NELSON
90s IN THE
Nelson in the 90s. It was the decade the city turned 150, a three bedroom house in Stoke cost $180,000, the Giants were national champions and wearable art exploded onto the scene with a creative burst of energy. Amy Russ takes a look back at a decade full of colour and energy.
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elson’s greatest achievement of the 1990s will go down in history as the creation of the World of Wearable Art. It was a show that transformed Nelson and one that endures to this day, albeit in another city. But for many who lived here during that time, it was a place full of great fun, good music, dodgy bars, manual cars and when we all, somehow, became basketball fans. These were the days when The Gathering, hosted on Takaka Hill, was high on festival goer’s calendars, Kaiteriteri hosted – what essentially became – an annual Cantab’s vs locals’ event with Tug of War and Mr and Miss Kaiteriteri competitions in summer. Wizards Space Parlour, Preston’s Surf Shop and Everyman Records were the go-to, and Shakespear’s, Zhivago’s, Horatio’s, Kacey’s and Metropolis were frequented nightlife hangouts, with a pit stop through Friar Tucks for a pack of chicken and chips with garlic rolls – or the late-night food bus.
Fifeshire FM was blasted on the radio, Georgie Pie came to town, and Hanafins was where you would patiently wait to get your photos developed from the weekend’s adventures. Long-serving radio host for Fifeshire FM, Al Colombus, says the 90s was a decade where it felt like the region had started to ‘find its feet’. “Watching the city grow and change over the years, back then, things started to really take off. It was a whole community thing, and it became more cosmopolitan. The arts have always been strong in the region, but the likes of the Wearable Arts really put the place on the map. It was a landmark event and a highlight in community involvement.” Al remembers those days fondly and his wedding history has been a source of great ribbing from friends over the years. “If I remember rightly, there were two marriages in that decade!”
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