98-578: The Bluff Branch , officially the Bluff Line since 2011, is a railway line in Southland , New Zealand that links Invercargill with the port of Bluff . One of the first railways in New Zealand, it opened in 1867 and is still operating. Presently, it essentially functions as an elongated industrial siding. In the early days of New Zealand's colonisation, transport between Bluff and Invercargill
196-590: A schism between the Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland . In 1852, James Menzies , leader of the Southland separatist movement, became the first Superintendent of the tiny Southland electorate which was still part of the large Otago region. Under the influence of Menzies, Southland Province (a small part of the present Region, centred on Invercargill ) seceded from Otago in 1861 following
294-592: A "Māori house" had to be built in 1881 to accommodate them when they travelled from Ruapuke and Stewart Island to Bluff to sell produce. On 10 June 1840, Tūhawaiki , a paramount chief of Kāi Tahu, signed the Treaty of Waitangi aboard HMS Herald at Ruapuke. Aware that this treaty did not guarantee him sovereignty over his land he had previously asserted that he would sign it if those bringing it to him would sign one he had prepared himself. In 1853, Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Māori iwi, claiming
392-407: A by-election to fill the vacancy. The provinces have broken down because of their coming into conflict with the colonial government on many points, and especially on points of finance. Their doom was only a question of time, when it became obvious that they could not raise their own revenue; that they had to look to the general government to supply deficiencies; and that they could not borrow without
490-673: A degree of containerisation has taken place with the port investing in mobile crane and straddler facilities, rail playing a predominant role in moving containers from the large private container distribution centre located at Clifton. In 2016 a new port owned multimodal distribution centre was completed on an unused area of the Invercargill railway yards next to the Bluff Line entrance. The port company favouring rail as its wharf to centre transportation solution. As with all colonial transport facilities over time, Bluff station started with
588-719: A large five-bay shed with overhead conveyor loaders carrying frozen carcasses out of wagons and directly into a ship's hold. When the Ocean Beach freezing works closed in 1989 and bulk shipping of frozen meat methods changed to containerisation in the 1990s, most of the town side rail yards and sidings, including the old wharf rails were lifted. The last of many level crossings into warehouses along Gore Street, Bluff's main street, were removed in 1990. A substantial drop in rail traffic has resulted as Southland moved from sheep meat-based farming to dairy. Shipping patterns also changed, with bulk commodities taking over. Minimal trackage on
686-645: A line to Bluff began. In 1866 the failure of the wooden rails used on the Invercargill-Makarewa section of what became the Kingston Branch became apparent, and the decision was made to use iron rails to Bluff and convert the Makarewa section to iron rails. Originally thought to be of reasonable cost to construct, the line soon proved otherwise. The line was built to the international standard gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8.5 in),
784-681: A major geological fold system, the Southland Syncline , which extends from the coast northwestward, and include the Hokonui Hills above Gore. Off the coast of Southland lies the Great South Basin which stretches over 500,000 square kilometres (190,000 sq mi)—an area 1.5 times New Zealand's land mass). It is one of the country's largest undeveloped offshore petroleum basins with prospects for both oil and gas . Weather conditions in Southland are cooler than
882-493: A provincial council, and elected a superintendent who was not a member of the council. The councils elected their speaker at their first meeting after elections. The Act also created a national General Assembly consisting of the Legislative Council (appointed by the governor ) and the directly elected House of Representatives . These provinces came into effect on 17 January 1853 and the regulations defining
980-461: A regular feature on the line, although passenger handling facilities are non-existent and tender-first operations are necessary for steam locomotives as they are unable to be turned. In any case, any through train to the Bluff line from the main line to the north has always required reversal at Invercargill, as trains off both lines are facing north on arrival there. Apart from wayside stations closing,
1078-650: A regular occurrence in the region. Summers are temperable with downpours and cold snaps not being uncommon. On 7 January 2010, Invercargill was hit by a hail storm with temperatures plummeting rapidly from 15 °C to 8 °C in the afternoon. Occasionally, temperatures exceed 25 °C with an extreme temperature of 33.8 °C having been reached before in Invercargill in 1948 and 35.0 °C in Winton in 2018. Winters are colder and more severe than other regions, although not by much. The mean maximum temperature in July
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#17327900708291176-420: A rolling 'r'. Food-wise, cheese rolls are a Southland specialty and swedes are a popular vegetable, prepared and eaten as are pumpkin and kumara (sweet potato) elsewhere in New Zealand. For many years a television channel, known as Southland TV from 2003–07, later Cue TV , transmitted Southland content. The strength of Southland identity may owe something to the relatively high proportion of New Zealand-born in
