Centre of New Zealand

The ‘Centre of New Zealand’ was designated in the 1870s. Until this point, surveyors from across New Zealand had been conducting surveys independently of one another, and not all of the maps that they produced matched up. It was decided that a national geodetic survey of New Zealand was required. A geodetic survey is one which corrects for the curvature of the Earth’s surface – something relatively insignificant in small surveys, but an important correction when dealing with New Zealand’s almost 1500 kilometre length.

A Nelson surveyor, John Spence Browning, was assigned the job. Based on Nelson’s approximate central position between the mainland islands of New Zealand, Browning selected the peak of Botanical Hill as the centre of New Zealand’s geodetic map. The peak lent itself to the job; its panoramic views of Nelson made it easy to triangulate to other localised surveys, and therefore to the surveys conducted further afield.

However, more modern techniques have challenged Botanical Hill’s claim to the ‘centre of New Zealand’ title. In 1962, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) undertook a gravity survey of New Zealand, based on the inclusion of the North, South, Stewart, and significant inshore islands (but not including the Chatham Islands). The survey determined a new, more accurate point, located in the Spooners Range, approximately 35 km southwest of Nelson’s ‘Centre of New Zealand’.

Check out the stunning panoramic views of Nelson and its surrounds from the top of Botanical Hill. Try and line yourself up with three points you’re familiar with in the Nelson area – can you envisage the triangulation process early surveyors would’ve used from the same vantage point? It’s best if the points are from locations around the compass, not all in the same direction.

On a good day, it’s worth bringing some swimwear and making a stop off at Black Hole in Branford Park.