Last updated October 2026
Richmond is the largest town in Tasman District and the home of Tasman District Council, on the Waimea Plains a short drive south of Nelson. Most of the town sits in Tasman District, with a small northern portion inside the Nelson City boundary, so it belongs to the wider Nelson urban area while remaining a town in its own right.
Queen Street is the civic and shopping spine, with the council service centre, local shops and Richmond Mall close together. The Māori name is Waimea, and European settlers first knew the place as Waimea East before it was named Richmond.
Buses run between the town and Nelson, and the plains, orchards and southern end of Tasman Bay make it a practical place to live as well as a stop on the way through.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 17,330, up 16% since 2018
- Land area
- 21.80 km²
- Location
- 10.8 km south-west of central Nelson
- Council
- Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Appleby, Aniseed Valley, Hope, Stoke
- Ward or local board
- Richmond Ward, Tasman District Council
- Getting there
- Gladstone Road and Queen Street are the main roads through town. eBus Route 1 links Richmond and Nelson via Waimea Road; Route 2 runs via Tāhunanui. Town-centre services use Queen Street.
- Main shopping
- Queen Street, and Richmond Mall at the corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets
- Schools
- Richmond School, Henley School, Waimea Intermediate, Waimea College, St Paul’s School, Garin College, Salisbury School, and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tuia Te Matangi
- Nearby landmarks
- Sundial Square, Tasman District Council service centre at 189 Queen Street, Richmond Mall
Who Lives in Richmond
About 17,330 residents in 6,790 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
In Richmond
Places and businesses inside the official Richmond boundary.
Businesses
About Richmond
Richmond is not a suburb of Nelson. It is the seat of Tasman District Council, and the council describes it as the district’s largest population centre. The Richmond service centre is at 189 Queen Street.
Day to day, the town functions as the civic and retail centre for a wide rural hinterland, while many residents also work, shop or study in Nelson.
The setting is the flat country of the Waimea Plains, close to the southern end of Tasman Bay. Gladstone Road carries through-traffic, and Queen Street is the street people mean when they talk about town.
Sundial Square marks the centre. Around it are council offices, shops and the everyday services of a district town rather than a beach or hillside suburb.
The Māori name Waimea belongs to the wider plains as well as the town. Several iwi have interests across Te Tauihu, the top of the South Island, so this page does not assign Richmond to a single iwi.
European settlement of the locality began in the 1840s under the name Waimea East. In 1854 the town was named Richmond, after Richmond on Thames near London.
For much of its later history Richmond was an administrative centre in its own right. It served as the headquarters of Waimea County, then from 1891 as Richmond Borough, until the 1989 local government reforms folded the borough into Tasman District.
The council chamber is still here, which is why Richmond feels like a capital of a district rather than an outer neighbourhood of Nelson.
A small part of the statistical urban area, the Daelyn area, falls inside Nelson City. The rest is Tasman District. That split is why Richmond can appear under both councils on official maps, even though the town centre, the mall and the council offices are Tasman.
History and Heritage
Before the borough existed, the urban area sat inside Nelson Province, then inside Waimea County from 1877. Shifting the urban authority to Richmond Borough Council in 1891 gave the town its own local government until amalgamation in 1989. Those changes explain the civic buildings on Queen Street: this has been an administrative address for a long time, not only a shopping street.
The name change from Waimea East to Richmond did not erase the older name. Waimea remains in use for the plains, local institutions and the Māori name of the town. Visitors will see both names in signs, school titles and council documents.
Getting Around
From Nelson, the direct approach is along the main road into Gladstone Road and Queen Street. Hill Street and Lower Queen Street serve the eastern and western sides of town. There is no passenger rail. Driving is the usual way in, and town-centre streets are set up for short shopping trips as well as through-traffic.
Public transport is the regional eBus network, run across Nelson and Tasman. Route 1 runs between Richmond and Nelson via Queen Street, Hill Street, Main Road Stoke and Waimea Road. Route 2 also links the two centres, via Tāhunanui.
Tasman District Council points passengers to the eBus site for timetables and fares, which change, so check before you travel. The council also publishes a Richmond walking and cycling map for local trips off the main roads.
Shopping and the Town Centre
Queen Street is the main shopping strip: banks, council services and independent shops in a walkable town centre. Richmond Mall, on the corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, is the covered centre. It is anchored by Farmers and PAK’nSAVE, with specialty stores and food outlets under one roof, and it is the main mall for this side of the Nelson urban area.
The two sit close enough to use together. Queen Street suits a short errand or a council visit. The mall suits a longer shop, especially in wet weather. This is a working town centre, not a tourist precinct, so opening hours follow ordinary retail patterns rather than a visitor season.
Near Richmond
Just outside Richmond, within 5 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Businesses
Where to Learn More
Tasman District Council: Richmond: township page covering the Richmond Ward, the Queen Street council office and local services.
Tasman District Council: eBus: how to find routes, timetables and fares for buses between Richmond and Nelson.
Richmond, Tasman on Wikipedia: history of the naming, the borough and the schools, with citations to primary sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Richmond part of Nelson?
No. Richmond is a town in Tasman District and the seat of Tasman District Council. Most of it lies outside Nelson City, although a small northern portion falls inside the Nelson City boundary, and the town is part of the wider Nelson urban area.
What is the Māori name for Richmond?
The Māori name is Waimea. European settlers first knew the area as Waimea East before the town was named Richmond.
Where does the name Richmond come from?
The town was named in 1854 after Richmond on Thames, near London.
How do I get to Richmond from Nelson?
Gladstone Road and Queen Street are the main roads through the town. eBus Route 1 runs between Richmond and Nelson via Waimea Road, and Route 2 runs via Tāhunanui. Check the eBus site for times.
Where is the main shopping?
Queen Street is the town-centre strip. Richmond Mall, at the corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, is the covered shopping centre, with Farmers and PAK’nSAVE among its larger stores.
Which schools are in Richmond?
State schools include Richmond School, Henley School, Waimea Intermediate and Waimea College. St Paul’s School and Garin College are state-integrated Catholic schools. Salisbury School is a specialist state school, and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tuia Te Matangi is a Māori-language immersion school.
Where is the Tasman District Council office?
The Richmond service centre is at 189 Queen Street, Richmond.
Which council ward covers Richmond?
Richmond is in the Richmond Ward of Tasman District Council.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Nelson only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Richmond is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.