1274-474: A rudimentary class 5 station until growing into an impressive two-story Gordon Troup designed edifice befitting of the southernmost railway station in the British Empire. For many years, passenger traffic on the line was heavy, with 12,000 fares travelling in a single day to a regatta in Bluff on 1 January 1900. Development of modern road networks and private cars caused passenger numbers to decline from
1372-653: A separate Crown Colony from New South Wales in May 1841. In 1846 the British Parliament passed the first New Zealand Constitution Act , which allowed for the establishment of provinces. Governor George Grey arrived in New Zealand in November 1845, and upon reading the new Constitution Act in May 1847 argued for its suspension in dispatches to the Colonial Office. Before this occurred, Grey proclaimed
1470-474: A significant proportion of the region's revenue and export receipts. Much of this farming is on the Southland Plains , with expansion into the more remote western regions since the 1950s and 1960s. Southland also has the world's largest raw milk-processing plant at the town of Edendale which was established by Fonterra . In the 2019-20 season, there were 591,600 milking cows in Southland, 12.0% of
1568-460: A small flag station controlling the points. The branch was only ever useful as a supply line and few passengers were carried, mainly from the small coastal steamers that would land at the jetty instead of risking the voyage up to Invercargill. When the new wharf at Bluff Harbour opened, the Mokomoko jetty fell into disuse. The railway remained until a change of gauge day on 18 December 1875 when it
1666-628: A strong cultural identity, including its own distinct dialect of English and strong influences from its Māori and Scottish heritage. Southland extends from Fiordland in the west past the Mataura River to the Catlins the east. It contains New Zealand's highest waterfall, the Browne Falls , and its deepest lake, Lake Hauroko . Fiordland's terrain is dominated by mountains, fiords and glacial lakes carved up by glaciations during
1764-476: Is 9.5 °C and Southland's lowest recorded temperature was −18 °C in July 1946. Snow and frost also frequently occur in inland areas but are less common and extreme in coastal areas where the oceans act as a moderating factor. The long-lasting cool and wet conditions are influenced by the presence of a stationary low-pressure zone to the southeast of the country. Fiordland has a wet mountain climate though conditions vary due to altitude and exposure. Rainfall
1862-652: Is bordered by the culturally similar Otago Region to the north and east, and the West Coast Region in the extreme northwest. The region covers over 3.1 million hectares and spans 3,613 km of coastline. As of June 2023 , Southland has a population of 103,900, making it the eleventh-most-populous New Zealand region, and the second-most sparsely populated. Approximately half of the region's population lives in Invercargill , Southland's only city. The earliest inhabitants of Southland were Māori of
1960-535: Is divided into two parliamentary electorates . The large rural electorate of Southland , held by Joseph Mooney of the New Zealand National Party , also includes some of the neighbouring Otago Region. The seat of Invercargill is held by Penny Simmonds of the New Zealand National Party . Under the Māori electorates system, Southland is part of the large Te Tai Tonga electorate which covers
2058-459: Is home to two national parks: Fiordland National Park and Rakiura National Park . The former which covers 7,860 square kilometres; making it New Zealand's largest national park . Southland also includes Stewart Island, 85% of which is covered by Rakiura National Park . Both parks are administrated by the Department of Conservation . Politically, Southland proper extends from Fiordland in
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#17327900708292156-549: Is part of the Darran mountains. The largest lake in Southland is Lake Te Anau followed by Lake Manapouri which both lie within the boundaries of Fiordland National Park . Established on 20 February 1905, it is the largest national park in New Zealand—covering much of Fiordland which is devoid of human settlement. Fiordland's terrain is dominated by mountains, fiords and glacial lakes carved up by glaciations during
2254-556: Is the country's second-most sparsely populated region (after the West Coast ), with 3.40 people per square kilometre (8.80 per square mile). Southland Region had a population of 100,143 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 2,676 people (2.7%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 6,801 people (7.3%) since the 2013 census . There were 50,115 males, 49,704 females and 321 people of other genders in 41,070 dwellings. 2.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age
2352-515: Is the highest in the country and varies between 6,500 and 7,500 mm annually. The farthest coastal reaches of Fiordland are characterized by a limited temperature range with increasing rainfall at higher altitudes. The moist wet climate is influenced by approaching low-pressure systems which sweep across the country entering Fiordland. Southland Region covers 31,218.95 km (12,053.70 sq mi). It has an estimated population of 106,100 as of June 2024, 2.0% of New Zealand's population. It
