Timaru
Encyclopedia
| Timaru | |
| Urban Area | |
|---|---|
| Population: | 27,200 |
| Extent: | Former Timaru City Council |
| Territorial Authority | |
| Name: | Timaru District Council |
| Population: | 42,867 (2006 census) |
| Land area: | 2,736.54 km² (1,056.58 sq mi) |
| Mayor: | Janie Annear |
| Website: | http://www.timaru.govt.nz/ |
| Extent: | Rangitata River to Pareora River, Pacific Ocean to Mackenzie District, including Rangitata Gorge |
| Regional council | |
| Name: | Canterbury Regional Council |
Timaru is a major port in the southern 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...
, located 160 kilometres southwest of 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 about 200 kilometres northeast of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
on the eastern Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
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...
. The Timaru District, a territorial authority
Territorial authorities of New Zealand
Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils, and the Chatham Islands Council...
of 42,867 people (2006 census) in and around the former Timaru City (27,200), includes a prosperous agricultural hinterland with links to smaller rural communities such as Pleasant Point
Pleasant Point, New Zealand
Pleasant Point is a small country town in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, some 19 km inland from Timaru. A service town for the surrounding farming district, it has a population of 1,222 and one of its main attractions is the heritage railway, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which...
(1,170), Temuka
Temuka
Temuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town.-History:...
(4,044), and Geraldine
Geraldine, New Zealand
Geraldine is a town in the Canterbury Region on the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 140 km south of Christchurch, and inland from Timaru, which is 35 km to the south...
(2,244). The town of Waimate
Waimate
WaimateUrban AreaPopulation:2,835 Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Waimate District CouncilPopulation:7,206 Land area:3,582.19 km² Mayor:John ColesWebsite:...
is about 40 kilometres to the south on the road to 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...
and Dunedin. The Timaru urban area is the second largest city in the Canterbury Region, after Christchurch.
Caroline Bay beach is a popular recreational area located close to Timaru's town centre, just to the north of the substantial port facilities. Beyond Caroline Bay, the industrial suburb of Washdyke
Washdyke
Washdyke is an industrial suburb in the north of Timaru, in south Canterbury, New Zealand. State Highway 1 passes through Washdyke on the way north out of the city...
is at a major junction with State Highway 8, the main route into the Mackenzie Country
Mackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin , is an elliptical intermontane basin, located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest such basin in New Zealand...
. This provides a road link to Fairlie
Fairlie, New Zealand
FairlieUrban AreaPopulation:723Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Mackenzie District CouncilPopulation:Mayor:Website:Extent:Regional councilName:Environment Canterbury...
, Twizel
Twizel
TwizelUrban AreaPopulation:1,000Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Mackenzie District CouncilPopulation:Mayor:Website:Extent:Regional councilName:Environment Canterbury...
, Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is the second-largest of three roughly parallel lakes running north–south along the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand...
, Aoraki/Mount Cook
Aoraki/Mount Cook
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching .It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers...
and Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
.
Timaru has been constructed on rolling hills created from the lava flows of the extinct Mt Horrible volcano, which last erupted many thousands of years ago. The result is that most of the main streets are undulating, a clear contrast with the flat landscape 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...
to the north. This volcanic rock is used for the construction of local "bluestone
Bluestone
Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including:*a feldspathic sandstone in the U.S. and Canada;*limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the U.S...
" buildings.
Timaru district settlements
- Pleasant PointPleasant Point, New ZealandPleasant Point is a small country town in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, some 19 km inland from Timaru. A service town for the surrounding farming district, it has a population of 1,222 and one of its main attractions is the heritage railway, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which...
- TemukaTemukaTemuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town.-History:...
- CaveCave, New ZealandCaveUrban AreaPopulation:Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:http://www.timaru.govt.nz/Extent:...
- GeraldineGeraldine, New ZealandGeraldine is a town in the Canterbury Region on the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 140 km south of Christchurch, and inland from Timaru, which is 35 km to the south...
- OrariOrari, New ZealandOrari is a small town in the South-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway pass through Orari....
