Waterton, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Waterton is a former town in the Canterbury
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is still officially recognised as a locality.
south of Ashburton
on the Pacific Ocean
, between the Ashburton River and Hinds River
. Nearby localities include Ashton
and Wheatstone
to the northeast, Flemington
to the north, Eiffelton
to the northwest and Longbeach
to the southwest.
in the area of Longbeach and Waterton complained to the administration of the Ashburton parish that Mass
had not been said in their area. Accordingly, Mass was held in the Waterton Hall, with an attendance of 60; it later was held in Eiffelton rather than Waterton.
At its height, Waterton was a service town for the immediately surrounding rural area. It was home to 235 people and had amenities such as a general store, post office, public library, hotel, and school. Economic activity was related to agriculture
, with an abbatoir
and a flour mill both located in the town. However, during the later half of the 20th century, Waterton severely declined.
" for development. The new owners appealled to the Ashburton District Council to revoke the designation of the town's former streets, which by that stage were merely unformed roads, so that they could be merged into the new properties. In August 2006, the Council granted this request and stopped the roads.
Few remnants of Waterton are now left apart from the remains of the town hall, and the local cemetery is not far from the site of the township. An Anglican
church once located in Waterton has been transferred to the Plains Vintage Railway
in Tinwald
.
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 still officially recognised as a locality.
Geography
Waterton is located on the Canterbury PlainsCanterbury 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...
south of 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 the Pacific Ocean
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...
, between the Ashburton River and Hinds River
Hinds River
The Hinds River is a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Its north and south branches drain the eastern flank of the Moorhouse Range, part of the Southern Alps, and their confluence is near Anama and Mayfield. The river then flows across the Canterbury Plains towards the Pacific Ocean,...
. Nearby localities include Ashton
Ashton, New Zealand
Ashton is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the Canterbury Plains south of Ashburton, on the Pacific Ocean coastline. It is on the southern side of the Ashburton River's mouth...
and Wheatstone
Wheatstone, New Zealand
Wheatstone is a locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains south of Ashburton, on the banks of the Ashburton River...
to the northeast, Flemington
Flemington, Canterbury
Flemington is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.- Geography :Flemington is situated on the Canterbury Plains south of Ashburton, between the Ashburton River and Hinds River...
to the north, Eiffelton
Eiffelton
Eiffelton is a lightly populated locality in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.- Geography :Eiffelton is situated on the Canterbury Plains near the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean in nearby Longbeach. The small township of Hinds is to Eiffelton's west...
to the northwest and Longbeach
Longbeach, New Zealand
Longbeach is a lowly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located in a rural area of the Canterbury Plains on the shore of the Pacific Ocean on the northern side of the Hinds River's mouth....
to the southwest.
History
Waterton was founded in the second half of the 19th century as the Canterbury Plains were settled by European immigrants. By 1888, it had its own town hall. CatholicsRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the area of Longbeach and Waterton complained to the administration of the Ashburton parish that Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
had not been said in their area. Accordingly, Mass was held in the Waterton Hall, with an attendance of 60; it later was held in Eiffelton rather than Waterton.
At its height, Waterton was a service town for the immediately surrounding rural area. It was home to 235 people and had amenities such as a general store, post office, public library, hotel, and school. Economic activity was related to agriculture
Agriculture
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...
, with an abbatoir
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
and a flour mill both located in the town. However, during the later half of the 20th century, Waterton severely declined.
Today
Waterton is effectively a ghost town. In the early 2000s, the land titles of the town's former lots were amalgamated by the owner and then divided into four new "lifestyle blocksHobby farm
A hobby farm is a smallholding or small farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income. Some are merely to provide some recreational land, and perhaps a few horses for the family's children...
" for development. The new owners appealled to the Ashburton District Council to revoke the designation of the town's former streets, which by that stage were merely unformed roads, so that they could be merged into the new properties. In August 2006, the Council granted this request and stopped the roads.
Few remnants of Waterton are now left apart from the remains of the town hall, and the local cemetery is not far from the site of the township. An Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church once located in Waterton has been transferred to the Plains Vintage Railway
Plains Vintage Railway
The Plains Vintage Railway is a heritage railway near Ashburton, New Zealand that operates on three kilometres of trackage that was once part of the Mount Somers Branch before it closed...
in Tinwald
Tinwald, New Zealand
Tinwald is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, now little more than a suburb of Ashburton. It lies to the south of the larger town, separated from it by the Ashburton River...
.