2450-536: The Colony of New Zealand existed as a form of sub-national government . Initially established in 1846 when New Zealand was a Crown colony without responsible government , two provinces ( New Ulster and New Munster ) were first created. Each province had its own legislative council and governor. With the passing of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 the provinces were recreated around
2548-583: The Southland District , which is administered by its own Council, also based in Invercargill. The Gore District Council administers the Gore township and its rural hinterland. In 2001, the three authorities (Invercargill City, Southland District and Gore District Councils) created the joint initiative agency Venture Southland which is the agency responsible for the region's economic and community development initiatives and tourism promotion. The region
2646-529: The Southland Plains predominate which include some of New Zealand's most fertile farmlands. The region's two principal settlements Invercargill and Gore are located on the plains. The plains extend from the Waiau River in the west to the Mataura River to the east. It can be divided into three broad areas: the Southland plain proper, the Waimea Plains and the lower Waiau plain to the west near
2744-519: The Waitaha iwi , followed later by Kāti Māmoe and Kāi Tahu . Early European arrivals were sealers and whalers , and by the 1830s, Kāi Tahu had built a thriving industry supplying whaling vessels, looked after whalers and settlers in need, and had begun to integrate with the settlers. By the second half of the 19th century these industries had declined, and immigrants, predominantly Scottish settlers , had moved further inland. The region maintains
2842-627: The last ice age , between 75,000 and 15,000 years ago. The region's coast is dotted by several fiords and other sea inlets which stretch from Milford Sound in the north to Preservation Inlet to the south. Farther north and east in Fiordland lie the Darran and Eyre Mountains which are part of the block of schist that extends into neighbouring Central Otago . The region is rich in natural resources, with large reserves of forestry , coal , petroleum and natural gas . The earliest inhabitants of
2940-512: The 1880s (e.g. Otago) or 2006 (Tasman). Some of the names persist in other contexts as well, such as health administration districts: Northland , Waitemata , Auckland †, Counties Manukau , Waikato , Bay of Plenty , Lakes (Rotorua/Taupo) , Hawke's Bay †, MidCentral (Manawatu) , Tairawhiti (Gisborne) , Taranaki , Whanganui , Wairarapa , Hutt Valley , Capital and Coast (Wellington) †, Nelson (Marlborough) †, West Coast †, Canterbury †, South Canterbury and Southern (Otago) †. Some of
3038-565: The 1930s. In 1929 the Clayton steam railcar was used on the line to provide passenger services, but it was withdrawn in 1930 due to the Great Depression . The 1950 public timetable showed seven-weekday services each way, with an eighth on Fridays; five on Saturdays; and one on Sundays. This declined starkly over the following years, and by 1964, only one passenger train ran each way on weekdays and none at weekends. The remaining service
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3136-575: The 21st century the Asian-origin population of Southland increased owing to the recruitment of dairy workers, many of them from the Philippines. In 2013 the population of Asian origin accounted for 3.2% of the Southland total. The West Coast aside, Southland has New Zealand's strongest regional identity. It is the only part of New Zealand which has a distinct regional accent (shared with most rural parts of Otago), characterized in particular by
3234-590: The Abolition of Provinces Act 1875, during the Premiership of Harry Atkinson . For the purposes of the Act, the provinces formally ceased to exist on 1 January 1877. Upon the abolition of the provinces, they took the legal status of provincial districts, which had no administrative functions. Local government was vested in elected borough and county councils. The Counties Bill of 1876 created 63 counties out of
3332-464: The Bluff line from Invercargill station to south of Clyde Street station where the two lines parted company. So the station at Clyde Street had two single-track railways running through it, giving a false impression of double track. When the Tokanui branch closed, the parallel line was taken out of use, and points were installed at Clyde Street for access to the branch by work trains during the lifting of
3430-670: The General Assembly passed the New Provinces Act 1858. This Act allowed any district of between 500 thousand and 3 million acres (2,000–12,000 km ) of land with a European population of no fewer than 1,000 people to petition for separation provided that at least 60% of electors agreed. As a result, Hawke's Bay Province separated from Wellington on 1 November 1858; Marlborough Province from Nelson on 1 November 1859; and Southland Province from Otago on 1 April 1861. New Plymouth also changed its name to Taranaki under
3528-429: The Ocean Beach freezing works. Locomotives were serviced at a modest two road depot located at the northern end of the station yard although, apart from the wharf shunters, only one mainline locomotive remained overnight to head the first early 5:00am mixed train to Invercargill. By the 1960s, most trains between Invercargill and Bluff were in charge of A and J class locomotives , the latter were regular performers on