- Pareora
Early settlement
The origin of the name 'Timaru' is disputed . Some believe that it derives from MāoriMaori 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...
Te Maru, which can mean a 'place of shelter'. However, other authorities allege that Timaru originates from a literal translation of the combination of ti, a cabbage tree and maru, meaning 'shady'. Timaru is pronounced ˈtɪməruː .
Māori canoes seem to have employed the site of Timaru as a place to rest on long journeys up and down the eastern coastline for many years before the arrival of the first Europeans in the 19th century. The area includes over 500 sites with traces of Māori rock art, particularly in the rock overhangs and caves of the Opuha and Opihi river valleys, to the west of modern day Timaru. Archaeologists have suggested that Māori tribes were permanently settled in the district before 1400 AD. During the 17th or 18th century the resident Ngāti Mamoe were driven southwards into Fiordland
Fiordland
Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys...
by an invasion of the Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori iwi of the southern region of New Zealand, with the tribal authority, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, being based in Christchurch and Invercargill. The iwi combines three groups, Kāi Tahu itself, and Waitaha and Kāti Mamoe who lived in the South Island prior...
, who came from the North Island.
19th century European settlement
European settlement began with the construction of a whalingWhaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
station in 1839 by the Weller brothers
Weller brothers
The Weller brothers, Englishmen of Sydney and Otago, New Zealand, were the founders of a whaling station on Otago Harbour and New Zealand’s most substantial merchant traders in the 1830s.-Immigration:...
of Otago
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...
at Patiti Point, close to the present town centre. A supply ship, The Caroline, provided the name for a local bay. Later a sheep station, known as The Levels, was created on land purchased by the Rhodes brothers. Few lived in Timaru until 1859 when the ship SS Strathallan arrived from England, carrying a party of 120 immigrants. Persistent land disputes arose between the brothers and local government officials with the result that two townships were established in the port area, Government Town and Rhodestown. These eventually merged into a single community in 1868. Given this division, until recently none of the main north-south streets lined up. Stafford Street, which became the main thoroughfare, was formed along the early bullock wagon trail.
Following the loss of a number of vessels off the coast, work started on the redevelopment of the artificial port in 1877, which eventually caused sand washed south down the Pacific shoreline to build up against the northern mole. This was the beginning of the extensive land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
around the Caroline Bay district, an area which is still growing today.
20th century development
Timaru continued to expand during the 20th century, with much of the development taking the form of wooden colonial style bungalows set in individual sections of land.Climate
Timaru has a dry temperate climate similar to that of neighbouring AshburtonAshburton, 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...
and 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...
. Temperatures are warm in summer and cold in winter, with Timaru's extreme maximum temperature being 41.3°C on 6 February 2011 and extreme minimum temperature of -9.1°C on 3 August 1998. Rain is evenly distributed throughout the year, with a very small proportion of it falling as snow.
Government
Timaru is part of the parliamentary electorate of Rangitata, represented by Jo Goodhew
Jo Goodhew
Jo Goodhew is a New Zealand politician, and currently serves as a member of Parliament.-Early years:Goodhew grew up in Timaru, and attended Timaru Girls' High School. She holds a qualification in nursing from Otago Polytechnic...
of the New Zealand National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
.
Economy
Timaru is one of the major cargo ports of the South Island, with a number of light manufacturing plants associated with the export and import trade. Many of these producers are concerned with processing, packing, and distributing meat, dairy and other agricultural produce.Timaru is the second largest fishing port in New Zealand.
Transport
Timaru is located on State Highway One (SH1)New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
, the main road route down the eastern coast of the South Island.
There are regular coach and minibus services to 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...
, Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, 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,...
, Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
and the Mackenzie Country, leaving from outside the Visitor Information Centre, which provides booking facilities and other travel services.
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...
section of 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...
runs through Timaru and is a significant freight corridor. Passenger rail services were discontinued after the cancellation of the Southerner in February 2002. Between 1949 and 1970, Timaru was serviced by the South Island Limited
South Island Limited
The South Island Limited was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between 1949 and 1970. It operated between Christchurch and Invercargill via Dunedin, and in its heyday, it was New Zealand's premier express....
