Amberley, New Zealand

Amberley (Māori: Kōwai) is a town located in the Hurunui District in north Canterbury, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 approximately 50 km north of Christchurch. It is the seat of the Hurunui District Council.

Amberley

Kōwai (Māori)
CountryNew Zealand
RegionCanterbury
Territorial authorityHurunui District
Area
 • Total2.95 km2 (1.14 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2019)[2]
 • Total1,800
 • Density610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postcode
7410
Local iwiNgāi Tahu

Population

At the time of the 2006 New Zealand census, the population of Amberley was 1302, an increase of almost 15% in the previous 5 years. Just under 30% of the population was aged over 65, significantly higher than the national average. In addition, more than 2,300 people lived in the rural areas serviced by the town or in adjacent villages such as Waipara and Leithfield. Ethnically, it has one of the lowest concentrations of non-European populations in New Zealand, with local council staff admitting the locals could identify the identities of all Māori and Asians recorded.[3]

Local information

Amberley is the seat of the Hurunui District Council and the service centre for a district of arable and sheep farming. Once a year, the local A&P (Agricultural and Pastoral) show is held, usually mid-Spring.

Amberley Primary School
Rewi Alley Memorial

Amberley Primary School's Rewi Alley Community Centre has a memorial to Rewi Alley who attended there.

There is a statue in memory of Charles Upham just outside the council building. Upham farmed in the Cheviot area. Nearby the statue sit three limestone carvings, labelled The Grandmothers, which celebrate the ancient Waitaha people. Carved by Sculptor Warren Thompson, the statues were unveiled in May 2003 by the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Statue of Charles Upham

Education

Amberley School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[4][5] with a roll of 224 as of March 2020.[6]

References
  1. "2006 Census Meshblock Dataset". Archived from the original on 14 August 2008.
  2. "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2019". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  3. Michelle Coursey (5 August 2007). "Our whitest region". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2015. When the Census figures come out, and say there are a certain number of Maori or Asian people, people know who they are. ... because there are so few.
  4. "Amberley School Official School Website". amberley.school.nz.
  5. "Amberley School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  6. "Amberley School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.

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