Ngapara
Encyclopedia
Ngapara is a locality in the north Otago
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is located in a rural setting 25 km inland from Oamaru
. The name of Ngapara is derived from the Māori word for the "tables" or plateaus of limestone
in the area.
is the most important economic activity, with farming activity consisting primarily of sheep husbandry
and growing cereal crops such as wheat
. A flour mill was established in the town in 1898. Heavier industrial activity has also taken place around Ngapara, including mining for lignite
coal
and limestone
.
In recent years due to the dairy boom happening around New Zealand
, there has been an increase in the number of dairy farms in the surrounding area. This is aided by the installment of the Tokarahi Irrigation Scheme in 2006. This scheme has provided a much needed source of water to farmers of the area.
, a branch line
railway that left the Main South Line
near Oamaru. At its peak, Ngapara station had a small locomotive depot
, complete with turntable
. Ngapara was one of the first towns on New Zealand's national rail network
to lose its passenger service, with a bus substitute introduced in December 1926. In the wake of this decision, the locomotive depot was closed in 1927 and trains operated from Oamaru rather than Ngapara, though the turntable remained inactive and was not removed until the last train, a work train that ran on 10 December 1959, months after the official closure. Some remnants of the railway remain, including the station's platform and loading bank, and the station sign is now affixed to the exterior of the local rugby club's rooms.
, with some at Duntroon
primary school. Much of Ngapara Primary School's buildings and supplies were transferred for use in Weston.
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...
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 located in a rural setting 25 km inland from Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
. The name of Ngapara is derived from the Māori word for the "tables" or plateaus of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in the area.
Economy
AgricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
is the most important economic activity, with farming activity consisting primarily of sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
and growing cereal crops such as wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. A flour mill was established in the town in 1898. Heavier industrial activity has also taken place around Ngapara, including mining for lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
.
In recent years due to the dairy boom happening around 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...
, there has been an increase in the number of dairy farms in the surrounding area. This is aided by the installment of the Tokarahi Irrigation Scheme in 2006. This scheme has provided a much needed source of water to farmers of the area.
Railway
From 1 April 1877 until 31 July 1959, Ngapara was the terminus of the Ngapara BranchNgapara and Tokarahi Branches
The Ngapara and Tokarahi Branches were two connected railway branch lines in northern Otago, New Zealand, part of the national rail network. The Ngapara Branch opened in 1877 and almost all of it closed in 1959; the remaining few kilometres, called the Waiareka Industrial Line, were removed in...
, 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 that left 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...
near Oamaru. At its peak, Ngapara station had a small locomotive depot
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
, complete with turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
. Ngapara was one of the first towns on New Zealand's national rail network
Rail transport in New Zealand
Rail transport in New Zealand consists of a network of gauge railway lines in both the North and South Islands. Rail services are focused primarily on freight, particularly bulk freight, with limited passenger services on some lines...
to lose its passenger service, with a bus substitute introduced in December 1926. In the wake of this decision, the locomotive depot was closed in 1927 and trains operated from Oamaru rather than Ngapara, though the turntable remained inactive and was not removed until the last train, a work train that ran on 10 December 1959, months after the official closure. Some remnants of the railway remain, including the station's platform and loading bank, and the station sign is now affixed to the exterior of the local rugby club's rooms.
School
Ngapara Primary School was opened in 1877, for 5 to 13-year-old children. In latter years it had 23 students and one teacher. When the students reached high school age they were bused into Oamaru to one of its three high schools. In 1998 the school closed, and since then students have mostly attended the primary school in WestonWeston, New Zealand
Weston is a township situated inland from Oamaru, South Island, New Zealand. It is regarded as one of the more affluent townships of the Waitaki District and had a population of 730 in the 2006 census....
, with some at Duntroon
Duntroon, New Zealand
Duntroon is a small farming town in the Waitaki District of New Zealand's South Island. Although traditionally considered a North Otago town, it is presently officially located within the farthest southern reaches of Canterbury...
primary school. Much of Ngapara Primary School's buildings and supplies were transferred for use in Weston.