, one of the former New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
's most prestigious trains.
Richard Pearse Airport
Richard Pearse Airport
Richard Pearse Airport , also known as Timaru Airport, is located in Timaru, New Zealand. The airport takes its name from the local pioneer aviator, Richard Pearse, who allegedly flew before the Wright Brothers...
is located to the north of the town. It is equipped to handle light aircraft and short haul domestic flights, with regular services to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
A number of bus services connect Timaru's suburbs to the town centre.
Education
Further information: List of schools in Canterbury, New Zealand- Pre-school
- Primary Schools
- Barton Rural (previously Fairview)
- Beaconsfield (previously Pareora West )
- Bluestone (previously West School)
- Gleniti
- Grantlea DownsGrantlea Downs SchoolGrantlea Downs School is a primary school in Timaru, New Zealand, and it started in 1959. In 2004 they merged with Seadown School and Grantlea with the new title Grantlea Downs. In 2006-2007 a new hall was built which has a bigger staffroom, offices and meeting room. The Principal of Grantlea Downs...
(previously Grantlea ) - Highfield
- Oceanview Heights (previously Marchwiel School)
- Sacred Heart Primary
- St. Josephs School
- Timaru Christian
- Timaru South School
- Waimataitai
- Secondary SchoolsSecondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
- Timaru Boys' High SchoolTimaru Boys' High SchoolTimaru Boys' High School , established in 1880, is a single sex state secondary school located in the port city of Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand. TBHS caters for years 9 - 13 ....
- Timaru Girls' High SchoolTimaru Girls' High SchoolTimaru Girls' High School is a secondary school in Timaru, New Zealand, founded in 1880. Timaru Girls' High provides education for girls aged between 13 – 18 years of age . It also has a boarding facility within the school grounds for pupils not living in Timaru itself and also caters for...
- Roncalli CollegeRoncalli CollegeRoncalli College is a Catholic college in Timaru, New Zealand. It is named after Pope John XXIII, whose birth name was Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. It is a co-educational college, with approximately 550 students from Year 9 to Year 13, it is situated on Craigie Avenue, next to the Sacred Heart Basilica...
- Craighead Diocesan School
- Mountainview High SchoolMountainview High SchoolMoutainview High School is a co-educational state high school in Timaru, New Zealand. The school runs from year nine to thirteen. The school had a roll of 547 students in 2007; around 40 are International students.-History:...
- Timaru Boys' High School
- Higher EducationHigher educationHigher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
- Aoraki PolytechnicAoraki PolytechnicAoraki Polytechnic is a public NZ Tertiary Education Institution. Aoraki Polytechnic's main campus is based in central Timaru, South Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand. It also has campuses offering a variety of programmes in Ashburton, Oamaru, Christchurch and Dunedin....
- Aoraki Polytechnic
There are a number of primary schools including Timaru South School which has two campuses, one in Timaru and the other in Pareora 12 km away. Timaru also has many nurseries and Plunket rooms.
Shopping
Retailing is concentrated around the Stafford Street area. In addition there are a number of local shopping malls distributed around the town, with extensive parking facilities.Timaru has a branch of The Warehouse, a major national retailer. Ballantynes is a large department store in the city centre.
Tourist attractions
Richard Pearse
Richard William Pearse , son of Cornish immigrants from St Columb near Newquay, a New Zealand farmer and inventor who performed pioneering experiments in aviation....
, a local inventor and his attempts at manned flight in the first years of the 20th century.
The Aigantighe (a Scots Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
word pronounced "egg and tie") Art Gallery in Wai-iti Road is the South Island’s third largest art museum. It holds a collection of New Zealand, Pacific, Asian and European art works from the sixteenth century to the present day and includes a sculpture garden. The gallery was founded in 1956 and is housed in a homestead built in 1908.
