Waterton
Waterton is a former town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is still officially recognised as a locality. [1]
Waterton is a former town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is still officially recognised as a locality. [1]
Waterton is located on the Canterbury Plains south of Ashburton on the Pacific Ocean, between the Ashburton River / Hakatere and Hinds River. Nearby localities include Ashton and Wheatstone to the northeast, Flemington to the north, Eiffelton to the northwest and Longbeach to the southwest.
Waterton was founded in the second half of the 19th century as the Canterbury Plains were settled by European immigrants. By 1888, it had its own town hall. Catholics in the area of Longbeach and Waterton complained to the administration of the Ashburton parish that Mass had not been said in their area. Accordingly, Mass was held in the Waterton Hall, with an attendance of 60; it later was held in Eiffelton rather than Waterton. [2]
At its height, Waterton was a service town for the immediately surrounding rural area. It was home to 235 people and had amenities such as a general store, post office, public library, hotel, and school. Economic activity was related to agriculture, with an abattoir and a flour mill both located in the town. [3] However, during the later half of the 20th century, Waterton severely declined.
Waterton is effectively a ghost town. In the early 2000s, the land titles of the town's former lots were amalgamated by the owner and then divided into four new "lifestyle blocks" for development. The new owners appealed to the Ashburton District Council to revoke the designation of the town's former streets, which by that stage were merely unformed roads, so that they could be merged into the new properties. In August 2006, the Council granted this request and stopped the roads. [3]
Few remnants of Waterton are now left apart from the remains of the town hall, and the local cemetery is not far from the site of the township. An Anglican church once located in Waterton has been transferred to the Plains Vintage Railway in Tinwald. [3] [ dead link ]
Ashburton is a large town in the Canterbury Region, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The town is the seat of the Ashburton District. It is 85 kilometres (53 mi) south west of Christchurch and is sometimes regarded as a satellite town of Christchurch.
Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level.
Mayfield is a small farming settlement in Mid Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 35 km from Ashburton on former State Highway 72 at the intersection of the Lismore-Mayfield Road towards the top of the Canterbury Plains. Mayfield is within the Ashburton District Council and Canterbury Regional Council boundaries. The population of the Mayfield village is around 200. The majority of the population is engaged either directly or indirectly in farming or farming related services.
Mid Canterbury is a traditional, semi-official subregion of New Zealand's Canterbury Region extending inland from the Pacific coast to the Southern Alps. It is one of four traditional sub-regions of Canterbury, along with South Canterbury, North Canterbury, and Christchurch City.
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.
The Hinds River is a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Its north and south branches drain the eastern flank of the Moorhouse Range, part of the Southern Alps, and their confluence is near Anama and Mayfield. The river then flows across the Canterbury Plains towards the Pacific Ocean, passing through the small town of Hinds along the way. In Hinds, State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway cross the river. The river's mouth is located between the localities of Longbeach and Lowcliffe.
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.
Eiffelton is a lightly populated locality in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.
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.
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.
Huntingdon is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the southern bank of the Ashburton River / Hakatere, south of Ashburton. Other nearby settlements include Willowby to the west, Wheatstone, Flemington, and Ashton to the south, and Wakanui to the east across the river.
Wheatstone is a locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains south of Ashburton, on the banks of the Ashburton River / Hakatere. Other nearby settlements include Huntingdon to the north, Eiffelton and Flemington to the west, Ashton and Waterton to the south, and Riverside and Wakanui to the east on the opposite side of the Ashburton River / Hakatere. Wheatstone is slightly inland from the coastline of the Pacific Ocean.
Ashton is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the Canterbury Plains south of Ashburton, on the Pacific Ocean coastline. It is on the southern side of the Ashburton River / Hakatere's mouth. Nearby settlements include Huntingdon and Wheatstone to the north, Waterton to the southwest, and across the Ashburton River / Hakatere, Riverside to the northeast.
Flemington is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.
Ellesmere was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It existed for two periods between 1861 and 1928 and was represented by six Members of Parliament.
The Ashburton River / Hakatere is a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, flowing across Mid Canterbury from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean. The official name of the river was amended to become a dual name by the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. It has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports breeding colonies of the endangered black-billed gull.
Staveley is a small township in the Ashburton District, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Fairton is a town in the Ashburton District, New Zealand. According to the 2001 New Zealand census it had a population of 1185, of which 612 were male and 573 were female.