NBS first opened its door in 1862 when Nelson was a young colonial town struggling for a toehold in the wilderness that was Tasman Bay. The people that chose to settle here were industrious, tenacious and entrepreneurial. They were looking to build a new life with new opportunities, and they needed money to build new homes. So they formed what is now known as The Nelson Building Society (NBS). It was a mutual society with the people of the region as its shareholders.

The absolute focus was on supporting local people and any profits made were returned directly to the community.  Whilst NBS has evolved into a modern banking service, fundamentally nothing has changed. We are still a mutual society, owned by our customers.  All of our activities are still centred on providing for our customers and our local communities.

From small beginnings NBS has grown into a respected banking entity with branches in Nelson, Richmond, Motueka, Murchison, Westport, Greymouth, Takaka and Ashburton.