Nelson, New Zealand

Nelson City
Whakatū
Unitary authority
November 2006 view of Nelson from the "Centre of New Zealand"
November 2006 view of Nelson from the "Centre of New Zealand"
Flag of Nelson City
Flag
Nickname(s): 
Top of the South, Sunny Nelson
Motto(s): 
Palmam qui meruit ferat
Latin Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm
Nelson City is located in New Zealand
Nelson City
Nelson City
Coordinates: 41°16′15″S 173°17′2″E / 41.27083°S 173.28389°E / -41.27083; 173.28389
CountryNew Zealand
Unitary authorityNelson City
Settled by Europeans1841
Founded byArthur Wakefield
Named forHoratio Nelson
ElectoratesNelson
Te Tai Tonga
Government
 • MayorNick Smith
Area
 from Rai Saddle to Stoke
 • Territorial445 km2 (172 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2016)[1]
 • Territorial5,600
 • Density13/km2 (33/sq mi)
 • Urban
65,700
DemonymNelsonian
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode
7010, 7011, 7020
Area code03
Websitenelson.govt.nz

Nelson is a city on New Zealand's South Island. It is on the eastern side of Tasman Bay. It was founded in 1841 and is New Zealand's second oldest city and the oldest city on the South Island. It has a population of 46,437. Abel Tasman National Park, Kahurangi National Park, and Nelson Lakes National Park are all near the city.

Origin of the name

The city was named in honor of the British Admiral Horatio Nelson.[2] He defeated both the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.[3] Nelson's Māori name is Whakatū. It means to "build', "raise", or "establish".[4]

History

Early settlement of Nelson began in the 1300s by the Māori.[5] The region was lived in by the Māori.[5] But there were no permanent settlements in the area until the first Europeans arrived in the early 1840s.[5] Queen Victoria made it the seat of an Anglican Bishopric in 1858 and Nelson became a city.[5] The city grew slowly until the 1950s when it developed suburbs.[5] Nelson remains a compact city with most attractions within walking distance. The city's main landmark is Christ Church Cathedral, on Church Hill.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2016 (provisional)". Statistics New Zealand. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016. For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006-16 (2017 boundary)". Statistics New Zealand. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of English, ed. Angus Stevenson (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010), p. 1189
  3. ↑ "Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758 - 1805)". History. BBC. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Nelson". Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Christchurch. December 27, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Story: Nelson places". Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. NewZealand.Gov,NZ. Retrieved January 12, 2017.

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