3626-528: The Phosphate Works at Wards Crossing is still active with regular shunting services. It is the southernmost level crossing on State Highway 1. The new inland SouthPort multimodal container terminal located on a portion of the Invercargill railway yard has returned considerable tonnage to the line. Regular maintenance of the line including sleeper replacement has allowed for heavier tare weight wagons to now operate over it. Passenger excursions still are
3724-507: The Southland Provincial Council going bankrupt due to the high cost of building both this line and a wooden railway northwards to Makarewa (later part of the Kingston Branch ). During the last phases of building, the line was blocked at Greenhills by angry contractors who were still to be paid for work done on the large causeways that carried the line down the upper Bluff harbour. The local Sheriff seized all assets on
3822-571: The Waiau river. The southern part of these plains (including the Awarua Plains along the coast east of Bluff ) contains much wetland and swamp. In the far southeast of Southland rises the rough hill country of the Catlins . This area is divided between Southland and the neighbouring Otago region, with the largest settlement, Owaka , being within Otago. The hills of the Catlins form part of
3920-524: The banks of the east arm of the estuary passing over the Waimatua Creek. At the start of the Awarua plains, yet again swampy ground caused delays as large embankments and a sizeable bridge were needed to cross the tidal Mokotua Stream at Wards Crossing. Spoil taken from a large cutting at Woodend, to keep the line level, assisted in creating the embankments. After Awarua the line had it easy-going until
4018-418: The boundaries of the provinces were gazetted on 28 February. Electoral regulations were gazetted on 5 March. As with general elections, elections were open to males 21 years or older who owned freehold property worth £50 a year. The first provincial elections were held at the same time as the 1853 general elections . While Governor George Grey had issued the writs for the provincial and general elections at
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4116-423: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 10,104 (12.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 45,333 (55.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 22,866 (28.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 41,100, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 6,549 people (8.1%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
4214-470: The coastline was a scene of early extended contact between Māori and Europeans, in this case sealers, whalers and missionaries such as Wohlers at Ruapuke Island . Contact was established as early as 1813. By the 1830s, Kāi Tahu had built a thriving industry supplying whaling vessels, looked after whalers and settlers in need, and had begun to integrate with the settlers. Throughout the nineteenth century local Māori continued such regular travel from trade that
4312-507: The colony becoming liable. Almost as soon as they were founded, New Zealand's provinces were the subject of protracted political debate. Two factions emerged in the General Assembly : "Centralists", favouring a strong central government and "Provincialists", favouring strong regional governments. The Centralist members of the General Assembly regarded the provinces as inherently self-interested, and prone to pork-barrel politics. In
4410-591: The construction of railways, for example, three of the provinces had constructed railways (as was the case in Australia) to different track gauges , with Canterbury Provincial Railways being built to "broad" gauge, Southland's railways being built to "standard" gauge. As a result, the Public Works Act of 1870 standardised the gauge to be used, and Otago's first railway, the Port Chalmers railway ,
4508-524: The construction phase of the Bluff Branch, contractors found that landing urgent supplies at the Invercargill wharf could prove difficult due to the worsening danger of the New River estuary silting up dangerous sand bars. Contractors were having a difficult time building over and around the upper reaches of the estuary and getting equipment into the area proved troublesome. At the mouth of the estuary
4606-601: The counties were replaced by enlarged district councils . The Department of Lands and Survey split the country into the Land Districts of Auckland (North), Auckland (South), Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, Otago and Southland. The New Zealand Rugby Union was formed in 1892 with foundation members principally being provinces: Auckland †, Hawke's Bay †, Taranaki †, Manawatu , Wanganui , Wairarapa , Wellington †, Nelson †, Marlborough † and South Canterbury . At
4704-483: The country's total herd. The cows produced 247,230 tonnes of milk solids, worth $ 1,780 million at the national average farmgate price ($ 7.20 per kg). Other sizeable industries in Southland include coal and hydroelectric power. Eastern Southland has significant deposits of lignite which are considered to be New Zealand's biggest fossil fuel energy resource. Solid Energy operated open cast lignite mines at Newvale and Ohai until its 2015 bankruptcy. Southland hosts
4802-549: The entire South Island and the surrounding islands, and is currently held by Tākuta Ferris of Te Pāti Māori . Regional responsibilities are handled by the Southland Regional Council (Environment Southland). Three territorial authorities fall entirely within Southland. The Invercargill City Council governs Invercargill itself, together with some adjoining rural areas. Much of the remaining area of Southland, including all of Stewart Island , falls within
