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Southbridge, New Zealand

Town in Canterbury, New Zealand

Field	Value
name	Southbridge
native_name_lang
settlement_type	Rural settlement
image_skyline	Southbridge RFC cricket pitch - panoramio.jpg
image_caption	Southbridge RFC cricket pitch
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	9
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	New Zealand
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_type2	Territorial authority
subdivision_type3	Ward
subdivision_name1	Canterbury
subdivision_name2	Selwyn District
subdivision_name3	Ellesmere
seat_type	Electorates
seat
leader_title	Territorial authority
leader_name	Selwyn District Council
leader_title1	Regional council
leader_name1	Environment Canterbury
leader_title2	Mayor of Selwyn
leader_name2
leader_title3	Selwyn MP
leader_name3
leader_title4	Te Tai Tonga MP
leader_name4
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	2.22
population_total
population_as_of
population_footnotes
population_density_km2	auto
timezone	NZST
utc_offset	+12
timezone_DST	NZDT
utc_offset_DST	+13

| mapframe-zoom = 9 Southbridge is a small town on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 45 km southwest of Christchurch, between Leeston, Dunsandel and the Rakaia River.

The town serves mainly as a centre for agricultural services, but also has nearly 70 small to medium-sized businesses, a swimming pool, tennis courts, Southbridge Primary School, and many other attractions.

On 13 July 1875, a branch line railway was opened from Christchurch to Southbridge. Despite proposals to extend it further to Longbeach and Waterton, the line's terminus remained in Southbridge and it was thus known as the Southbridge Branch. Traffic was strong in the line's early decades; in 1914, two mixed trains and a goods-only train ran each way daily. However, the line entered into decline after the late 1920s. Passenger services to Southbridge were cancelled on 14 April 1951, and the line closed entirely on 30 June 1962. Few remnants of the line remain, though locations of level crossings can be discerned.

Ngāti Moki marae, a marae (tribal meeting ground) of Ngāi Tahu and its Te Taumutu Rūnanga branch, is located in Southbridge. It includes Ngāti Moki wharenui (meeting house).

Demographics

Southbridge is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 2.22 km2. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

The settlement had a population of 906 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 48 people (5.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 168 people (22.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 327 households, comprising 456 males and 453 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female, with 201 people (22.2%) aged under 15 years, 141 (15.6%) aged 15 to 29, 429 (47.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 138 (15.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 92.7% European/Pākehā, 8.3% Māori, 1.7% Pasifika, 2.0% Asian, and 3.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.0% had no religion, 32.1% were Christian, 0.3% were Buddhist and 2.3% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 75 (10.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 162 (23.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 117 people (16.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 372 (52.8%) people were employed full-time, 123 (17.4%) were part-time, and 18 (2.6%) were unemployed.

Southbridge statistical area

Southbridge statistical area surrounds and includes the settlement and covers 361.56 km2. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Southbridge had a population of 2,490 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 60 people (2.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 327 people (15.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 906 households, comprising 1,275 males and 1,218 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.05 males per female. The median age was 39.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 540 people (21.7%) aged under 15 years, 429 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,188 (47.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 333 (13.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 88.2% European/Pākehā, 8.9% Māori, 2.3% Pasifika, 5.8% Asian, and 3.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 17.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.8% had no religion, 35.8% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.3% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.2% were Buddhist and 2.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 297 (15.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 405 (20.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. 357 people (18.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,137 (58.3%) people were employed full-time, 309 (15.8%) were part-time, and 36 (1.8%) were unemployed.

Education

Southbridge School is a contributing primary school catering for years 1 to 6. It had a roll of as of The school was established in 1868.

Southbridge District High School opened in 1903 and shared space with the primary school until a fire in 1924 destroyed the buildings. It was rebuilt on the same site, while the primary school moved across the road. The high school closed in 1981.

Notable people

Colonel Allen Bell (1870–1936), politician born in Southbridge
Dan Carter (born 1982), rugby union player born Leeston
George Howes (1879–1946), entomologist born in Southbridge
Pat McEvedy (1880–1935), rugby union player and administrator born in Southbridge
Francie Turner (born 1992), coxswain who grew up in Southbridge
Mabel Rose Wilson (1883–1962), domestic worker and community leader

References

"Southbridge Community Profile". Statistics New Zealand.
David Leitch and Brian Scott, ''Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways'', revised edition (Wellington: Grantham House, 1998 [1995]), 70-1.
"Te Kāhui Māngai directory". [[Te Puni Kōkiri]].
"Māori Maps". Te Potiki National Trust.
"ArcGIS Web Application".
{{NZ census 2018. 7026987 and 7026991–7026995
{{NZ census 2018. Southbridge (335400). southbridge. Southbridge
{{TKI. 3509. Southbridge School
(18 March 2020). "History". Southbridge School.
(27 July 2016). "Southbridge cox steers for Rio". [[The Press]].
"Mabel Rose Wilson".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

selwyn-district populated-places-in-the-canterbury-region

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