Nelson: A Regional History

by Jim McAloon

Nelson: A Regional History is a study in contrasts from its overview of Māori settlement in the centuries before 1840 and the achievement of modest comfort in the 19th century through to economic growth and today's flowering of diversity.

The Wakefield plan took little account of reality, so much so that it almost guaranteed hardship and conflict. But the early settlers were men and women determined to win for themselves and their families an independence impossible in Britain. They brought with them the vision of an egalitarian society in a bright and promising new land.

Through Depression and World Wars, through the manoeuvres of the would-be wealthy and their followers, the ordinary people and many not so ordinary responded to the opportunities of this very special region.

About the Author

Jim McAloon lectures in New Zealand history at Lincoln University in Canterbury, when not fishing, tramping, reading or running. Born in Christchurch, he graduated in history from the Universities of Canterbury and Otago, and spent four years researching and writing Nelson: A Regional History.

Purchase

Nelson City Council sells Nelson: A Regional History in hardcover for $49.95 and softcover for $39.95.

Email a Council Administration Adviser to order the Nelson Regional History book

Or you may ring Nelson City Council on +64 3 546 0200. Booksellers, museums, and other commercial outlets should phone +64 3 546 0391 to arrange purchase and invoicing.