Balclutha, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Balclutha is a town in Otago
, it lies 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 4104 (2001 census), and is the largest town in South Otago
.
The Clutha District Council
is based in Balclutha.
The major service center 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.
origin of the town's settlement, and translates from Scottish Gaelic 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, NZ 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).
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.
The most prominent structure in the town is the concrete
Road Bridge across the river, which was built in 1935. - The initial 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 .
Most of Balclutha township lies on 'the flat' land which lies within a wide loop in the river to the south of the distinctive Balclutha Road Bridge
, but North Balclutha is on the hill to the north of the bridge and Rosebank on the hill to the South.
Government-funded educational facilities include:
, and Matai Falls, a natural waterfall and scenic feature is in the Catlins. The Nuggets near Kaka Point
are worth noting. The Yellow-eyed Penguin
also comes ashore for breeding in the Balclutha area at the edge of the Catlins. These are only a few examples and anyone interested will find many more.
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
, it lies towards the end of the Clutha River
Clutha River
The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand flowing south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of ,...
on the east coast of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is about halfway between Dunedin and Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
on the Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
railway, State Highway 1
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
and the Southern Scenic Route
Southern Scenic Route
The Southern Scenic Route is a tourist highway in New Zealand linking Queenstown, Fiordland, Te Anau and the iconic Milford Road to Dunedin via, Riverton, Invercargill and The Catlins...
. Balclutha has a population of 4104 (2001 census), and is the largest town in South Otago
South Otago
South Otago lies in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand. As the name suggests, it forms the southernmost part of the geographical region of Otago....
.
The Clutha District Council
Clutha District
The Clutha District is an administrative district of southern New Zealand, with its headquarters in the Otago town of Balclutha. The Clutha District has a land area of 6,362.86 km² and a 2006 census population of 16,839 usual residents...
is based in Balclutha.
The major service center for the fertile farming region around the lower reaches of the Clutha River, it is also the nearest large town to the Catlins
The Catlins
The Catlins comprises an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions...
, a scenic region of native forest, wildlife, and rugged coastline.
Origins
Known locally as "Clutha", Balclutha's name - and that of the river on which it stands - reflects the ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
origin of the town's settlement, and translates from Scottish Gaelic as "Town on the Clyde".
James McNeil from Bonn Hill
Bonhill
Bonhill is a town in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is sited on the Eastern bank of the River Leven, on the opposite bank from the larger town of Alexandria.-History:...
, Dumbartonshire
Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
, Scotland, who is regarded as the town's founding father, arrived in 1853 - via Port Chalmers, NZ 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
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
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 flows through the town. The Clutha RiverClutha River
The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand flowing south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of ,...
is the largest river in New Zealand by volume of water, and the country's second longest after the Waikato
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
. It provides the town with various recreational facilities, including fishing (brown trout), water skiing and power boating.
The most prominent structure in the town is the concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
Road Bridge across the river, which was built in 1935. - The initial 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
South Island Main Trunk Railway
The Main North Line between Picton and Christchurch and the Main South Line between Lyttelton and Invercargill, running down the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand, are sometimes together referred to as 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 .
Most of Balclutha township lies on 'the flat' land which lies within a wide loop in the river to the south of the distinctive Balclutha Road Bridge
Balclutha Road Bridge
The Balclutha Road Bridge, which spans the Clutha River in Balclutha, South Otago, New Zealand, is one of the best-known road bridges in New Zealand's South Island. The bridge is often simply known as "The Clutha Bridge", despite the fact that there are numerous bridges across the country's second...
, but North Balclutha is on the hill to the north of the bridge and Rosebank on the hill to the South.
Government-funded educational facilities include:
- South Otago High SchoolSouth Otago High SchoolSouth Otago High School is situated in Balclutha, Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest school in the South Otago region. The country's second longest river, the Clutha River, marks the northeastern boundary of the School's grounds....
- Balclutha Primary School
- Rosebank Primary School
- St. Joseph's Primary School
Natural history
Including the environs of the Clutha itself, there are a number of other interesting natural features in and near Balclutha. Nearby at Benhar / Kaitangata is Lake TuakitotoLake Tuakitoto
Lake Tuakitoto is a small lake in South Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located to the northeast of Balclutha, close to the small town of Kaitangata. The smallest of South Otago's three main lakes, it is, like the others very shallow. The lake drains into the lower reaches of the...