4900-524: The escalation of political tensions. However, rising debt forced Southland to rejoin Otago in 1870, and the province was abolished entirely when the Abolition of the Provinces Act came into force on 1 November 1876. In the 1880s, the development of an export industry based on butter and cheese encouraged the growth of dairy farming in Southland. Consequently, the colony's first dairy factory
4998-600: The land for European settlement. Part of the agreement was that schools and hospitals would be provided alongside each Kāi Tahu village; this promise was not fulfilled. The boundaries of the land sold were also not made sufficiently clear, with Kāi Tahu always maintaining that Fiordland was not intended to be included in this purchase. Over successive decades, present-day Southland and Otago were settled by large numbers of Scottish settlers. Immigration to New Zealand had been precipitated by an economic depression in Scotland and
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#17327900708295096-408: The last ice age, between 75,000 and 15,000 years ago. The region's coast is dotted by several fiords and other sea inlets which stretch from Milford Sound in the north to Preservation Inlet to the south. Farther north and east in Fiordland lie the Darran and Eyre Mountains which are part of the block of schist that extends into neighbouring Central Otago . Farther east of the Waiau River ,
5194-601: The line formation sinking and making the journey uncomfortable for travellers. It was decided to divert the line around the estuary foreshore from what is today the Crinan St level crossing, paralleling the Bluff Highway around past the Kew Bush area and meeting up with the line at Clifton. This was completed in 1872. This route would later be of benefit to the future Seaward Bush/Tokanui branch line that ran parallel to
5292-499: The line has needed no major reconstruction work mainly because of the legacy of its excellent, if somewhat costly, 19th-century British railway construction methods. Southland, New Zealand Southland ( Māori : Murihiku , lit. 'the last joint of the tail') is New Zealand 's southernmost region . It consists of the southwestern portion of the South Island and includes Stewart Island . Southland
5390-496: The line on lighter transfer work. Following the withdrawal of the DJ class in the late 1980s and after the structural strengthening of bridges, both DBR and DC class locomotives were used. The DF and DX classes were occasional visitors with larger trains. Shunting power remained the preserve of the DSA class until the larger, twin-engine, DSC class shunters arrived in 1988. In recent years
5488-543: The line were mainly restricted to the lightweight U and Q class along with smaller tank locomotives such as W, W, F and D classes. The reason being the only turning facilities at Bluff was the "Wye" layout that was part of the wharf's lighter rail access bridges. Only the tank locomotives could use the wharf trackage and they were assisted by a capstan winch system that could pull wagons into position under ship's cranes, Bluff town wharf never having cranes. The small shunters would also assist with handling rakes of wagons to and from
5586-660: The line, a form of receivership enacted, allowing the finishing off work to continue. The situation was resolved when the Otago Provincial Council, as well as the Central Government, absorbed the debt incurred with the passage of the Southland Provincial Debt Act 1865. The province was re-absorbed into Otago on 6 October 1870. The formation and bridges that crossed the upper New River estuary continued to cause trouble with
5684-857: The names of former provinces and current regions have a tendency to be preceded by "the". Thus, for example, we have Auckland , Canterbury , Hawke's Bay , Marlborough and Wellington , but the Waikato , the Manawatu , the Bay of Plenty , and the West Coast . The current regions of New Zealand and most of their councils came about in 1989: Northland , Auckland †, Waikato , Bay of Plenty , Gisborne , Hawke's Bay †, Taranaki †, Manawatu-Whanganui , Wellington †, Tasman , Nelson †, Marlborough †, West Coast †, Canterbury †, Otago † and Southland †. Another usage of words associated with
5782-630: The nation's largest hydroelectric power station at Manapouri which is owned by Meridian Energy and powers the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter . The Manapouri project generated much controversy from environmental groups which initiated the Save Manapouri Campaign in opposition to rising water levels in nearby lakes. Tourism spending is a major factor of the Southland economy, with NZ$ 595 million being spent by visitors in 2016, of which $ 210 million
5880-411: The new port facility faced Invercargill to allow direct access for mainline train movements. A small signal box controlled the junction handling trains from the original town station. A new Bluff Station crew and loco depot with a turning Wye was built (instead of a turntable) on the island. This also housed the diesel-powered Hunslet DSA class shunters, which also shunted the town side railyards and what
5978-722: The old provinces. The former boundaries of the provinces served as administrative areas for the education boards set up under the Education Act of 1877 and for the offices of several Government Departments, including the Department of Lands and Survey . Upon abolition, various responsibilities were delegated to boards. For example, the Education Act 1877 created the Education Boards for Auckland, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Westland, Southland, Canterbury and Otago districts. In 1989
