Darfield, New Zealand

Darfield is a town in the Selwyn District of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 35 kilometres west of the outskirts of Christchurch on State Highway 73 (Great Alpine Highway) and on the Midland railway line, route of the TranzAlpine train service. Its population is 2,900 as of June 2019.[2]

Darfield
Minor urban area
Darfield sign on New Zealand State Highway 73, the main street of Darfield
Darfield
Coordinates: 43°29′S 172°07′E
Country New Zealand
RegionCanterbury
Territorial authoritySelwyn District
ElectoratesSelwyn
Te Tai Tonga[1]
Population
 (June 2019)[2]
 • Total2,900
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)
7510
Area code(s)03
Local iwiNgāi Tahu
Clock at Darfield, New Zealand

Darfield is the main town between Christchurch and the West Coast region. It is often called "The township under the nor'west arch" in reference to a characteristic weather phenomenon that often creates an arch of cloud in an otherwise clear sky to the west of the township. This is caused by the condensation of water particles channelled upwards over the Southern Alps. Darfield has many churches, an intermediate/high school, preschools, and a primary school, as well as several shops and two resthomes.

Darfield lies in the Malvern district's arable and pastoral farming area. It is a gateway to the scenic Waimakariri and Rakaia rivers and the Southern Alps, and is also a popular lift-off place for hot air ballooning.

Fonterra has a milk powder factory near the town. The factory has a series of sidings and a container loading centre.[3]

History

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred near Darfield at 4:35 am on 4 September 2010, causing widespread damage to both the town and to surrounding areas including the city of Christchurch.[4]

Notable people from Darfield
  • John Wright (5 July 1954), New Zealand cricketer and former coach of the Indian national cricket team
  • Mary Clinton (8 May 1960), New Zealand field hockey player
  • Brian Connell (23 April 1956), politician
  • James Te Huna (29 September 1981), first New Zealander to enter the UFC, 2010 (Ultimate Fighting Championships)
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References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2019". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  3. "KiwiRail opens South Island Freight Link". International Railway Journal. 20 April 2013.
  4. Booker, Jarrod (4 September 2010). ""Extremely violent" 7.4 quake hits Christchurch". The New Zealand Herald.
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