Balclutha, New Zealand

Balclutha (Māori: Iwikatea) is a town in Otago, lying towards the end of the Clutha River, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is about halfway between Dunedin and Invercargill on the Main South Line railway, State Highway 1 and the Southern Scenic Route. Balclutha has a population of 4,060 (as of June 2019), and is the largest town in South Otago.

Balclutha

Iwikatea (Māori)
Town
Looking across the Clutha towards the town centre. The distinctive road bridge is visible in the centre of the picture
Balclutha
Location of Balclutha within New Zealand
Coordinates: 46°14′S 169°45′E
CountryNew Zealand
RegionOtago
Territorial authorityClutha District
Population
 (June 2019)[1]
 • Total4,060
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)
9230
Local iwiNgāi Tahu

The Clutha District Council is based in Balclutha.

The major service centre for the fertile farming region around the lower reaches of the Clutha River, it is also the nearest large town to the Catlins, a scenic region of native forest, wildlife, and rugged coastline.

History

Known locally as "Clutha", Balclutha's name – and that of the river on which it stands – reflects the Scottish origin of the town's settlement. The name comes from Scottish Gaelic and would be spelt Baile Cluaidh in that language; this translates into English as "Town on the Clyde".

James McNeil from Bonn Hill, Dumbartonshire, Scotland, who is regarded as the town's founding father, arrived in 1853, via Port Chalmers in 1849. His farm was on the site of the present town, where he and the Provincial Government established a ferry service across the Clutha in 1857; as a result the town was initially called Clutha Ferry.

The Māori name for the area is Iwikatea, literally "Bleached bones" (a local Māori tribal battle in 1750 left the decomposing bodies of the defeated, their bones whitened in the sun).

Landmarks

The Clutha River flows through the town. It is the largest river in New Zealand by volume of water, and the country's second longest after the Waikato. It provides the town with various recreational facilities, including fishing (brown trout), water skiing and power boating.

Balclutha Road Bridge

The most prominent structure in the town is the concrete Balclutha Road Bridge across the river, which was built in 1935. The original 1868 wooden bridge was washed away on 14 October 1878. Rebuilt in 1881, it was later considered unsuitable for motor vehicles.

The South Island Main Trunk Railway crosses the river some 800 metres downstream, near the junction where the Clutha River divides into the southern branch, known as the Koau (pied shag), and the northern the Matau (derived from Mata Au, the Maori name for the Clutha).

Most of Balclutha township lies on 'the flat' land which lies within a wide loop in the river to the south of the road bridge, but North Balclutha is on the hill to the north of the bridge and Rosebank on the hill to the south.

There are several natural features in and near Balclutha. Nearby at Benhar / Kaitangata is Lake Tuakitoto, and Matai Falls, a natural waterfall and scenic feature is in the Catlins.[2] The yellow-eyed penguin comes ashore for breeding in the Balclutha area at the edge of the Catlins, and The Nuggets are located at nearby Kaka Point.

Education

Primary schools

Balclutha School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[3] with a roll of 156 as of March 2020.[4]

Rosebank School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[5][6] with a roll of 256.[7]

St Joseph's School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[8] with a roll of 55.[9]

Secondary schools

South Otago High School is a co-educational state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students,[10][11] with a roll of 456.[12]

Tertiary education

There is one tertiary education facility, Telford, a campus of the Southern Institute of Technology.[13]

Notable people

Notes
  1. "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2019". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. Bette Flagler. 2005
  3. "Balclutha School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  4. "Balclutha School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  5. "Rosebank School Official School Website". rosebankschool.co.nz.
  6. "Rosebank School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  7. "Rosebank School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  8. "St Joseph's School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  9. "St Joseph's School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  10. "South Otago High School Official School Website". sohs.school.nz.
  11. "South Otago High School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  12. "South Otago High School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  13. "Search Results Web result with site links Telford - Southern Institute of Technology". sit.ac.nz. Southern Institute of Technology.
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References
  • Bette Flagler. 2005. Adventure guide: New Zealand, Hunter Publishing, Inc, 800 pages ISBN 1-58843-405-2
  • Reed, A.W. (2002) The Reed dictionary of New Zealand place names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-790-00761-4.

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