Country New Zealand Territorial authority Postcode 7392 Local time Tuesday 3:33 AM | Region Canterbury Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Area 22.85 km² | |
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Weather 14°C, Wind W at 13 km/h, 67% Humidity | ||
Culverden is a small town in the northern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. In the 2013 census, the town had a usually resident population of 426.
Contents
Map of Culverden, New Zealand
Local government
When provincial government was abolished in 1876, Culverden became the main centre for the newly established Amuri County. Counties were abolished in the 1989 local government reforms, and since then, Culverden has belonged to the Hurunui District.
Transport
State Highway 7 passes through Culverden, forming the town's main street.
Culvenden was also once an important railway terminus, with the railway line extended from Medbury across the Hurunui River to Culverden on 8 February 1886. It was envisaged that this route would become the Main North Line to Nelson and Blenheim, but a coastal route via Parnassus and Kaikoura was chosen instead. Nonetheless, the branch line to Culverden was extended beyond the town to Waiau in 1919 and it became known as the Waiau Branch. At the line's peak, when it was considered to be part of the Main North Line, multiple trains ran daily between Culverden and Christchurch, including the Culverden Express and a number of slower mixed trains that carried both freight and passengers. However, regular passenger services were replaced by buses on 29 January 1939 and after becoming uneconomic, the railway through Culverden was closed entirely on 15 January 1978. Little now remains of the town's railway except a loading bank at the site of the old station.
Education
Amuri Area School is the sole school in Culverden, catering for Year 1 to 13 students (ages 5 to 18), with a roll of approximately 322 students.
Notable people
Cricketer Amy Satterthwaite (born 1986) grew up in Culverden.