Evansdale, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Evansdale is a locality on State Highway 1
, 25km north of Dunedin
, at the north west of Blueskin Bay
. It also has lent its name to a cheese producer
, and a census-gathering district
, which recorded 1,284 people in 2006.
. This bridge formed a strategic point on what was called the Main North Road, and a toll gate was built here. William Evans, a Welshman, and another settler David Carey competed for the right to name the locality as Evansdale or "Carey Junction"; eventually Carey's name was applied to the creek.
When the Main South Line
railway was built from Dunedin
a terminal station here, Whaitiripaku, provided a transit point to horse-drawn transport northward.
Evansdale's period as a railhead
encouraged rapid development and in a short time there was a post and telegraph office and a school. Later the railway was linked around the coast to Christchurch
and the station, now a through station known as Evansdale became less important. The community began a long, slow economic decline: the school (closed in 1928) and the post office both relocated to Warrington
. The hotel remained and eventually became an important fuel stop, the Glenhouse Service Station, as road transport developed.
In the early 1970s, the Main North Road, now known as State Highway 1
was widened and straightened through the village with devastating effect, taking out about half a dozen houses. A large depot for the New Zealand Ministry of Works
was built for the major road improvements over the nearby Kilmog.
The village declined economically from the 1980s to the 2000s as Rogernomics
and changes in the fuel industry led to the closure of the Works depot, railway halt and service station. The depot became an owner-operated sawmill and landscaping business while the service station is gradually being developed for retailing and hospitality. A new development over this period was the Evansdale Cheese
factory producing handcrafted "farmhouse" cheeses. The cheese factory's success has ironically contributed to Evansdale's decline: it relocated to Hawksbury
, 15km to the north.
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
, 25km north of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, at the north west of Blueskin Bay
Blueskin Bay
Blueskin Bay is an estuary in coastal Otago, about 25 km north of Dunedin.The name also unofficially describes the rural district which includes the northern slopes of Mount Cargill, the southern slopes of the Kilmog, and the townships of Doctors Point, Waitati, Evansdale, Warrington, and...
. It also has lent its name to a cheese producer
Evansdale Cheese
Evansdale Cheese Factory is a small New Zealand producer of hand-made cheeses, located at Hawksbury in Otago, about 35km north of Dunedin on State Highway 1...
, and a census-gathering district
Evansdale statistical district
"Evansdale" is the name given to a census-gathering district in rural Dunedin, New Zealand. It encompasses all areas outside of urban areas between Mount Cargill and the northern Dunedin City boundary...
, which recorded 1,284 people in 2006.
History
Evansdale began as a collection of houses and a hotel (the Blueskin Hotel),around the bridge over Careys CreekCareys Creek
Carey's Creek is a small river in Otago, New Zealand, which flows from the Silverpeaks into Blueskin Bay at Evansdale.The Māori name for the Creek is Whaitiripaku....
. This bridge formed a strategic point on what was called the Main North Road, and a toll gate was built here. William Evans, a Welshman, and another settler David Carey competed for the right to name the locality as Evansdale or "Carey Junction"; eventually Carey's name was applied to the creek.
When the Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
railway was built from Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
a terminal station here, Whaitiripaku, provided a transit point to horse-drawn transport northward.
Evansdale's period as a railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
encouraged rapid development and in a short time there was a post and telegraph office and a school. Later the railway was linked around the coast to Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and the station, now a through station known as Evansdale became less important. The community began a long, slow economic decline: the school (closed in 1928) and the post office both relocated to Warrington
Warrington, New Zealand
Warrington is a small settlement on the coast of Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated close to the northern shore of Blueskin Bay, an area of mudflats north of Dunedin and is administered as part of Dunedin City. Warrington is 3 km from State Highway 1 linked by Coast Road...
. The hotel remained and eventually became an important fuel stop, the Glenhouse Service Station, as road transport developed.
In the early 1970s, the Main North Road, now known as State Highway 1
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
was widened and straightened through the village with devastating effect, taking out about half a dozen houses. A large depot for the New Zealand Ministry of Works
New Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
was built for the major road improvements over the nearby Kilmog.
The village declined economically from the 1980s to the 2000s as Rogernomics
Rogernomics
The term Rogernomics, a portmanteau of "Roger" and "economics", was coined by journalists at the New Zealand Listener by analogy with Reaganomics to describe the economic policies followed by Roger Douglas after his appointment in 1984 as Minister of Finance in the Fourth Labour Government...
and changes in the fuel industry led to the closure of the Works depot, railway halt and service station. The depot became an owner-operated sawmill and landscaping business while the service station is gradually being developed for retailing and hospitality. A new development over this period was the Evansdale Cheese
Evansdale Cheese
Evansdale Cheese Factory is a small New Zealand producer of hand-made cheeses, located at Hawksbury in Otago, about 35km north of Dunedin on State Highway 1...
factory producing handcrafted "farmhouse" cheeses. The cheese factory's success has ironically contributed to Evansdale's decline: it relocated to Hawksbury
Hawksbury, New Zealand
Hawksbury also known as "Cherry Farm" is a small residential and industrial area beside State Highway 1 between Dunedin and Waikouaiti.-Cherry Farm Hospital:...
, 15km to the north.
Confusion over the place name
- In 2005 publication of the results of a Dunedin City Council survey on water reticulation led to protests and accusations of gerrymanderingGerrymanderingIn the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
as a vast number of survey respondents were listed as living in "Evansdale". This relates to the use of the name for a large census-gathering districtEvansdale statistical district"Evansdale" is the name given to a census-gathering district in rural Dunedin, New Zealand. It encompasses all areas outside of urban areas between Mount Cargill and the northern Dunedin City boundary...
by Statistics New ZealandStatistics New ZealandStatistics New Zealand is the national statistical office of New Zealand.-Organisation:New Zealand's Minister of Statistics is Maurice Williamson who serves as a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and holds several other posts within government...
, the City Council was simply using the name and boundaries used in other censusCensusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
gathering.
- When Evansdale CheeseEvansdale CheeseEvansdale Cheese Factory is a small New Zealand producer of hand-made cheeses, located at Hawksbury in Otago, about 35km north of Dunedin on State Highway 1...
relocated to Hawksbury its prominent signage there led to that location becoming mistakenly known as "Evansdale".