Timaru has with a number of open spaces, public gardens and parks. The Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden at Caroline Bay Park is a major feature of the Timaru Piazza development. The parkland of the Bay Area contains a mini golf course, a roller skating rink, a maze and staging for musical events. It is home to the annual Summer Carnival that takes place over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. To the south of the city centre are the Timaru Botanic Gardens, first laid out in 1864, with a notable collection of roses and native tree ferns. To the west is the Centennial Park Reserve, opened in 1940, that includes a tranquil 3.5 km walkway following the wooded valley of the Otipua Creek.
The DB Mainland Brewery in Sheffield Street offers tours and tasting sessions.
The Caroline Bay Carnival, featuring live performances, games, and side shows, takes place from Boxing Day through to mid-January at Caroline Bay Park.
The Timaru Herald
The Timaru Herald is a daily provincial newspaper serving the Timaru, South Canterbury and Otago districts of New Zealand. The current audited daily circulation is about 14,500 copies, with a readership of about 31,000 people. The paper is owned and published by Fairfax New Zealand.-History:The...
is the local daily newspaper for the district and has been published since the mid nineteenth century. Papers are printed in 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...
and then distributed throughout the Otago
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...
and South Canterbury region. The Herald is owned by Fairfax New Zealand
Fairfax New Zealand
Fairfax New Zealand Limited is the largest media company operating in New Zealand, and is part of Australia's Fairfax Media.Fairfax Media established its operation on the 1 July 2003 purchase of the publishing assets of Independent Newspapers Ltd...
. The High Country Herald, also published by Fairfax New Zealand, has a circulation of 43,000 copies.
The region also supports a weekly community newspaper, The Timaru Courier
The Courier (Timaru)
The Timaru Courier is an A3 tabloid community newspaper delivered free to 24,000 homes every Thursday in the Timaru South Canterbury area of New Zealand.- External links :*...
which has a circulation of over 24,000 copies and is delivered free every Thursday to local households. The Courier is owned by Allied Press
Allied Press
Allied Press is a New Zealand publishing company based in Dunedin. The company's main asset is the Otago Daily Times, New Zealand's oldest daily newspaper...
of Dunedin.
Radio
Timaru has 2 local FM radio stations, Classic Hits FMClassic Hits FM
Classic Hits is an Adult Contemporary music radio network broadcasting in 25 markets throughout New Zealand, targeting 25 - 55 year olds. Its a family-focused radio network with some of New Zealand's most experienced broadcasters on air and behind the scenes. It currently has around 387,000...
and Port FM
Port FM
Port FM is a local radio station based in Timaru, New Zealand broadcasting throughout South Canterbury and the MacKenzie Country. It also operates as a network with sister-stations in Ashburton and Oamaru known as 'Port FM Local'....
. There are also many networked FM radio stations, and a voluntary Hospital Radio 88.1/107.5 which has been running for 20 years.
Politics
- Basil ArthurBasil ArthurSir Basil Malcolm Arthur, 5th Baronet served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1984 to 1985. He was a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:...
, Politician - Jo GoodhewJo GoodhewJo Goodhew is a New Zealand politician, and currently serves as a member of Parliament.-Early years:Goodhew grew up in Timaru, and attended Timaru Girls' High School. She holds a qualification in nursing from Otago Polytechnic...
, Politician - Jim SuttonJim SuttonJames Robert Sutton, CNZM , generally known as Jim Sutton, was a New Zealand politician from 1984–1990 and from 1993–2006. He has held a range of ministerial portfolios including Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Affairs, Biosecurity, and Trade Negotiations.-Biography:Sutton was born in...
, Politician
Film and television
- Kevin Smith, Actor
- Neil Gudsell, Actor/Singer
Music
- Peter DawkinsPeter Dawkins (musician)Peter Dawkins is a New Zealand-born record producer and musician, best known for his hit 1970s productions for Australian-based pop artists, including Dragon, Australian Crawl and Air Supply. He has won multiple production awards, including the Countdown Producer of the Year...
, Record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession.... - Michael HoustounMichael HoustounMichael Houstoun is a concert pianist from New Zealand.Born and educated in Timaru, Houstoun studied piano under Sister Mary Eulalie and Maurice Till in Dunedin and Christchurch...
