Tasman Bay, the largest indentation in the north coast of the South Island, was named after Dutch seafarer, explorer and merchant Abel Tasman. He was the first European to discover New Zealand on 13 December 1642 while on an expedition for the Dutch East India Company. Tasman Bay passed the name on to the adjoining district, which was formed in 1989 largely from the merger of Waimea and Golden Bay counties.
According to tradition, the MāoriwakaUruao brought ancestors of the Waitaha people to Tasman Bay in the 12th century. Archaeological evidence suggests that early Māori settlers explored the region thoroughly, settling mainly along the coast where there was ample food.
The succession of tribes into the area suggests considerable warfare interrupted the settlement process. Around 1828, Ngāti Toa (under Te Rauparaha) and the allied northern tribes of Ngāti Rārua and Ngāti Tama started their invasion of the South Island. They took over much of the area from Farewell Spit to the Wairau River.
British immigrant ships from England arrived in Nelson in 1842 and European settlement of the region began under the leadership of Captain Arthur Wakefield. From 1853 to 1876, the area of the present-day Tasman District formed part of Nelson Province.
In the 1850s, agriculture and pastoral farming started and villages developed on the Waimea Plains and at Motueka. In 1856, the discovery of gold near Collingwood sparked New Zealand's first gold rush. Significant reserves of iron ore were found at Onekaka, where an ironworks operated during the 1920s and 1930s.
Fruit-growing started at the end of the 19th century. By 1945, it was making a significant contribution to the local economy, and that importance continues today.
Tasman District is a large area at the western corner of the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. It covers 9,616 square kilometres and is bounded on the west by the Matiri Ranges, Tasman Mountains and the Tasman Sea.
To the north, Tasman and Golden Bays form its seaward edge, and the eastern boundary extends to the edge of Nelson city, and includes part of the Spenser Mountains and the Saint Arnaud and Richmond Ranges. The Victoria Ranges form Tasman's southern boundary and the district's highest point is Mount Franklin, at 2,340 metres.
The landscape is diverse, from large mountainous areas to valleys and plains, and is sliced by such major rivers as the Buller, Motueka, Aorere, Tākaka and Wairoa. The limestone-rich area around Mount Owen and Mount Arthur is notable for its extensive cave networks, among them New Zealand's deepest caves at Ellis Basin and Nettlebed. There is abundant bush and bird life, golden sand beaches, the unique 40-kilometre sands of Farewell Spit, and good fishing in the bays and rivers. These assets make the district a popular destination for tourists.
The Maruia Falls, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) southwest of Murchison, were created by the 1929 Murchison earthquake when a slip blocked the original channel.
Demography
Tasman District covers 9,615.58 km2 (3,712.60 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 60,000 as of June 2024,[2], representing 1.1% of New Zealand's population. The population density was 6.2 people per km2.
Tasman District had a population of 57,807 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 5,418 people (10.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 10,650 people (22.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 28,722 males, 28,887 females and 201 people of other genders in 22,617 dwellings.[7] 2.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 9,498 people (16.4%) aged under 15 years, 8,523 (14.7%) aged 15 to 29, 26,322 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 13,467 (23.3%) aged 65 or older.[4]
Population density in the 2023 census
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 90.7% European (Pākehā); 9.9% Māori; 2.6% Pasifika; 4.0% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.8%, Māori language by 2.0%, Samoan by 0.5% and other languages by 9.2%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 21.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Of those at least 15 years old, 7,281 (15.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 26,712 (55.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 11,781 (24.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $35,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 4,137 people (8.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 22,566 (46.7%) people were employed full-time, 7,983 (16.5%) were part-time, and 870 (1.8%) were unemployed.[4]
The main iwi represented in the wider Tasman region are Ngati Rarua, Ngati Tama (Golden Bay / Mohua and Tasman Bay), Te Atiawa, Ngati Koata, Ngati Kuia (eastern Tasman Bay) and the Poutini Ngāi Tahu (southern areas).
In Tasman District, German is the second most-spoken language after English, whereas in most regions of New Zealand Māori is the second most-spoken language.[8]
The GDP of the Tasman District was $NZ 3.11 billion in 2033, representing 0.8% of New Zealand's national GDP. Over the 10 years to 2023, economic growth in the district was an average of 4.4% p.a., compared with 3.0% p.a. for all of New Zealand.[14]
