Skip to main content

Story: Capital city

Nelson city

Image
Nelson city

Nelson was established in 1841 and is the South Island’s oldest city. A pretty settlement, with fine weather, it competed with – but lost out to – Wellington as a centrally located site for the colonial capital.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: C-018-013

by John Gully

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Stephen Levine, Capital city – A new capital, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/34165/nelson-city (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Stephen Levine, published 5 June 2012, updated 1 August 2016.