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Story: Nelson region

Nelson beaches: mixed bathing at Tāhunanui

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Nelson beaches: mixed bathing at Tāhunanui

In the 1920s the notion of women and men bathing together – ‘mixed bathing’ – was beginning to be accepted. The steamship and sails on the horizon of Tasman Bay illustrate the importance of coastal shipping to Nelson’s economy. ‘The sands’ was another name for Tāhunanui beach at the time.

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Nelson Provincial Museum, Archives Collection

Reference: A4742.2

Permission must be sought from Nelson Provincial Museum before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Nelson region – Overview, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/29293/nelson-beaches-mixed-bathing-at-tahunanui (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 3 September 2010, updated 1 August 2015.