, and Matai Falls, a natural waterfall and scenic feature is in the Catlins. The Nuggets near Kaka Point
Kaka Point
Kaka Point is a small settlement at the northern edge of The Catlins, an area of the southern South Island of New Zealand. It is located 14 kilometres south of Balclutha and eight kilometres north of the headland of Nugget Point. It has a seasonally fluctuating population, and there are numerous...
are worth noting. The Yellow-eyed Penguin
Yellow-eyed Penguin
The Yellow-eyed Penguin or Hoiho is a penguin native to New Zealand. Previously thought closely related to the Little Penguin , molecular research has shown it more closely related to penguins of the genus Eudyptes...
also comes ashore for breeding in the Balclutha area at the edge of the Catlins. These are only a few examples and anyone interested will find many more.
Noted people from Balclutha
- Ronald AlgieRonald AlgieSir Ronald Macmillan Algie was a New Zealand politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for six years in the 1960s. He described himself as "a Tory in the old tradition".-Early life:...
, politician, was educated in Balclutha - John BarrJohn Barr (poet)John Barr of Craigilee was a Scottish-New Zealand poet.-Biography:Born in Paisley, Scotland in 1809, Barr moved to Otago in 1852, and farmed a property at Halfway Bush. In 1857 he moved with his wife Mary and their four children to Balclutha, and established a farm which he called Craigilee. He...
, poet - Aubrey BeggAubrey BeggAubrey Wilbert Begg is a former New Zealand Member of Parliament, for Awarua in Southland.-Member of Parliament:Begg represented the Awarua electorate for the Labour Party in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1972 to 1975. In the 1978 election, he was the Labour candidate for...
, politician - Tony Brown, All BlackAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
rugby union player - Ivor Endicott-Davies (b. c1950), 6th dan judoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
ka. Former New Zealand national champion and Australian national Masters champion - Morgan Endicott-DaviesMorgan Endicott-DaviesMorgan Endicott-Davies is an Australian Olympic judo competitor. He is a multiple-time Australian and New Zealand national judo champion and international medallist in judo...
, judoka - Phillipa FinchPhillipa FinchPhillipa Finch is a New Zealand netball player. Finch played with the Otago Rebels in the National Bank Cup from 2001. With the start of the ANZ Championship, Finch was signed with the Canterbury Tactix, although she continued to play provincial netball with Otago...
, netballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
er - Aaron GaleAaron GaleAaron James Gale is a former New Zealand cricketer. In 1992-93 he took a hat-trick for the Otago against Canterbury in Dunedin.-References:...
, international cricketer - Hone KoukaHone KoukaHone Kouka is an acclaimed New Zealand playwright. He has written 13 plays which have been staged in New Zealand and worldwide including Canada, South Africa, New Caledonia and Britain. Kouka's plays have won multiple awards at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, the 'Oscars' of New Zealand theatre....
, playwright - Robbie JohnstonRobbie JohnstonRobert Ian Johnston is a retired long-distance runner from New Zealand, who represented his native country twice in the men's 10.000 metres at the Summer Olympics, starting in 1992...
, Olympic long-distance runner - Ian Murray MackerrasIan Murray MackerrasIan Murray Mackerras was an Australian zoologist.Mackerras was born in Balclutha, New Zealand to James Murray Mackerras, and Elizabeth Mary , both farmers. His parents separated and Ian and brother Alan lived with their mother in Sydney...
, zoologist - Jan MortimerJan MortimerJan Mortimer is a draughts or checkers player who entered the game late in life. In 2002 she went to the United States to compete in the U.S. National Championship and won. She later competed at the world level facing Patricia Breen for the women's champion in 2003, then in 2004 won the World...
, international draughts player - Rachel PullarRachel PullarRachel Jane Pullar is a former international cricketer for New Zealand. She played 51 women's one-day internationals for New Zealand women ebtween 1997 and 2005 and she has twice claimed five-wickets in an innings.-References:...
, women's international cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er - Barbara TildenBarbara TildenBarbara Diane Tilden is a retired field hockey player from New Zealand, who was a member of the national team that finished sixth at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.-References:*...
, international hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player - Sarah TsukigawaSarah TsukigawaSarah Jane Tsukigawa is a New Zealand cricketer who plays for the White Ferns and the Otago Sparks in the State League.She is a right-handed batter who bowls Right-arm medium pace. She has played 12 ODIs...
, women's international cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er - Rob Webster, virologist
- Debbie WhiteDebbie WhiteDebbie White is a New Zealand netball player. White played domestic netball for the Otago Rebels in the National Bank Cup from 1999 to 2007, becoming the franchise's most capped player. In 2005, she gained selection for the New Zealand national squad, the Silver Ferns, and debuted for the team in...
, international netballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
player