, Concert Pianist
Sports
- Brendan LaneyBrendan LaneyBrendan James Laney, is a former professional rugby union player who represented Scotland. Nicknamed "Chainsaw" for the way he cut through defences, he was also a good goal kicker. From Southland in New Zealand, he began his professional rugby career at full back for the Highlanders in the Super 12...
, professional rugby player - Bob FitzsimmonsBob FitzsimmonsRobert James "Bob" Fitzsimmons , was a British boxer who made boxing history as the sport's first three-division world champion. He also achieved fame for beating Gentleman Jim Corbett, the man who beat John L. Sullivan, and is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the Lightest heavyweight...
, World Heavyweight Champion from 17 March 1897 until 9 June 1899 - Danyon LoaderDanyon LoaderDanyon Loader ONZM is an Olympic champion, former World Record holding swimmer from New Zealand, based in Dunedin...
, Men's swimming Olympic Champion, born in Timaru - Ross GillespieRoss GillespieJohn Ross Gillespie is a former field hockey player from New Zealand. Gillepsie represented New Zealand at the Summer Olympics twice as a player, in 1960 and 1964. He was a member of the coaching staff at the Olympics in 1972 and with the gold medal winning team of 1976.-References:...
New Zealand Olympic Field Hockey Representative - Jack LovelockJack LovelockJohn Edward Lovelock was a New Zealand athlete, and the 1936 Olympic champion in the 1500 metres....
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew 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...
athlete, 1936 Olympic1936 Summer OlympicsThe 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
1500m Champion - Murray ParkerMurray ParkerNorman Murray Parker is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 3 Tests and one ODI during 1976. His brother John also played for New Zealand and was in the team with Murray for his four international matches...
, NZ Cricketer - Mark Moreton ParkerMark Parker (cricketer)Mark Moreton Parker was a New Zealand cricketer. He played three matches of first-class cricket for the Otago Volts in the 1996-97, and he also played for South Canterbury in the Hawke Cup....
, NZ Cricketer - Haidee TiffenHaidee TiffenHaidee Maree Tiffen MNZM is a former female cricketer who played in 117 One Day International and two Test matches for New Zealand. Once acknowledged as one of the best all-rounders in the game, Tiffen announced her retirement after leading her side to the final of the 2009 Women's Cricket World...
, NZ Women's Cricketer - John WardJohn Ward (cricketer)John Thomas Ward is a former New Zealand cricketer who played in 8 Tests from 1964 to 1968. He was born in Timaru, Canterbury....
, NZ Cricketer - Craig CummingCraig CummingCraig Derek Cumming is a New Zealand cricketer. He has played for the New Zealand cricket team in One Day Internationals and Tests...
, NZ Cricketer - Hamish BennettHamish BennettHamish Kyle Bennett is an international cricketer who has played Test and One Day International cricket for New Zealand. He also plays for Canterbury in the New Zealand domestic competitions. Earlier in his career he represented New Zealand in the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka...
, Cricketer - Hayden PaddonHayden Paddon-Career:Paddon was introduced into motorsport at an early age, his father Chris being a rally driver. Haydon began his career competing in karting. He competed in his first rally in 2002, at the age of 15. In 2006 he began competing in the New Zealand Rally Championship in a Mitsubishi Lancer...
, Off-Road Car Racer
Performing arts
The Theatre Royal at 118 Stafford Street is home of much of Timaru's live entertainment.Public libraries
The Timaru District Library has branches situated in Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine.The first Reading Room was opened in the Scholl House, Barnard Street in 1862. It was open daily from 5.00pm - 10.00pm and on Saturdays 10.00am - 8.00pm. English and Colonial Newspapers were provided and a selection of Library Books for the use by members. In 1870 the Mechanics Institute was created by an addition on an existing building and aimed to provide a Library, Reading Room and News Room.
