Wakapuaka Memorial Hall

Wakapuaka Memorial Hall is a community hall at 460 Wakapuaka Road, Wakapuaka, on the rural outskirts of Nelson. It is managed by Nelson City Council as one of its community venues. The hall was built in the 1950s in a simple art deco style as a memorial to the Second World War.

The venue sits across the road from the sea on the highway between Nelson and Marlborough, which makes it easy to find and reach by car. A tennis court is beside the hall, and off-road parking is available for 40 vehicles - a genuine advantage over many inner-city halls.

Capacity

Nelson City Council publishes the following capacities for the hall:

• Maximum 120
• Theatre 100
• Cocktail 100
• Dinner 80
• Classroom 80
• Exhibition 20 stands
• Parking 40

Facilities

The hall has heat pumps and air conditioning, and a stage. Eighty padded chairs and six trestle tables are available. The kitchen is a large domestic-style kitchen stocked with cups, glasses, plates, teapots, heat lamps and a Zip boiler. The Council notes specifically that the kitchen does not include a fridge, which is worth planning around for any catered event. All Council facilities are smoke-free.

Booking

Bookings and availability enquiries go through the Nelson City Council venues team via an online enquiry form or the venue manager. Hire charges are listed in the Council's fees and charges schedule rather than on the venue page, so pricing should be confirmed at the time of booking. Nelson City Council publishes event planning guidance covering permits, alcohol licensing, noise and health and safety for events in the district.

Suitability for meetings and events

The Council positions Wakapuaka Memorial Hall for local fundraisers, family celebrations, relaxed wedding receptions, amateur dramatic productions and meetings. For MICE purposes it is a straightforward, low-cost option for meetings, AGMs, training days and staff functions of up to around 100 people, with good vehicle access and generous off-road parking. It is a single-space hall rather than a multi-room venue, so it suits events that do not require separate breakout rooms, and catering will need to be brought in or arranged externally given the domestic-scale kitchen and lack of refrigeration. Its coastal, semi-rural setting north of the city offers a change of scene from the central Nelson venues.