Suburbs of Nelson

The Suburbs of Nelson is a former parliamentary electorate around the city of Nelson, New Zealand from 1861 to 1881.

The electorate covered the area around the Nelson urban area. The 1871 election had four polling places: the Institute in Richmond, the school house in Stoke, the Provincial Hall in Nelson and the school house in Hillside, then called Suburban North but now known as Wakapuaka (the school stood above the road at the turn off to Glenduan). In the 1873 by-election, polling places were at Waimea East, Stoke, the Provincial Hall and Wakapuaka.

The electorate was formed for the 1861 election and existed until 1881. This period covered the 3rd to the 7th Parliament.

Fedor Kelling, who had previously represented the Waimea electorate, intended the contest the 1861 election for Suburbs of Nelson. At a meeting with electors in Stoke, it was decided that there is no real difference in political opinion between Kelling and James Balfour Wemyss, the other contender for the position. Kelling thus stepped back from the contest. Wemyss, who was away from the district for the month during the election campaign, had placed a long advertisement in The Colonist outlining his political opinion. This was published on 22 January 1861. The nomination meeting for the election was held at the school house in Stoke on Monday, 28 January 1861. Wemyss was the only candidate proposed and was thus declared elected unopposed. The meeting was poorly attended, with "few more there than his proposer and seconder".

Before the first session of the 3rd Parliament began (on 3 June 1861), Wemyss resigned as he had to leave New Zealand temporarily and was likely to miss the whole session, but he did not want to leave the electorate unrepresented. The day after Wemyss had placed his resignation by advertisement into The Colonist, William Wells announced his candidacy by advertising in the Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. Wells had also previously represented the Waimea electorate (1855–1858). At the nomination meeting at the school house in Stoke on Thursday, 20 June 1861, Wells was the only person proposed and was thus declared elected unopposed. The nomination meeting for the 1866 election was held at the school house in Wakapuaka, Atawhai. Alfred Fell (father of Charles Fell) proposed Wells and with there being no other candidate, Wells was declared elected unopposed. Wells retired at the end of the term of the 4th Parliament in 1870.

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