15-657: Leeston ( Māori : Karumata ) is a town on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand . It is located 30 kilometres southwest of Christchurch , between the shore of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and the mouth of the Rakaia River . The town is home to a growing number of services which have increased and diversified along with the population. Leeston has a supermarket, schools (pre-school, primary school and high school), churches, hospital (for
30-465: A fully equipped gym, which is open seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Ellesmere College is a co-educational secondary school catering for years 7 to 13. It has a roll of 518 students as of August 2024. The school opened in 1981 to replace Southbridge District High School . Leeston Consolidated School is a co-educational contributing primary school catering for years 1 to 6. It has a roll of 307 students (August 2024). It opened in 1865, and gained
45-701: A population of 2,208 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 669 people (43.5%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 882 people (66.5%) since the 2006 census . There were 828 households, comprising 1,083 males and 1,128 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. The median age was 39.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 498 people (22.6%) aged under 15 years, 327 (14.8%) aged 15 to 29, 990 (44.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 390 (17.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 92.7% European/ Pākehā , 9.9% Māori , 0.8% Pasifika , 2.0% Asian , and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
60-654: A previously unknown geological fault beneath the Canterbury Plains and created a surface rift that offset features by as much as four metres in places. The rivers of the Canterbury Plains have a distinctive braided appearance, which differentiates this area from the plains of North Otago to the south – beyond the Waitaki, the rivers typically have narrower, well-formed channels, rather than spreading across wide shingle depressions, as in Canterbury. Most of
75-1013: A wildlife reserve with some of the clearest waters in the Ellesmere District. Bird life includes: The Ellesmere A&P show is currently in its 147th year. It is held annually at the Leeston Agricultural and Pastoral Showgrounds. It is typically held in October and is one of the Selwyn Districts biggest events, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. Typical attractions include: farmyard displays, photography displays, craft stalls, sheep and wool displays, horse showing and jumping, dairy and beef cattle, wood chopping, trade displays, live music, vintage and modern machinery, dog trials, face painting, pony rides, shearing competitions, fair-ground rides, wine tasting, wearable arts and many more. The Leeston District
90-529: Is endemic to the plains. 43°38′S 172°05′E / 43.64°S 172.09°E / -43.64; 172.09 Southbridge District High School The Southbridge District High School was a school in New Zealand until 1981. The Southbridge Primary School which is still in use today, based in Southbridge, New Zealand , was founded in 1868 with a roll of 20 students. The school
105-558: Is home to three campsites, two situated on the banks of the Selwyn River, and one on the shores of Lake Ellesmere. In May 2017, a community art gallery was opened in Leeston. It is Leeston's first art gallery. Leeston is home to a variety of different sporting clubs and has a weekly running club each Wednesday evening. Sporting clubs in Leeston include: Rugby, Netball, Tennis, Lawn Bowls, Soccer, Cricket and Running. Leeston also has
120-452: The elderly only), gym, cafes, restaurants, medical centre, pharmacy and post office. The Selwyn District Council currently has a service office in Leeston, after the headquarters was shifted to Rolleston . Leeston is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area, and covers 2.44 km (0.94 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 2,530 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1,037 people per km. Leeston had
135-762: 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 River . The smaller Amuri Plain forms a northern extension of the plains. The Canterbury Plains were formed from Quaternary moraine gravels transported from the Southern Alps and deposited here during glacial periods in the late Pleistocene approximately 3 million to 10,000 years ago. The alluvial gravels were then reworked as shingle fans of several of
150-786: The larger rivers, notably the Waimakariri , the Rakaia , the Selwyn , and the Rangitata . Part of the Canterbury-Otago tussock grasslands , the land is suitable for moderately intensive livestock farming but is prone to droughts, especially when the prevailing wind is from the northwest. At these times, the weather phenomenon known as the Nor'west arch can be seen across much of the plain. A major earthquake on 4 September 2010 revealed
165-652: The name "Consolidated" in recognition of primary schools in Lakeside, Irwell , Doyleston and Brookside with which it amalgamated in the 1930s. Canterbury Plains The Canterbury Plains ( Māori : Kā Pākihi-whakatekateka-a-Waitaha ) are an area in New Zealand centred in the Mid Canterbury , to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region. Their northern extremes are at
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#1732781161629180-548: The population of Canterbury lives in a series of large and small towns arranged northeast to southwest along the plains, connected by State Highway 1 and the Main South railway line . These include Christchurch , Ashburton and Timaru , and the smaller Kaiapoi , Dunsandel , Rakaia , Temuka , and Glenavy . Other towns on the plains include Rangiora , Leeston , Lincoln , Darfield , Geraldine , Methven and Waimate . The extremely rare weevil Hadramphus tuberculatus
195-482: Was $ 37,400, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 294 people (17.2%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 927 (54.2%) people were employed full-time, 243 (14.2%) were part-time, and 42 (2.5%) were unemployed. Harts creek is a spring-fed creek and wildlife reserve located 7 minutes drive from Leeston and is a popular place for short walks, picnics, fly fishing and bird watching. Restoration projects have resulted in
210-467: Was 15.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.5% had no religion, 35.1% were Christian , 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.1% were Hindu , 0.3% were Muslim , 0.1% were Buddhist and 1.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 240 (14.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 402 (23.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
225-532: Was enlarged and reached its greatest number of students (389) in 1890. The Southbridge District High School was opened in 1903 and used some of the Primary School buildings. It continued with the Primary and High school merged until 23 October 1924 when the buildings were destroyed by a suspicious fire. The Southbridge District High School was rebuilt on the original site, whilst the Primary School rebuilt on
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