A man is dead and a woman was in hospital last night after an apparent domestic dispute turned into tragedy at an isolated farmhouse.

Police were called on Saturday evening after worried neighbours found a 4-year-old child left in the house near St Arnaud, 101km southwest of Blenheim.

A 35-year-old man was found dead after an earlier incident in which a 59-year-old woman was allegedly pushed through a plate glass window.

Detectives were called to the scene, but police did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding the man's death.

Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy of Nelson police said police were alerted by neighbours at 6.15pm after the neighbours rang the house and talked to a 4-year-old child.

"They rang to speak to the other occupant, who was not there at the time and a child answered the phone. They went to the house to investigate."

Mr McCoy said the scene was secured on Saturday night and an examination was carried out on Sunday morning.

"As a result of the examination, no one else is being sought in connection with the incident, and the matter has been referred to the coroner," he said.

Nelson Bays St John Ambulance district manager Hank Bader said the woman had a broken nose, broken jaw and cuts and bruises in the incident.

She was taken by Murchison St John Ambulance to Nelson Hospital, which would not release information on her condition last night.

- NZPA