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#17327900708296076-474: The original town wharf site with most servicing equipment moving to the new and substantial Island Harbour port, built from 1956 and opening in December 1960. When containerisation was introduced and freight transportation trends changed, Bluff was not selected to be developed as a container port, but it and the railway have remained busy with traffic such as frozen meat, wool, and wood chips. In more recent years
6174-874: The other regions of New Zealand due to its distance from the equator . However, they can be broken down into three types: the temperate oceanic climate of the coastal regions, the semi-continental climate of the interior and the wetter mountain climate of Fiordland to the west. Due to its closer proximity to the South Pole, the Aurora Australis or "Southern Lights" are more commonly seen than in other regions. The coastal regions have mild summers and cool winters. The mean daily temperature varies from 5.2 °C in July to 14.9 °C in January. Rainfall varies from 900 mm to 1300 mm annually with rainfall being more frequent in coastal areas and rainbows being
6272-558: The predominant motive power has been the Invercargill-based high powered DSG class shunters , which also serve the large Balance Agri-Nutri phosphate works at Awarua's Wards Crossing. In 2000 the line was downgraded to industrial shunt status to save day-to-day operating administration costs. One-train-at-a-time operations are the norm south of Clifton, although the crossing loop at Wards Crossing allows for two train operation on Traffic Warrant Control. The level crossing into
6370-610: The present day regions , for example, the Manawatū-Whanganui region is largely in the Wellington provincial district. The districts are represented by teams in rugby union 's ITM Cup and Heartland Championship , both of which replaced the National Provincial Championship in 2006, although the term "provincial" is still used in connection with rugby for the present 29 unions whether founded in
6468-519: The provinces became known as provincial districts . Their principal legacy is the use of some provincial boundaries to determine the geographical boundaries for anniversary day public holidays . Following the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, New Zealand became a British colony, initially as part of New South Wales . The Royal Charter of November 1840 stated that the islands of New Zealand were "designated and known respectively" as: These names were of geographic significance only. New Zealand became
6566-439: The provinces were separated from the central government for the first time. New Ulster and New Munster had their own seals. New provinces were formed by the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 . This Act established a quasi-federal system of government and divided the country into the six provinces of Auckland , New Plymouth , Wellington , Nelson , Canterbury , and Otago . Each province elected its own legislature known as
6664-452: The provincial boundaries on 10 March 1848: Each province had a Lieutenant-Governor , appointed by the Governor-in-Chief. The 1846 Constitution Act was suspended in early 1848, with the only operative provisions relating to the reform of the provinces. News of the suspension did not reach New Zealand until 23 March 1848, when the immigrant ship John Wickliffe arrived in Port Chalmers to begin European settlement of Otago. In addition,
6762-414: The railway followed standard British method of keeping the line on a level grade as much as possible. Construction from the Invercargill Harbour and Wharf area soon became troublesome with the direct route across the New River estuary proving difficult due to the deep swampy mud needing to be piled up with rocks and hardwood poles. The line made it to Clifton and easier ground as the raised formation skirted
6860-426: The region – 85% compared with 70% for New Zealand as a whole at the 2013 census. With a population of 51,700 Invercargill , the region's main centre and seat of local government, makes up half of Southland's total. Six other centres have populations over 1,000: Gore , Mataura , Winton , Riverton , Bluff and Te Anau . Most of Southland's population is concentrated on the eastern Southland Plains . Fiordland ,
6958-422: The regional GDP, goods-producing industries contributed $ 1.52 billion (25.2%), service industries contributed $ 2.63 billion (43.7%), and taxes and duties contributed $ 516 million (8.6%). The region's economy is based on agriculture, tourism, fishing, forestry and energy resources like coal and hydropower . The agriculture industry includes both sheep and dairy farming which both account for
7056-652: The region—known to Māori as Murihiku ('the last joint of the tail')—were Māori of the Waitaha iwi , followed later by Kāti Māmoe and Kāi Tahu . Waitaha sailed on the Uruao waka, whose captain Rākaihautū named sites and carved out lakes throughout the area. The Takitimu Mountains were formed by the overturned Kāi Tahu waka Tākitimu . Descendants created networks of customary food gathering sites, travelling seasonally as needed, to support permanent and semi-permanent settlements in coastal and inland regions. In later years,
