Albury, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
| Albury | |
| Urban Area | |
|---|---|
| Population: | |
| Extent: | |
| Territorial Authority | |
| Name: | Mackenzie District Council |
| Population: | |
| Mayor: | |
| Website: | Mackenzie District Council |
| Extent: | |
| Regional council | |
| Name: | Environment Canterbury |
Albury is a small village in the southern part of the Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
region of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is inland from Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
and located on State Highway 8
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
between Pleasant Point
Pleasant Point, New Zealand
Pleasant Point is a small country town in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, some 19 km inland from Timaru. A service town for the surrounding farming district, it has a population of 1,222 and one of its main attractions is the heritage railway, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which...
and Fairlie
Fairlie
A Fairlie is a type of articulated steam locomotive that has the driving wheels on bogies. The locomotive may be double-ended or single ended...
. It is at 170°52'25.33"E 44°13'51.79"S in the Mackenzie County (Mackenzie District
Mackenzie District
Mackenzie District is a political district in New Zealand's South Island. It is part of the larger Canterbury Region.-Principal settlements:*Fairlie*Twizel*Cave*Mount Cook Village*Albury*TekapoAlso*Burkes Pass-Geography:See Mackenzie Basin,...
).
Albury is located in a rural farming district, and for over six years in the 19th century served as the temporary terminus of the branch
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway line that would become the Fairlie Branch
Fairlie Branch
The Fairlie Branch was a branch line railway in southern Canterbury which formed part of New Zealand's national railway network. Construction began in 1874, and at its farthest extent, it terminated just beyond Fairlie in Eversley...
. The line was opened on 1 January 1877 and an extension beyond the town to Winscombe
Winscombe, New Zealand
Winscombe is a lightly populated locality in the southern part of the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated inland from Timaru on State Highway 8 between Pleasant Point and Fairlie. It is located in a very rural setting....
opened on 24 August 1883. Although the Fairlie Branch closed on 2 March 1968, some formation from the line can still be seen around Albury.
In 2007, Albury School will celebrate its 125th anniversary. It currently has two classrooms, one for years 1 and 2 and one for years 3 to 6. Most children go on to the high school in Fairlie (Mackenzie College).
The water supply for the village and those close to SH8
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
comes from the Downlands scheme. Most of the district is served by the Albury Rural Water Scheme that supplies water for both stock and homesteads. Prior to these schemes houses would pump water from the rivers, or get it from an open water race that was built for stock and human use. Remanents of the water race supplying Mt Nessing Station
Station (New Zealand agriculture)
A station, in the context of New Zealand agriculture, is a large farm dedicated to the grazing of sheep and cattle. The use of the word for the farm or farm buildings date back to the mid-nineteenth century....
(A very large farm or ranch greater than 8000 acres (32 km²)) can be seen on the Mt Nessing Golf Club's course. Water for the Albury Scheme is taken from a tributary branch of the Opawa River. This scheme was built in the late 1960s/early 1970s and uses no pumps - the system is driven by gravity. It was served by one low dam until 2000-2002 when another branch of the river was dammed to increase the water flow to the headworks. This was necessary as water flow was becoming too low in the original branch. Filtering for the scheme is performed by a long, dual channel trough that contains various grade of gravel with the coarsest at the bottom (Sand Filter
Sand filter
Sand filters are used for water purification. There are three main types;# rapid sand filters# upflow sand filters# slow sand filtersAll three methods are used extensively in the water industry throughout the world...
). Little maintenance is required apart from periodic flushing of the filter by flowing water backwards through it.
Local Clubs and Organisations
Mount Nessing Collie ClubMount Nessing Golf Club
Rural Women (Formerly Women's Division of Federated Farmers)
Local Events
In 2007, Albury School will celebrate its 125th anniversary. It currently has two classrooms, one for years 1 and 2 and one for years 3 to 6.Every year around march/April the Albury Pub/Tavern/Bar is the destination of a mountain bicycle race. The race is called the "Pass to Pub". The race goes for about 35 km from Burkes Pass to the Albury Tavern. Local organisations put on barbecues and sell items for fundraising activities at the end.