Apple Day

Supporting our Boys

During World War 1, the good folk of Nelson came up with many ideas related to something they did well - growing things - to raise morale and money for local servicemen.  Between 1915 and 1918, hundreds of pounds were raised through Daffodil Days to send packages and money to the local troops at war in Europe.¹

It was the turn of apples in 1917.  By the early 1900s, Nelson’s apple industry was booming, with hundreds of acres of apple trees planted in Moutere, Tasman, Motueka, Riwaka and on the Waimea Plains.²

In February 1917, a series of community events were held between 25 and 28 April to help the Red Cross Fund.³  “In giving reasons for a special effort on behalf of the Red Cross, Mrs Lock said that a big offensive of the Allies was to be expected soon, with its inevitable attendant of heavy casualty lists. Nelson had done nobly in the past in the way of contributions towards Red Cross work and she hoped there would be a continuance of the whole-hearted support that was necessary.”

The Red Cross committee solicited contributions from apple growers and it was planned that small boxes of apples would be sold throughout the city at a shilling a box.

Apple Day was held on Wednesday 25 April, the day of the local elections. The Horticultural Society held a flower show on Thursday and Friday 26 and 27 April and Saturday 28 April was devoted to an Alphabetical bazaar, where stalls sold articles beginning with different letters of the alphabet. For example, the F stall had a fairy well, fishpond and fruits.⁴   Excellent business was done on Apple Day, with £31/5s/1d raised from the sale of apples.⁵

The following year, Apple Day took on more commercial imperatives, although it was hoped that many boxes would be bought for soldiers in camp.⁶   A key motivation for this second Apple Day was a storm which brought down many apples and left growers with the problem of disposing of the windfalls.⁷  “The opportunity to lessen the loss to growers and at the same time popularise the consumption of apples is one that orchardists are desirous of taking advantage of.”

A meeting was held after the storm, with Apple Day to be held a few days later on the following Saturday.  As a large number of workers were needed, the principal of Nelson Central School, Fred Gibbs, was asked, and agreed, to grant 50 pupils a holiday to help with preparations at Stoke orchards.⁸ 

Apple Day held on Saturday 23 March 1918⁹ was a great success.  “The public simply rushed the sellers, and were so insistent that they had to be supplied straight away. The result was that there was no fruit left to fulfil the hundreds of orders that had been received.

“There was a scene of great activity at the Church Steps, with growers unloading their cases, and the public scrambling for fruit. Orders are on hand for between 500 and 600 cases, and these will be delivered this week.”

It was estimated that about 1500 bushels may have been disposed of.¹⁰  Of interest was a letter to the Nelson Evening Mail about Apple Day, saying that “Nelson is not yet an apple consuming community, with people as a whole not fully understanding the food value of apples.”¹¹

The following year, in 1920, an Apple Show was held again and it was resolved to hold a sale of apples similar to the successful Apple Day ‘held in the city on one occasion.’¹²

It was to be another 95 years, before Apple Day was held again in Nelson. On Monday 27 April, 2015, Nelson’s wartime community spirit was rediscovered with an Apple Day at Founders Park in Nelson. This featured a street party, wartime music, bazaars, exhibitions¹³ and games from the time such as apple bobbing and hoop n’ stick.¹⁴

2016 (updated 2024)

Story by: Joy Stephens