Mayfield, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Mayfield is a small farming settlement in Mid Canterbury, in New Zealand
's South Island
. It is located 35 km from Ashburton
on former State Highway 72 at the intersection of the Lismore-Mayfield Road towards the top of the Canterbury Plains
. The village has a shop, garage, tavern, local transport company and rural supply store. The population of the Mayfield village is around 200.
The town has a voluntary rural fire brigade staffed by locals. The brigade uses a Bedford
tanker and International fire appliance. The fire brigade is particularly useful since the climate and local farms are particularly prone to drought and grass fires during the summer season.
The first post office
in Mayfield was established on 1st September 1879 when Mr. John Bowick was appointed Postmaster. He was later bought out on 1st July 1881 by Mr. Dellow, a local blacksmith
. But it was only in mid 1889 that a post office with telegraph office and bureau was opened. The Mayfield post Office was in use from this time until it was downgraded to a volunteer Post office in 1982. Several local ladies held the position of volunteer Postmistress thereafter until the postal services were shifted to the local store..
The local store burnt down in early 2008 but re-opened in early 2009.
The Mayfield Agricultural and Pastoral show takes place on the second Saturday in March each year.
In June 2006 Mayfield and the Mid Canterbury region were hit by large snowfalls disrupting power, phone and roads. Power remained cut for hundreds of households more than a week after the event making it one of the worst storms to hit the region in several decades.
Secondary education is undertaken at Geraldine High School or Ashburton College, with school buses running from Mayfield to both schools.
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 located 35 km from Ashburton
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
on former State Highway 72 at the intersection of the Lismore-Mayfield Road towards the top of the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains
The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...
. The village has a shop, garage, tavern, local transport company and rural supply store. The population of the Mayfield village is around 200.
The town has a voluntary rural fire brigade staffed by locals. The brigade uses a Bedford
Bedford Vehicles
Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, itself the British subsidiary of General Motors , established in 1930; and constructing commercial vehicles. Bedford Vehicles was a leading international truck manufacturer, with substantial export sales of...
tanker and International fire appliance. The fire brigade is particularly useful since the climate and local farms are particularly prone to drought and grass fires during the summer season.
The first post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
in Mayfield was established on 1st September 1879 when Mr. John Bowick was appointed Postmaster. He was later bought out on 1st July 1881 by Mr. Dellow, a local blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. But it was only in mid 1889 that a post office with telegraph office and bureau was opened. The Mayfield post Office was in use from this time until it was downgraded to a volunteer Post office in 1982. Several local ladies held the position of volunteer Postmistress thereafter until the postal services were shifted to the local store..
The local store burnt down in early 2008 but re-opened in early 2009.
The Mayfield Agricultural and Pastoral show takes place on the second Saturday in March each year.
In June 2006 Mayfield and the Mid Canterbury region were hit by large snowfalls disrupting power, phone and roads. Power remained cut for hundreds of households more than a week after the event making it one of the worst storms to hit the region in several decades.
Education
Mayfield is the location of a primary school that services the township and surrounding community. The school was opened sometime between 1880 and 1887. In 2000 the school was increased in size when the smaller Lismore and Westerfield schools were closed. Students at these schools transferred to Mayfield. Two relocatable classrooms from Lismore were moved to Mayfield to add two additional classrooms while another building was used to extend the library/hall. Mayfield School is a decile 9 co-educational state full primary school (U2 grade) catering for New Entrants to Year 8 students. At the end of 2010 the roll was 71 students.Secondary education is undertaken at Geraldine High School or Ashburton College, with school buses running from Mayfield to both schools.