DescriptionCollingwood was once called Gibbstown after European settler William Gibbs and was later renamed to honour Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, Lord Nelson’s second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar.
The discovery of gold in the Aorere Valley in 1857 led to a population surge, with some briefly considering the port side town as a potential capital for New Zealand. Geo Coordinates[1]