Stories from the Top of the South

Welcome to The Prow, a website featuring historical and cultural stories from Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough. 

Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Māui is the Māori name for the top of the South Island. Legend tells us that Te Tau Ihu was the prow of Māui's waka, or canoe, from which he fished up the North Island.

Join our voyage and discover more about the history and stories of Te Tau Ihu. Search or browse the theme pages, our timeline or the map location feature,  add your own story, comment on any story, subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter. Contact us for further information or to provide feedback on our stories.

The Prow is a collaboration between the Nelson City, Tasman and Marlborough District Libraries, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and The Nelson Provincial Museum.  Images are supplied by supporting institutions, please check their terms of use.

Prow Features

Tuia 250

A commemoration to mark the onshore encounters between Māori and Europeans during the first voyage of James Cook and the HMS 'Endeavour' in 1769 to Aotearoa. The central event is the Tuia 250 Voyage with a flotilla of waka hourua, va’a tipaerua and tall ships sailing the coast from October to December 2019. The flotilla visits Waitohi/Picton 21-26 November. Find Prow stories which describe first encounters in Te Tau Ihu o te waka a Māui.

Top of the South Timeline

Find a story or an event using our timeline feature

Resources

Includes curriculum resources for teachers, Nelson Historical Journal, Nelson Photo News and more..

Newsletters

Find out more about the prow and its stories in this series of newsletters……

Story of the Day — Wednesday 27 January 2021

signal station

Nelson's Signal Station and the Time Gun


Britannia Heights in Nelson was once known as Signal Hill. The Songer tree now marks the site from which the state of the tide was signalled to incoming vessels and the identity of arriving ships was signalled to the people of the early settlement of Nelson. It was also the location for the weekly firing of a time gun by which people could check the accuracy of their timepieces.


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Recently Added Stories

  1. Sergeant John Nash
  2. Griffin's Factory in Nelson
  3. Ngaire Lane

Recently Added Comments

  1. 3 months ago
    Hi Ellen, a great story to read. I am a direct descendant (great great grandson)... read more
  2. 4 months ago
    My Grandfather William Marshall Macready got a farm in a war ballot after WW3 up... read more
  3. 4 months ago
    Can anyone tell me the name of Kehu's wife? read more

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