Eyreton
Encyclopedia
Eyreton, originally known as Eyretown, is a small village in the Canterbury
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is named after Edward John Eyre
, who at one time was the lieutenant governor of the South Island (then known as New Munster
). It is a rural village located to the west of Kaiapoi
, near the north bank of the Waimakariri River
, and the 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
revealed that 2,139 people lived in Eyreton and the surrounding area. This was an increase of 624 people, or 41.1%, since the 1996 census.
Although a branch line
railway called the Eyreton Branch existed, it never actually ran through Eyreton; its route from Kaiapoi to West Eyreton
passed north of the village.
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
region 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...
's 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...
. It is named after Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
, who at one time was the lieutenant governor of the South Island (then known as New Munster
New Munster
New Munster was an early original European name for the South Island of New Zealand, given by the Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson, in honour of Munster, the Irish province in which he was born.-Province:...
). It is a rural village located to the west of Kaiapoi
Kaiapoi
Kaiapoi is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, located close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River, and approximately 17 kilometres north of Christchurch....
, near the north bank of the Waimakariri River
Waimakariri River
The Waimakariri River is the largest of the North Canterbury rivers, in the South Island of New Zealand. It flows for 151 kilometres in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean....
, and the 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
revealed that 2,139 people lived in Eyreton and the surrounding area. This was an increase of 624 people, or 41.1%, since the 1996 census.
Although a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway called the Eyreton Branch existed, it never actually ran through Eyreton; its route from Kaiapoi to West Eyreton
West Eyreton
West Eyreton is a small rural village in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located west of Kaiapoi and northwest of Eyreton and is named after Edward John Eyre, a 19th century lieutenant governor of the South Island...
passed north of the village.