Willowby, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Willowby is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is situated in Mid-Canterbury south of Ashburton
, the major town of the area. Other nearby settlements include Hinds
and Lynnford
to the southwest, Eiffelton
to the south, and Huntingdon
to the east.
between the Ashburton and Rangitata
rivers. The Pacific Ocean
is a short distance away, with Eiffelton and Waterton
between Willowby and the coastline. At the turn of the 21st century, local efforts were improving the quality of Willowby's environment. A barren shingle pit was converted into the Willowby Community Reserve, and other projects have been undertaken with the assistance of local government.
church. It was founded in 1876 and closed in 1992. Its stained glass windows are now at the Baring Square Methodist church in Ashburton, and a tapestry created by a member of Willowby Methodist Church to celebrate its centenary in 1976 was gifted to Tinwald
's Methodist church.
unit. It covers a catchment between the Ashburton and Hinds
rivers and was founded to serve the local farming community, especially during dry summers. It has 21 members, and as part of the national rural fire service, it can provide assistance and back-up to other volunteer units in the surrounding region.
and the Main South Line
railway pass nearby, through Winslow to the northwest.
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 situated in Mid-Canterbury 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...
, the major town of the area. Other nearby settlements include Hinds
Hinds, New Zealand
Hinds is a small town in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains on the south bank of the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean between the nearby localities of Longbeach and Lowcliffe...
and Lynnford
Lynnford
Lynnford is a lightly populated locality in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated between Hinds and Eiffelton on the banks of the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean not far to the southeast, between the nearby localities of Longbeach and Lowcliffe...
to the southwest, 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 south, and Huntingdon
Huntingdon, New Zealand
Huntingdon is a lightly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the southern bank of the Ashburton River, south of Ashburton...
to the east.
Education
Until 2000, primary education was provided by Willowby School. That year, three local schools merged to form Longbeach School, which is situated at the former site of Willowby School. It caters for students in years 1-8 and has 120 pupils and five teachers.Environment
Willowby 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...
between the Ashburton and Rangitata
Rangitata River
The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for 120 kilometres from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres northeast of Timaru...
rivers. 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...
is a short distance away, with Eiffelton and Waterton
Waterton, New Zealand
Waterton is a former town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is still officially recognised as a locality.-Geography:...
between Willowby and the coastline. At the turn of the 21st century, local efforts were improving the quality of Willowby's environment. A barren shingle pit was converted into the Willowby Community Reserve, and other projects have been undertaken with the assistance of local government.
Religion
Willowby formerly had its own MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church. It was founded in 1876 and closed in 1992. Its stained glass windows are now at the Baring Square Methodist church in Ashburton, and a tapestry created by a member of Willowby Methodist Church to celebrate its centenary in 1976 was gifted to 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...
's Methodist church.
Services
Willowby has its own volunteer rural fire fightingFire fighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
unit. It covers a catchment between the Ashburton and Hinds
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,...
rivers and was founded to serve the local farming community, especially during dry summers. It has 21 members, and as part of the national rural fire service, it can provide assistance and back-up to other volunteer units in the surrounding region.
Transport
Willowby is situated off major transport routes. State Highway 1State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
and 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...
railway pass nearby, through Winslow to the northwest.