7154-546: The road. In November 1862 the provincial council decided on building the "Bluff Harbour & Invercargill Railway". On 8 August 1863 "Lady Barkly", the first locomotive to steam in New Zealand, ran on a small section of track on Invercargill Jetty, and a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) line from Invercargill to Makarewa (today part of the Ohai Branch ) opened on 18 October 1864, built with wooden rails, as an apparently cheaper alternative to iron rails. The same year construction of
7252-433: The same Act. Stewart Island / Rakiura, which had since 1853 not been part of any province, was annexed to the province of Southland on 10 November 1863. Provinces established under this act elected their superintendents in a different way. Members of the provincial council would elect a suitable person listed on the electoral roll as superintendent by a majority. If such a person was an elected member, this would result in
7350-405: The same time, the provincial councils met before the general assembly met, in May 1854. The New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1857 provided for the appointment of a deputy superintendent. The Constitution Act provided for the creation of additional provinces, and when the spread of European settlements between the original centres of the provincial governments and the outlying settlers grew,
7448-439: The school trains until their demise. In the early 1950s, New Zealand was basking in a large economic boom period and modernisation around the country was taking place. Southland was at the forefront of a major agricultural export boom and the now ageing town wharf simply couldn't cope with the heavy demands of rail traffic and busy shipping causing it. The Harbour Board decided to build an island harbour facility that could handle
7546-509: The six planned settlements or "colonies". By 1873 the number of provinces had increased to nine, but they had become less isolated from each other and demands for centralised government arose. In 1875 the New Zealand Parliament decided to abolish the provincial governments, and they came to an end in November 1876. They were superseded by counties , which were later replaced by territorial authorities . Following abolition,
7644-485: The then latest bulk meat loading methods. This new island construction was begun in 1955. The island would have a substantial rail network built on it, and it is connected to the mainland by a combined road/rail bridge (road alongside rail). After the construction of the Island Harbour in 1960, the larger A, J and J mainline locomotives were used as the new facility was built on solid ground. The junction points to
7742-544: The time, three major South Island Provincial Unions – Canterbury †, Otago † and Southland † – resisted the central authority of the NZRU. Some current Provincial Anniversary Days are still public holidays in New Zealand : Auckland†, Taranaki†, Hawkes' Bay†, Wellington†, Marlborough†, Nelson†, Canterbury†, Canterbury (South), Westland†, Otago†, Southland† and Chatham Islands. † indicates it reflects an original province. The provincial districts had different boundaries from
7840-555: The town's station site remains to serve the substantial cool stores located along Gore Street. This also includes the southern tip of the KiwiRail network. Beautification work along the old railway yards has created a park-like setting. The only substantial structures are now the station goods shed and a re-positioned wagon turntable to represent the numerous former level crossings on Gore Street. Some rails to warehouses remain in situ at old entrances. The Island Harbour's locomotive depot
7938-406: The track. Little remains of the harbour crossing and Invercargill Wharf due to draining and substantial land reclamation over 100 years, some bridge piles are still visible. In 1870, the central government took effective control of railway development from the provinces of New Zealand . To unify all rail systems operating in the colony, and to ease the cost of construction, the national rail gauge
8036-400: The upper reaches of Bluff Harbour where costly large stone causeways were constructed to take the line around the Ocean Beach neck and onto the Bluff peninsula. A quarry nearby was used for material needed. Helping with the construction, a small branch line was laid to the Mokomoko inlet jetty with coastal shipping off-loading supplies. The line opened on 5 February 1867 after a delay caused by
8134-520: The west past the Mataura River to the Catlins the east. To the north, Southland is framed by the Darran and Eyre Mountains. Farther south lies Stewart Island which is separated from the mainland by the Foveaux Strait . Southland contains New Zealand's highest waterfall—the Browne Falls . Lake Hauroko is the deepest lake in the country. The highest peak in Southland is Mount Tūtoko , which
8232-412: The western part of the region, is almost totally devoid of permanent human settlement. The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Southland was estimated at NZ$ 6.36 billion in the year to March 2019, 2.1% of New Zealand's national GDP. The subnational GDP per capita was estimated at $ 63,084 in the same period. In the year to March 2018, primary industries contributed $ 1.35 billion (22.4%) to
8330-566: Was 40.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 18,921 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 17,208 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 45,495 (45.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 18,516 (18.5%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 84.1% European ( Pākehā ); 16.8% Māori ; 3.3% Pasifika ; 7.1% Asian ; 1.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
