Wakefield, New Zealand

Wakefield

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Wakefield, New Zealand

St John's Church

Wakefield is a settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island, located about 25km south west of Nelson.

The settlement began in 1843 as Pitfure, but the name was changed to Wakefield a short time later. It may have been named after the birthplace of one of its original settlers, who was from Wakefield in Yorkshire. It may have also been named after Captain Arthur Wakefield, who led the expedition that first established Nelson City and Province. Arthur Wakefield was killed in the Wairau Affray, which may have helped confirm the change of name from Pitfure to Wakefield.

Wakefield comes under the responsibility of the Tasman District Council, which has its offices in the nearby town of Richmond. It is part of the West Coast-Tasman general electorate.

St John's Church in 120 Edward Street, built in 1846, is New Zealand's second oldest surviving church. It is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category I heritage structure, with registration number 40.

Education

Wakefield School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of 234 as of February 2024.

Wakefield is notable for Wakefield Primary School, the oldest school in continuous usage in New Zealand. It was set up in 1843 by Mary Ann Baigent, the wife of Edward Baigent.