One of the first farmers was Thomas William Adams, a pioneer of forestry and education in the area.[3] Another one of the first farmers was Charles Early who moved to Greendale (Water ford) in 1876.
On 4 September 2010, Greendale became further notable as the location of the strongest earthquake ground-shaking ever recorded in New Zealand, registering an acceleration 1.25 times that of gravity.[4] This was later exceeded by the 2.2 g recordings during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake at Heathcote Valley.
Demographics
Greendale is part of the rural Charing Cross statistical area, which covers 168.68km2 (65.13sqmi).[5] It had an estimated population of 920 as of June 2025,[6] with a population density of 5.5 people per km2.
Charing Cross had a population of 885 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 42 people (5.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 189 people (27.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 333 households, comprising 438 males and 447 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 39.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 171 people (19.3%) aged under 15 years, 159 (18.0%) aged 15 to 29, 453 (51.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 102 (11.5%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.8% European/Pākehā, 6.8% Māori, 0.7% Pasifika, 4.4% Asian, and 4.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 19.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 49.2% had no religion, 40.7% were Christian, 1.0% were Hindu and 2.4% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 135 (18.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 99 (13.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 159 people (22.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 435 (60.9%) people were employed full-time, 129 (18.1%) were part-time, and 9 (1.3%) were unemployed.[7]
Education
Greendale School is a contributing primary school catering for years 1 to 6.[8] It had a roll of 32 as of July 2025.[9] The school opened in 1872.[10]
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