Events
City Story Walks: A New Way to Experience Historic Nelson on Your Phone
At our September meeting guest speakers Anne Rush MNZM, Make/Shift Spaces Inc General Manager and Audrey Anderson (Artist/Illustrator) - Make/Spaces Inc StoryWalks Developer will be sharing information on an exciting new way to experience historic Nelson using the Maungatapu Murders story as an example.
Created by Make/Shift Spaces, A Bridge Too Far: The Maungatapu Murders is an immersive digital heritage walk that uses audio storytelling, historic images, and location-based technology to bring one of Nelson's most infamous events back to life.
Participants are guided along Bridge Street through a mobile experience that transports them to 1866, when four outlaws arrived in Nelson believing they had escaped justice after committing one of New Zealand's most notorious crimes. As the story unfolds, users follow the suspects' movements and discover how the local community came together to solve the case and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Accessible through the PickPath platform, the experience can be enjoyed as a 45–60 minute self-guided walk through the city or explored remotely from anywhere in the world. By combining historical research, visual archives, and digital storytelling, the project offers a new way to engage with Nelson's heritage and connect contemporary audiences with the stories of the past.
Photos by Tim Cuff for Makeshift Spaces Inc and flyer design and illustration by Audrey Anderson.
Further links: play.pickpath.com/experience/287/details
More than Just Sand - 100 Years of Beachside Memories
For generations, Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park has been the backdrop to quintessential Kiwi summers. One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest and largest holiday parks, it sits on land cared for by Tāhuna Beach Camp Inc (formerly the Tāhuna Sands Association) since 1926.
200 Years of Fishing:The Unknown Guard Family Story
Our August guest speaker Darren Guard is the last in a long line of the Guard family involved in the seafood industry in New Zealand. Next year will be the family's 200th year fishing in New Zealand. Darren's talk will explore some of the largely unknown Guard family history including:
· Jacky Guard the first Pakeha in Nelson
· Guard Whaling Station in Tory Channel, the first shore-based whaling station in the South Island
· John Guard the first Pakeha born in the South Island
· Betty Guard the first white woman to settle in the South Island
· Early partnerships and dealing with local Māori
· Jack (Stephen Guard) QSM the master boat builder of Nelson
$2 entry, all welcome
TAKU RAU TĪKUMU
Our friends at Nelson Provincial Museum Pupuri Taonga O Te Tai Ao are offering a special after-hours opportunity for Nelson Historical Society members and guests to explore the Taku Rau Tīkumu exhibition. Hamuera Manihera, Kaitiaki Taonga will give a floor talk, followed by a chance to browse the exhibition at your leisure.
He whetū i te rangi, he whetū ki te whenua
A star in the sky, a star on the earth
Taku Rau Tīkumu explores the enduring relationship between people and alpine landscapes through the story of tīkumu, a resilient mountain plant bound to generations of knowledge, skill, and care. Featuring a significant collection of tīkumu taonga, the exhibition weaves together mātauranga Māori, science, oral histories, photography, and rare records from across Aotearoa.
Supported by He Aka Ka Toro through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and Creative New Zealand.
Members, please note the earlier start time.
The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū: From Foundation to Future (and AGM)
Our June meeting will feature a short AGM followed by guest speaker Toni MacKinnon, Director of The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū who will share her thoughts on The Suter and its place in Nelson. Toni's talk will cover The Suter's origins, and look at how those early ambitions still shape what The Suter does today. Toni will also outline the vision for The Suter going forward, building on that legacy to ensure the gallery remains relevant, sustainable and deeply connected to its community.
Toni has experience as curator, educator, and gallery director, with a strong focus on arts excellence, audience engagement, and strengthening connections between artists and communities across Aotearoa.
The AGM and talk will be followed by a light supper.
$2 entry, all welcome
May Meeting - Caring for Kahurangi: The characters who shaped our understanding of a special place.
Sandy & Robin Toy are passionate about conserving Kahurangi National Park and have been actively involved with the volunteer group Friends of Flora since 2010. Their recently published book Caring for Kahurangi, the inspiring story of Friends of Flora describes the journey of Friends of Flora, weaving tales of volunteer adventures, rigorous science and magical encounters into an inspiring story of what can be achieved with great commitment, drive and friendship.
This presentation will focus on little known aspects of the history of this special area. We will introduce a cast of characters who explored the Flora area from the 1880s to the 1980s and laid the foundation for our understanding of the natural history of the area. We’ll describe their legacy and share stories of how they lived and worked.
$2 entry, all welcome
Collecting History 2026
The exhibition will feature displays of stamps and postal history, much of it relating to the Nelson region, toy cars and more. We’re working alongside our friends from the Nelson Philatelic Society, The Genealogy Society of New Zealand Nelson Branch and the Waimea West Historical Society. Entry is free.
April Meeting - The Cable Bay Story
The Stuart family have been identified with the Cable Bay area for the past 100 years. Ian has lived at Cable Bay his entire life except for a few years while attending Lincoln University and working in Canterbury. It was Ian’s mother, Tess who became the first keeper of the history of the Cable Station. Ian and Barbara became involved in the family business on their marriage in 1975 and have carried on the tradition.
$2 entry, all welcome
A Tuku Festival event.