Eiffelton | |
|---|---|
Rural locality | |
 Eiffelton Hall | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 44°02′S171°41′E / 44.033°S 171.683°E Coordinates: 44°02′S171°41′E / 44.033°S 171.683°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial authority | Ashburton District |
| Ward | Eastern |
Eiffelton is a lightly populated locality in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. [1]
Eiffelton is situated on the Canterbury Plains near the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean in nearby Longbeach. The small township of Hinds is to Eiffelton's west. Other nearby settlements include Lynnford between Eiffelton and Hinds, Willowby to the north, and Flemington and the ghost town of Waterton to the east. The closest town of significant size is Ashburton to the north.
Eiffelton's major claim to fame is that in 1978, it was the site of the discovery of an object similar to the Ashburton balls six years after the original balls were found. The balls were pieces of space debris from the failed Russian space vessel Cosmos 482. [2]
Eiffelton once had a Catholic church. Mass was first said in the area in 1888 in Waterton's town hall, but it was subsequently held in Eiffelton at either the school or the town hall. On 4 June 1961, a proper church was built, the Church of St Thomas More, and 300 people gathered for its formal opening. It seated 80 for regular services, but declining attendance meant that Mass was held only monthly in the early 1970s. It closed on 7 November 1976, with the altar taken to a church in Hinds and the church's building moved to a nearby site to be used by local scouts. [3]
Eiffelton has a town hall and formerly had a primary school. As of 2000, it merged with two other nearby schools and relocated to a site in Willowby. [4] It also had a play centre for children under primary school age, but between 2001 and 2005, the play centre also relocated to Willowby. [5]
Eiffelton is not located on major transport routes. It is not far from State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway, which both pass through Hinds.
The Eiffelton statistical area, which also includes Ashton, Flemington, Huntingdon, Lake Hood, Longbeach, Waterton and Willowby, covers 434.15 km2 (167.63 sq mi) [6] and had an estimated population of 2,690 as of June 2021, [7] with a population density of 6.2 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,788 | — |
| 2013 | 2,226 | +3.18% |
| 2018 | 2,466 | +2.07% |
| Source: [8] | ||
Eiffelton had a population of 2,466 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 240 people (10.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 678 people (37.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 870 households. There were 1,293 males and 1,170 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.11 males per female. The median age was 38.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 546 people (22.1%) aged under 15 years, 429 (17.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,179 (47.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 312 (12.7%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 88.2% European/Pākehā, 5.1% Māori, 0.7% Pacific peoples, 7.5% Asian, and 3.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).
The proportion of people born overseas was 16.9%, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 46.4% had no religion, 44.5% were Christian, 1.0% were Hindu, 0.5% were Buddhist and 0.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 333 (17.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 363 (18.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $43,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,140 (59.4%) people were employed full-time, 372 (19.4%) were part-time, and 30 (1.6%) were unemployed. [8]
Tinwald is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, now little more than a suburb of Ashburton. It lies to the south of the larger town, separated from it by the Ashburton River / Hakatere. The town was named after Tinwald Downs in Scotland, birthplace of an early European resident and owner of much of the land, Robert Wilkin.
Southbridge is a small town on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 45 kilometres (28 mi) southwest of Christchurch, between Leeston, Dunsandel and the Rakaia River.
Mount Somers is a small town in Canterbury, New Zealand, nestled in the foothills of the Southern Alps. The population in the 2001 census was 2,307. Due to its scenic location, it has seen growth in the number of holiday homes.
Ashburton Forks, formerly known as Spread Eagle, is a small town which lies between the forks of the Ashburton River / Hakatere in the Canterbury Province of New Zealand's South Island. It is approximately 50 km west of Ashburton and about 17 km from the foot of the Southern Alps.
Dunback, formerly Waihemo, is a small town in the Otago region of New Zealand. It is located between Palmerston and Ranfurly on Highway 85. It has a population of about 200 people. Most of these people live in the rural areas near the town.
Ealing is a lightly populated rural locality on the bank of the Rangitata River in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It has a community hall, a small combined Protestant faith church and a rural fire unit based in the centre of the town. Ealing was settled as a railway village in the 1870s whilst the Main South Line's bridge over the Rangitata River was being built. Along with the schools in nearby Lynnford and Maronan, the local school was shut due to population decline during the 1930s and students sent to the primary school in Hinds, a small nearby town to the northeast and Carew in the west. The former school building is now the church. Ealing is more a common locality than a settlement, with the area being referred to as the "Ealing district". Each year a Guy Fawkes Night fireworks display and a Christmas party in Ealing District Hall are held to foster community spirit.
Lake Hood is a man-made recreational lake, located 6 km south-east of Tinwald in the locality of Huntingdon, Canterbury, New Zealand. It was opened in 2001 by the Right Honourable Jenny Shipley. It is 2.3 km long by 1 km wide and is more than 80 hectares (0.80 km2) in area. It features an eight lane rowing course and separate waterskiing and jet skiing areas, and is home to Water Ski Lake Hood. It is increasing in popularity for rowing, as it is not as susceptible to wind as the main South Island rowing venue, Lake Ruataniwha.
Longbeach is a lowly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located in a rural area of the Canterbury Plains on the shore of the Pacific Ocean on the northern side of the Hinds River's mouth.
Hinds is a small town in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains on the south bank of the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean between the nearby localities of Longbeach and Lowcliffe. Other localities around Hinds include Ealing to the west, Willowby, Windermere, and Winslow to the northeast, and Eiffelton to the southeast.
Lynnford is a lightly populated locality in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated between Hinds and Eiffelton on the banks of the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean not far to the southeast, between the nearby localities of Longbeach and Lowcliffe. Other localities close to Lynnford are Willowby and Windermere to the north.
Lowcliffe is a lightly populated locality in the mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the shore of the Pacific Ocean between the mouths of the Hinds and Rangitata Rivers. Nearby settlements include Coldstream to the west by the Rangitata River, Longbeach to the east on the other side of the Hinds River's mouth, and Hinds to the north. The closest towns of significant size are Ashburton to the northeast and Geraldine to the west.
Dunsandel is a small rural town in the Canterbury region of the South Island, New Zealand. The town is located on the Canterbury Plains just south of the Selwyn River and about 40 km south of Christchurch. Dunsandel is a junction town on SH1, halfway between Christchurch and Ashburton, with roads leading to Leeston, Southbridge and Hororata. The town provides an important refreshment stop for main road travellers with eateries and coffee shops, as well as acting as a support town for the rural hinterland.
Orari is a small town in the South-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island, roughly midway between Ashburton to the north, and Timaru to the south it is the northernmost town of South Canterbury.
Willowby is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in Mid-Canterbury, south of Ashburton, the major town of the area. Other nearby settlements include Hinds and Lynnford to the southwest, Eiffelton to the south, and Huntingdon to the east.
Waterton is a former town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is still officially recognised as a locality.
Flemington is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.
Ashburton District is a territorial authority district in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It encompasses the town of Ashburton, a number of small towns and settlements and the surrounding rural area, roughly coterminous with Mid Canterbury. The district had a population of 35,900 as of June 2021.
Wakefield is a settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's South Island, located about 25km south west of Nelson.
Allenton is a suburb of Ashburton, in the Ashburton District and Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island.
Ashburton Central is the central suburb and central business district of Ashburton, in the Ashburton District and Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island.