Pre-European Settlement

Upon the arrival of European settlers in Nelson, Tāhunanui Beach was nonexistent. The beach that we know, and love now was once a mudflat near the edge of the main channel that drained into the Waimea Inlet. Remarkably, it took a mere century for Tāhunanui Beach to take shape with sands from Tasman Bay. Māori first settled around the Waimea Inlet over 600 years ago. Successive tribes established camps and settlements along the coast and islands, particularly in areas where channels gave water access, even at low tide. One of the oldest of the camps was located near the junction of Bisley Avenue and Rocks Road, at the edge of the Waimea Inlet. Nestled within sand dunes, this camp enabled inhabitants to harvest kaimoana from both the inlet’s waters and the expansive Tāsman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. Archaeological findings were found from this site, including fish hooks (some crafted from moa bone), argillite stone drill points (sourced from the Nelson Mineral Belt and to make fish hooks), and an abundance of argillite flakes left behind by adze artisans. Bones from the midden showed that snapper, kahawai, and barracouta were the most frequently caught fish species, while other foods also included moa, weka, NZ pigeon kererū, spotted shag, Polynesian dog, and Southern fur seal. Dates from charcoal show that people were living here around 1400 AD.

 

On the Sands, Nelson. The Nelson Provincial Museum, Copy Collection: C1346