story, one filled with many tales of hardship endured by the early European settlers, who left their homes in England in search of a better life, but with little...
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Early colonial life in Nelson
Nelson’s early EuropeansWho were the first European colonists to Nelson? What kind of people were they?They were tough and inventive. Nelson’s first European houses were often built from little more...
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Art and Architecture of Trafalgar Street, Nelson
Trafalgar Street in Nelson lost many of its historic, and iconic, buildings in the 1980’s. This was a time when there was a drive to modernise cities, and little protection or care for heritage...
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Marlborough Rugby - first 100 years
The Marlborough Rugby Football Union (MRFU) was founded in 1888, 18 years after New Zealand's first rugby game was played in Nelson.1 However, a game of rugby was played at Seymour Square on May 8,...
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Stoke Freezing Works
The first shipment of frozen meat left New Zealand for the United Kingdom on the ‘Dunedin' in 1882, with the first works established at Burnside, Dunedin. The Nelson Freezing Company was registered in...
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Waimea Plains
From Grain and Cows... to Vegetables and WineOver the years land use on the Waimea Plains has changed to meet changing markets and lifestyles. In the early days of Pakeha settlement, grains,...
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The Scow Echo
A.S. Echo, now permanently ‘on the hard’ on Picton foreshore, was built from kauri in 1905 at Te Kopuru near Dargaville by William Brown & Sons (William Brown was an uncle of Ernie Lane, later...
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Mayors of Nelson
Mayoral Memorial Walk Mayoral memories walk, Nelson City Council.Click to enlarge or download as PDFThis walk maps the early history of the Nelson City Council under the leadership of some Mayors who...
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Charles Kidson, engineer
Charles Idrys Kidson was Nelson City Council’s Engineer from 1939 until his retirement in 1962, with a brief interruption when he served in World War II. He came from an engineering position at...
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Maitai Dam
Pre-dam schemesThe Maitai River was first considered for water supply in the 1930s. At this time the Brook Scheme (commissioned in 1867) was unable to meet demand.Rather than proceed with the Maitai,...
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All Saints Anglican Church Nelson
All Saints Anglican Church in Vanguard street, as "Noah's Ark", has withstood floods and fire, but is well maintained and well used today.In September 1862, the Vestry of Christ Church (the Church on...
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Te Awatea Hou
Te Awatea Hou - the stories behind the carvings In 1990 a Top of the South Island Waka Taua was built by Te Runanganui o Te Tau Ihu o te waka a Maui (the confederation of the nine Marlborough and...
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A Woman of the Wairau
When young Stella Maxted arrived in the Wairau Valley from Blenheim, she did not know that she was to become part of a valley dynasty and farm there with her husband for 50 years.Mervyn and Stella...
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Early prominent Marlburians
Two doctors and a shopkeeper were key figures in turning Blenheim from a settlement notorious for a spirit of lawlessness into a bustling market town.1Dr Stephen Lunn Muller (1814 -1891)Dr. S.L....
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Harold Bernard Jellyman
Harold Bernard Jellyman, 1894 – 1917, was one of the eight Stoke men known to have died in World War I. He is commemorated on the Stoke Memorial Gates.Harold Jellyman. Image courtesy of Pat LomathClick...
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Blick Cloth
Blick Cloth is reputed to be the first woven cloth in New Zealand. It was also known as Nelson Cloth or Nelson Tweed, and was 'described as 'good rough woollen cloth' (Anon,1845:5).1 It was...
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Nelsons Ditch
The Ditch - Nelson's original drainworksThe last time Trafalgar Street had major drain works was almost 150 years ago, when the original drain was laid, replacing the infamous ‘Ditch'.Bell, Francis...
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Roding Valley waterworks
Since its official opening on the 30th October 1941, the Roding waterworks scheme has supplied water to both Nelson City and Richmond. The scheme consists of a low dam and a 2.68 kilometre pipeline...
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Brook Valley Nelson
The Brook Valley has been integral to the development of Nelson since the early days of European colonisation. From 1868 it was the site of the Nelson water supply reservoir. Chromite was mined from...
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