Nelson City Whakatū |
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Unitary authority | |||
November 2006 view of Nelson from the "Centre of New Zealand"
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Nickname(s): Top of the South, Sunny Nelson | |||
Motto: Palmam qui meruit ferat Latin Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm |
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Coordinates: 41°16′15″S 173°17′2″E / 41.27083°S 173.28389°ECoordinates: 41°16′15″S 173°17′2″E / 41.27083°S 173.28389°E | |||
Country | New Zealand | ||
Unitary authority | Nelson City | ||
Settled by Europeans | 1841 | ||
Founded by | Arthur Wakefield | ||
Named for | Horatio Nelson | ||
Electorates |
Nelson Te Tai Tonga |
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Government | |||
• Mayor | Rachel Reese | ||
Area from Rai Saddle to Stoke | |||
• Territorial | 445 km2 (172 sq mi) | ||
Population (June 2016) | |||
• Territorial | 50,600 | ||
• Density | 110/km2 (290/sq mi) | ||
• Urban | 65,700 | ||
Demonym(s) | Nelsonian | ||
Time zone | NZST (UTC+12) | ||
• Summer (DST) | NZDT (UTC+13) | ||
Postcode | 7010, 7011, 7020 | ||
Area code(s) | 03 | ||
Website | nelson |
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson Region. Nelson is the oldest city in the South Island and the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand, It was established in 1841 and was proclaimed a city by royal charter in 1858.
Nelson city is bordered to the west and south-west by the Tasman District Council and the north-east, east and south-east by the Marlborough District Council. The city does not include Richmond, the area's second-largest settlement. Nelson City has a population of around 50,000, making it New Zealand's 12th most populous city and the geographical centre of New Zealand. When combined with the town of Richmond which has close to 14,000 residents, Nelson is ranked as New Zealand's 9th largest urban area by population.
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 Wearable Art now showcases winning designs alongside a collection of classic cars.
Nelson was named in honour of the Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated both the French 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.