Sheffield and Waddington, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Sheffield is a small village located in the Selwyn District
of the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island
, near the Waimakariri Gorge
.
Sheffield has a close association with its neighbouring village Waddington
, which is 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) further south-east along State Highway 73
. The two villages share a community committee.
The two villages have a combined population of 444 according to the 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
and are located between Darfield
and Springfield
on State Highway 73 and the Midland Line
railway. The towns were settled in the 19th century by farmers attracted to the area for sheep grazing.
Sheffield has a railway station and was once a railway junction. The first railway line reached the town in the 1870s from a junction in Darfield with the Whitecliffs Branch. This line, then known as the Malvern Branch line
, grew to become the Midland Line between Christchurch
and the West Coast. On 28 July 1884, the Oxford Branch was extended over the Waimakariri River
to Sheffield, making the town a railway junction. Plans existed to continue this extension south from Sheffield as part of the proposed Canterbury Interior Main Line
, but this never came to fruition and the rail link with Oxford closed on 14 July 1930.
Selwyn District
The Selwyn District is a predominantly rural area in central Canterbury, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is named after the Selwyn River, which is in turn named after Bishop George Selwyn, the first Anglican bishop of New Zealand who, in 1843 and 1844, travelled the length of...
of the Canterbury region of New Zealand'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...
, near the Waimakariri Gorge
Waimakariri Gorge
The Waimakariri Gorge is located on the Waimakariri River in inland Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand.Like its neighbour, the Rakaia River, the Waimakariri runs through wide shingle beds for much of its length, but is forced through a narrow canyon as it approaches the Canterbury...
.
Sheffield has a close association with its neighbouring village Waddington
Waddington, New Zealand
Waddington is a small village located in the Selwyn District of the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island, near the Waimakariri Gorge.-Description:...
, which is 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) further south-east along State Highway 73
New Zealand State Highway 73
State Highway 73 is a major east-west South Island State Highway in New Zealand connecting Christchurch on the east coast with Greymouth/Hokitika on the west coast via the Southern Alps...
. The two villages share a community committee.
The two villages have a combined population of 444 according to 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...
and are located between Darfield
Darfield, New Zealand
Darfield is a town in the Selwyn District of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 35 kilometres west from the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand on State Highway 73 and the town is on the Midland railway line, route of the famous TranzAlpine train service...
and Springfield
Springfield, New Zealand
Springfield is a small town in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, in the South Island, of New Zealand. In 2001 it had a population of 219. At the foot of the Southern Alps, west of Christchurch, it is the most westerly town of the central Canterbury Plains...
on State Highway 73 and the Midland Line
Midland Line, New Zealand
The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...
railway. The towns were settled in the 19th century by farmers attracted to the area for sheep grazing.
Sheffield has a railway station and was once a railway junction. The first railway line reached the town in the 1870s from a junction in Darfield with the Whitecliffs Branch. This line, then known as the Malvern 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...
, grew to become the Midland Line between Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and the West Coast. On 28 July 1884, the Oxford Branch was extended over 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....
to Sheffield, making the town a railway junction. Plans existed to continue this extension south from Sheffield as part of the proposed Canterbury Interior Main Line
Canterbury Interior Main Line
The Canterbury Interior Main Line was a proposed railway line that would have linked many of the branch lines in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island...
, but this never came to fruition and the rail link with Oxford closed on 14 July 1930.