Murchison is a town in the Tasman Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is near the western end of the "Four Rivers Plain", at the confluence of the Buller River and the Mātakitaki River. The other two rivers are the Mangles River, and the Matiri River.
It is a rural service town for the surrounding mixed farming district, approximately halfway between Westport and Nelson. Murchison was named after the Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison, one of the founders of the Royal Geographical Society.
During the period 1853 to 1876, the area that became Murchison was administered as part of Nelson Province. The future settlement of Murchison did not come into being until gold was discovered in the area, and the town was surveyed in 1865, under the name Hampden.
With the Abolition of Provinces Act 1876, the new Murchison County was created, taking over administration of its area in January 1877, with Hampden as the county's headquarters. The town changed its name to Murchison in 1882, taking its name from the county, to avoid confusion with another South Island town with the same name.
The world's earliest non-military suicide attack is believed to have occurred in Murchison on 14 July 1905. A long-standing dispute between two farmers resulted in a court case, and the defendant (Joseph Sewell) had sticks of gelignite strapped to his body. When Sewell excitedly shouted during the court sitting, "I'll blow the devil to hell, and I have enough dynamite to do just that", he was ushered out of the building. Sewell detonated the charge when a police officer tried to arrest him on the street, and his body was blown to pieces; no one else died from the explosion.
Murchison was the epicentre of the 1929 Murchison earthquake, which resulted in the deaths of 17 people, making it the third deadliest earthquake in New Zealand's recorded history.
Murchison County existed until the 1989 local government reforms, when the Tasman District was formed through the amalgamation of the Murchison County, Golden Bay County, Waimea County and Richmond Borough administrative areas. Since that time, the urban area of Murchison is administered by the Tasman District council, from the district seat of Richmond.
Murchison is described by Stats NZ as a rural settlement and covers 4.34 km2 (1.68 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 540 as of June 2025, with a population density of 124 people per km2. It is part of the larger Murchison-Nelson Lakes statistical area.
Murchison had a population of 540 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 69 people (14.6%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 105 people (24.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 267 males, 270 females, and 3 people of other genders in 234 dwellings. 1.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 50.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 99 people (18.3%) aged under 15 years, 60 (11.1%) aged 15 to 29, 240 (44.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 144 (26.7%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 95.0% European (Pākehā); 12.2% Māori; 0.6% Pasifika; 2.8% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 4.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.9%, Māori by 2.2%, and other languages by 5.0%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 24.4% Christian, 1.1% Māori religious beliefs, 1.1% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, and 0.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 63.3%, and 10.6% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 60 (13.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 240 (54.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 147 (33.3%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $30,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 24 people (5.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 213 (48.3%) full-time, 81 (18.4%) part-time, and 6 (1.4%) unemployed.
Murchison-Nelson Lakes statistical area
The Murchison-Nelson Lakes statistical area, which also includes Rotoroa, Saint Arnaud and Tophouse, covers 3,706.01 km2 (1,430.90 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,490 as of June 2025, with a population density of 0.40 people per km2.
Murchison-Nelson Lakes had a population of 1,491 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 201 people (15.6%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 309 people (26.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 771 males, 714 females, and 6 people of other genders in 708 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 48.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 270 people (18.1%) aged under 15 years, 159 (10.7%) aged 15 to 29, 699 (46.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 366 (24.5%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 93.4% European (Pākehā); 10.1% Māori; 0.8% Pasifika; 3.6% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 5.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.2%, Māori by 1.6%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 6.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.6% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 23.5% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 63.2%, and 9.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 198 (16.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 687 (56.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 339 (27.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $31,400, compared with $41,500 nationally. 78 people (6.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 606 (49.6%) full-time, 231 (18.9%) part-time, and 21 (1.7%) unemployed.