Timaru Public Library was officially opened in 1909 on the present Timaru District Council site. It was a Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
, built with a 3,000 pound grant from Andrew Carnegie of New York - the condition under which the money was given was that the reading rooms should be open to everyone and that the lending Library should be free to ratepayers of the borough. The current library was opened on Sophia Street in 1979. It was designed by Miles, Warren and Mahoney.
Sporting venues
Timaru has a comprehensive range of community sporting facilities designed to international standards for rugby, tennis, yachting, swimming, netball, cricket, golf, hockey, croquet and bowls. Aorangi Park is Timaru's major sporting venue. The Council also operates two swimming pools.Football
Timaru's main football ground is Sir Basil Arthur Park. It has 4 senior pitches and 4 junior pitches. Football is also played at The Caledonian Grounds, Anzac Square, Russell Square, West End Park, Aorangi Park and Marchwiel Park. Clubs include West End AFCWest End AFC
West End AFC is an association football club in Timaru, New Zealand. Their 1st Team plays in the South Canterbury 1st Division and entered the Chatham Cup for the first time in 2009. They are the largest junior club in South Canterbury with over 30 junior teams.-External links:*...
, Northern Hearts
Northern Hearts
Northern Hearts is an association football club based in Timaru, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1947 and from 1982-1990 was amalgamated with Timaru City as South Canterbury United. It reverted to Northern Hearts in 1991....
, Timaru City, Timaru Thistle
Timaru Thistle
-Competed:* 1961 Chatham Cup* 1962 Chatham Cup* 1963 Chatham Cup...
and Pleasant Point.
Rugby
- South Canterbury Rugby Football UnionSouth Canterbury Rugby Football UnionThe South Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru.-History:...
is based in Timaru. Alpine Energy StadiumAlpine Energy StadiumAlpine Energy Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Timaru, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches. The stadium is able to hold 12,000 people.-History:...
is the home of local rugby. - In the wake of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Super Rugby team, the Crusaders, moved at least one seasonal game to Timaru.
Golf
Timaru has many Golf Clubs and well maintained Golf courses. Most have green fees of around $15 NZD. Clubs include:- Highfield Golf Club ($20) NZ Golf - Highfield Golf Club
- Gleniti Golf Club ($20) NZ Golf - Gleniti Golf Club
- Timaru Golf Club ($25–35) NZ Golf - Timaru Golf Club
and in close proximity to these (15 minute drive)
- Pleasant Point Golf Club ($15) NZ Golf - Pleasant Point Golf Club
- St.Andrews Golf Club ($15–$25) NZ Golf - St.Andrews Golf Club
- Maungati Golf Club (9 holes) ($7) NZ Golf - Maungati Golf Club
- Temuka Golf Club ($15) NZ Golf - Temuka
Surfing
- Patiti Point, near Timaru city, has a left-hand reef break, which operates very consistently in any swell from the east or south.
- Jack’s Point (3 km south of Timaru) has both left and right-hand reef breaks at high tide, as does Lighthouse Reef, a short walk to the south. Southerly swells produce super-heavyweight monster breakers along the Timaru coast, which are only suitable for top-gun surfers.
Suburbs
- Washdyke
- Puhuka
- Smithfield
- Grantlea
- Waimataitai
- Marchwiel
- Caroline bay
- Maori Hill
- Highfield
- Glenwood
- Gleniti
- Seaview
- West End
- Watlington
- Parkside
- Kensington
- Redruth
Sister cities
Eniwa City, Hokkaido, JapanEniwa, Hokkaido
-External links:...
Orange, Australia Weihai, China
Weihai
Weihai is a city in eastern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and a major seaport. Between 1898 and 1930, the town was a British colony known as Weihaiwei or the Weihai Garrison , and sometimes as Port Edward...
Orange, USA
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
Further reading
- James Belich, Russell Brown, and Martin Robinson (2004) New Zealand, Lonely Planet Series
- Darroch Donald (2003) New Zealand, 2nd Edition, Footprint Guide Series.
- Laura Harper, Tony Mudd and Paul Whitfield (2000) The Rough Guide to New Zealand, Rough Guide Series