8428-456: Was built to the new "standard" narrow gauge. Colonial Treasurer (and later Premier) Julius Vogel launched his Great Public Works policy of immigration and public works schemes of the 1870s, borrowing the massive sum of 10 million pounds, to develop significant infrastructure of roads, railways, and communications, all administered by the central government. This diminished the power of the provinces greatly. The provinces were finally abolished by
8526-430: Was closed in 1999, with all shunting and train handling controlled from Invercargill. The locomotive turning wye was taken out of use shortly after. Rail facilities were rationalised to suit log and container handling after the all-weather meat loading facilities were decommissioned in 2000. All pier-side rail activity was ended in 2010 because of new government safety laws. Rail access to the old Ocean Beach freezing works
8624-481: Was decided to close the line instead of re-gauging it. The rails were taken up and used elsewhere. Thanks to the well-built drain canals on each side of the formation, the original route is still visible and easily traced on Google Earth as a large curve leading to the old jetty, in which piles still remain. Bluff established itself as the port of Southland and the line has always been busy with both inbound and outbound freight. Major railway facilities were built around
8722-473: Was established at Edendale in 1882. Much of this export went to the United Kingdom. Now, Edendale is the site of the world's largest raw milk-processing plant, and Southland's economy is based on agriculture, tourism, fishing, forestry , coal, and hydropower . Southland Region and the Southland Regional Council were created in 1989, as part of the 1989 local government reforms . Southland
8820-538: Was now called the Town Wharf. Mainline locomotives returned to Invercargill with the last train every day. The huge Ocean Beach freezing works was also shunted by the Bluff-based shunters. Frozen meat from other works around the region were also handled through the port, creating substantial rail traffic for the branch. A then unique all-weather meat loading facility allowed for trains to be shunted directly into
8918-487: Was operated for school children, running from Bluff to Invercargill in the morning and returning in the late afternoon. In 1967, all passenger services were cancelled. The station was run down and used as surplus storage until a fire damaged it in 1970, promptly demolished after. Passenger trains briefly returned when the Kingston Flyer operated some services to Bluff between 1979 and 1982. Steam locomotives used on
9016-421: Was removed in 2016, eliminating the level crossing over State Highway 1. Mainline diesel power arrived on the Bluff Branch in the mid-1960s, sharing the line with steam power until 1970. After a trial with the heavy DG class diesel locomotives, services were operated by DJ class locomotives after their introduction in 1968 on account of their lower axle-load. The DE class heavy shunting locomotive also worked
9114-471: Was set at a narrow gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6.0 in). The Bluff Branch was converted to this gauge in a single day, 18 December 1875. The original standard gauge locomotives and rolling stock retreating to the Bluff wharf and then loaded onto the Cezarewitch and sent to New South Wales, although the locomotives and rolling stock never made it, being wrecked at Big Bay , West Coast. During
9212-540: Was spent in the Fiordland area. In July 2007 the New Zealand Government awarded oil and gas exploration permits for four areas of the Great South Basin . The three successful permit holders were ExxonMobil New Zealand, OMV and Greymouth Petroleum . 45°42′S 168°06′E / 45.7°S 168.1°E / -45.7; 168.1 Provinces of New Zealand The provinces of
9310-541: Was spoken by 97.3%, Māori language by 3.1%, Samoan by 0.5% and other languages by 7.2%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.4, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 33.1% Christian , 0.8% Hindu , 0.4% Islam , 0.5% Māori religious beliefs , 0.6% Buddhist , 0.4% New Age , and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.9%, and 8.3% of people did not answer
9408-406: Was that 43,197 (53.2%) people were employed full-time, 11,688 (14.4%) were part-time, and 1,749 (2.2%) were unemployed. A relatively high proportion of nineteenth century migrants came from Scotland and Ireland. Māori are largely concentrated around the port of Bluff. During the 1940s, the development of the freezing works boosted a short-term immigration to the region by North Island Māori. In
9506-465: Was the moderately deep and weather sheltered entry to the Mokomoko inlet. A Jetty already existed at the eastern side of the inlet entrance for the local settlers and at one point was promoted as an alternative to both Campbelltown and Invercargill's port ambitions. It was decided to lay a spur line off the still incomplete Bluff mainline to the jetty which consisted of a large curve that required deep drains on each side. The junction points faced Awarua with
9604-485: Was through sometimes impassable swampy terrain. Construction of a road to Bluff (called Campbelltown until March 1917) was approved by the Otago Provincial Council in 1859, but the swamp defeated the builders. Southland Province split from Otago in 1861, partially over disputes over infrastructure spending. The new council under Superintendent James Menzies considered a railway as an alternative to
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