Introduction
Ferrymead is a suburb south-east of
Christchurch,
New Zealand.
Geography
Ferrymead is located on the
estuary of the
Avon and
Heathcote Rivers, close to the point where the Heathcote drains into the estuary, and three km west of the eventual outflow into
Pegasus Bay. To the north lie the oxidation ponds from Christchurch's main sewage treatment works, which are within a large wildlife refuge and are inhabited by many species of bird life. To the south lie the
Port Hills. The suburb is named for the ferry that operated across the Heathcote River during the early period of settlement.
History
Early European settlement
European settlement of the area dates from the arrival of the early colonists in 1850. Farming was the major industry of the area from its early years and parts of the Heathcote Valley are still in agricultural production. Ferry services began about 1851 firstly as a cattle punt. These continued until the completion of the Heathcote Bridge in 1864. Shipping at this time was also able to travel up the Heathcote River as far as the Christchurch Quay adjacent to the present Radley Street Bridge. Later the Steam Wharf was opened by the present Tunnel Road intersection with Ferry Road. The Railway Wharf was opened in December 1863 along with the Ferrymead Railway.
Shipping on the river was very costly, around 2 pounds per tonne, more than it cost to bring cargo from the UK, and the ships were very small. Later on, steamships brought the cost down, but the difficulties of bringing ships over the bar of the Estuary and up the river itself were a considerable inconvenience. River shipping only outlasted the advent of the railway by a few years, although both the 1864 and 1907 bridges were designed to allow shipping to pass.
The original railway
On
1 December 1863 New Zealand's first public railway line was opened from Ferrymead to the central city.
The line was a temporary expedient to allow construction of the Heathcote/Lyttelton tunnel to proceed. It closed in
1867 after the opening of the Moorhouse railway tunnel to the port of
Lyttelton.
Its track ran 7 km to the city of Christchurch, where the station was situated near to the site later occupied by the 1960 Christchurch station (closed in 1995). The locomotives and rolling stock were imported from
Victoria, Australia, this being the main reason why the 5' 3" (1600 mm) railway gauge was adopted. Stations were located in later years at Woolston (formerly Hillsborough), Opawa and Linwood (the last two as passenger halts until the end of suburban trains in 1972). A branch also headed towards Heathcote at the time of tunnel construction.
The Moorhouse Tunnel was completed in a much shorter time than envisaged; and consequently the Ferrymead Railway was officially closed on
9 November 1867, the same day as the railway line to Lyttelton was opened. Following the subsequent conversion of the Main South Line to 3' 6" (1067 mm) gauge, all its broad gauge rolling stock was sold back to Australia. Unfortunately the ship they were placed on was wrecked off the NZ coast, but it is believed the cargo was salvaged. The formation then lay abandoned for almost 100 years until the advent of Ferrymead Historic Park.
Following the commemoration of the centenary of this line, various groups including the
New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society (Canterbury Branch) (now the
Canterbury Railway Society) became interested in developing the historical site. The
Ferrymead Railway operates on the original railway formation as part of
Ferrymead Heritage Park (formerly Ferrymead Historic Park).
See also
Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi) is the regional capital of Canterbury, New Zealand. The largest city in the South Island, it is also the second largest city and third largest urban area of New Zealand.
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Satellite view of South Island
Geography
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Area
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The Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand.
It drains into an estuary which it shares with the Avon River before draining into Pegasus Bay.
Named after Sir William Heathcote, secretary of the Canterbury Association.
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Heathcote Valley is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, dominated by the approaches to the Lyttelton Tunnel , a major arterial pass through the Port Hills that is part of State Highway 74.
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Woolston is a light industrial and residential suburb of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated three kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to major arterial routes including State Highways 73 and 74 to Banks Peninsula.
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Christchurch (Māori: Ōtautahi) is the regional capital of Canterbury, New Zealand. The largest city in the South Island, it is also the second largest city and third largest urban area of New Zealand.
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Anthem"God Defend New Zealand"
"God Save the Queen"
1 Capital Wellington
Largest city Auckland
..... Click the link for more information. estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.[1] Estuaries are often associated with high rates of biological productivity. An estuary is where the river meets the sea.
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The Avon River is a river located in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It is known by the Māori as Otakaro or Putare Kamutu. It was named Avon by John Deans in 1848 after the River Avon, Falkirk, Scotland. It flows all year round, obtaining water from artesian sources.
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The Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand.
It drains into an estuary which it shares with the Avon River before draining into Pegasus Bay.
Named after Sir William Heathcote, secretary of the Canterbury Association.
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Pegasus Bay is on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
The bay has a sandy beach and runs from Banks Peninsula to the Waipara River mouth. The city of Christchurch is at the southern end of the bay.
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Port Hills are a range of hills running approximately east-west, between the port of Lyttelton and the city of Christchurch in Canterbury, New Zealand. The Port Hills are the northern rim of an ancient volcanic cone, one of two from which Banks Peninsula (Horomaka) was formed.
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December 1 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.
Events
- 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican.
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1830s 1840s 1850s - 1860s - 1870s 1880s 1890s
1860 1861 1862 - 1863 - 1864 1865 1866
:
Subjects: Archaeology - Architecture -
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1830s 1840s 1850s - 1860s - 1870s 1880s 1890s
1864 1865 1866 - 1867 - 1868 1869 1870
:
Subjects: Archaeology - Architecture -
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Lyttelton () is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour next to Banks Peninsula, 12 km by road from Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
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Victoria
Flag Coat of Arms
Slogan or Nickname: "Garden State", "The Place to Be"
Motto(s): "Peace and Prosperity"
Other Australian states and territories
Capital Melbourne
Government Constitutional monarchy
Governor David de Kretser
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November 9 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.
Events
..... Click the link for more information. 18th century - 19th century - 20th century
1830s 1840s 1850s - 1860s - 1870s 1880s 1890s
1864 1865 1866 - 1867 - 1868 1869 1870
:
Subjects: Archaeology - Architecture -
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The New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Inc (NZRLS) is a society of railway enthusiasts, based in Wellington.
The Society publishes a magazine, the New Zealand Railway Observer and a newsletter Turntable.
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Canterbury Railway Society is an organisation of railway enthusiasts in New Zealand.
Beginnings
The Canterbury Branch came into existence in the late 1950s. In its early years, one of its major activities was in the operation of passenger excursions on the New Zealand
..... Click the link for more information. The Ferrymead Railway is a New Zealand heritage railway built upon the formation of New Zealand's first public railway, the line from Ferrymead to Christchurch, which opened in 1863.
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Ferrymead Heritage Park is a historical museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, housing a number of groups with historical themes, the most frequent of which is transport. Formerly known as Ferrymead Historic Park, it was founded in the mid 1960s by a number of groups, local
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Ferrymead Heritage Park is a historical museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, housing a number of groups with historical themes, the most frequent of which is transport. Formerly known as Ferrymead Historic Park, it was founded in the mid 1960s by a number of groups, local
..... Click the link for more information.