Gore, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Gore is a town, surrounding borough, and district
in the Southland
region of the South Island
of New Zealand
.
The Gore District has a land area of 1,251.62 km² (483.25 sq mi) and a resident population of
The town of Gore is 64 kilometres northeast of Invercargill
and 70 km west of Balclutha
—Dunedin
and Invercargill are the nearest cities. The urban area estimated resident population at the was , the second largest in Southland. Gore is a service town for the surrounding farm communities.
It is divided by the Mataura River
into Gore and East Gore, the majority of the town being situated on the western banks of the river. The Main South Line
railway from Dunedin
to Invercargill runs through the town, though passenger services ceased in 2003. Gore was once a busy railway junction; the Waimea Plains Railway
ran west to connect with the Kingston Branch in Lumsden
, while the Waikaka Branch
connected with the Main South Line nearby in McNab. One of New Zealand's most famous preserved trains is the Kingston Flyer
, which takes its name from a passenger express that once ran between Kingston and Gore.
Gore is known in New Zealand folklore as the home of Hokonui moonshine
. During the days of prohibition
, the Hokonui Hills
to the west of the town gained a reputation for the production of illicit alcohol.
Gore's local radio station Hokonui Gold
broadcasts from within the town.
As crossing the Mataura River
involved a long fording, the locality became known as “the Long Ford”, or Longford. In 1862 a few town sections were surveyed on the west bank of the river and Longford was named Gore as a compliment to Sir Thomas Gore Browne
, an early Governor of New Zealand. One of the first buildings was Long Ford House an accommodation house opened by local sawmill owner Daniel Morton
A village named Gordon after Governor Sir Arthur Gordon became established on the opposite bank of the Mataura. By 1864 a road from Balclutha through Gore to Invercargill had been opened for wheeled traffic which allowed the establishment of a regular coach service between Invercargill and Dunedin.
After its construction began in the early 1870s, a railway line between Invercargill and Gore was opened on 30 August 1875. By 22 January 1879 the railway had been extended to Balclutha where it linked with an existing line to Dunedin. A private Waimea Plains railway from Gore to Lumsden was opened on 31 July 1880. This was subsequently purchased by the Government in 1886. It connected Gore with the Invercargill-Kingston branch line. By 1908 another branch had been completed via McNab to Waikaka. The extension of the railways established Gore as an important hub and had a significant effect on its development.
By 1879, the “Ensign” newspaper was being published in the town, followed in 1887 by the rival “Standard”.
By 1905 the population had increased to 2,354, compared with 1,618 in 1891.
The establishment of the Gore Electric Light & Power Syndicate led in 1894 to Gore becoming the third town in New Zealand to install a generator and provide a public electricity supply.
From the end of the Second World War until 1976 Gore enjoyed prosperity driven by record prices for agricultural produce which saw the town’s population rise from 5,000 in 1945 to 9,000 in 1976. By the late 1960s it was reputed to have the highest per-capita retail turnover of any New Zealand town.
Jeremy Wells
and Mikey Havoc
falsely labelled Gore the gay capital of New Zealand in 1999, during Havoc and Newsboy's Sell-out Tour. Returning to the town to cover the 2008 election
, Wells was confronted by a group of fifteen men angry over the comments. The group started harassing him at a petrol station, and followed him back to his hotel room, trapping him for ninety minutes before the police were called.
The two secondary schools in Gore are:
The only intermediate school in Gore is
There are four primary schools in Gore:
There are also another 6 primary schools in the Gore District
Gore is well known for its connection with Country and Western music, with the annual New Zealand country music awards having been held in the town for 36 years. It has a sister city relationship with Tamworth, New South Wales
, the "Country Music Capital of Australia
".
Recently Gore has also gained a reputation as a centre for the visual arts in the southern South Island. A major bequest to the town's Eastern Southland Art Gallery by Dr. John Money
has left the institution with one of the country's best collections of ethnological art. This is partnered by an impressive collection of modern New Zealand work, including several notable pieces by Ralph Hotere
.
The Flemings "Creamoata Mill" is an iconic local building, with Flemings "Creamoata" brand of porridge once considered the National Breakfast, and the mill itself considered one of the most modern cereal mills in the southern hemishphere. Production of all products was moved to Australia in 2001, and Creamoata was discontinued in 2008 after declining sales. Goodman Fielder claimed that the plant was no longer viable as it was operating at less than one third of its capacity. The building's famous "Sgt Dan" remains because rights to it have been purchased by the buildings current owner "Sgt Dan Stockfoods Ltd". The building has a Category I listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
.
The former East Gore Presbyterian Church
is one of the two remaining wooden Gothic
churches designed by the eminent architect R.A. Lawson
.
Built in 1881 and registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, the main building is currently used as a performance and lecture theatre and the hall, built later, as a studio and flat for visiting artists. The latter houses the bedroom furniture from the Royal Suite commissioned for the Queen's
Royal Tour to Southland in 1954.
Territorial authorities of New Zealand
Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils, and the Chatham Islands Council...
in the Southland
Southland Region
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
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...
.
Geography
The town of Gore is 64 kilometres northeast of Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
and 70 km west of Balclutha
Balclutha, New Zealand
Balclutha is a town in Otago, it lies towards the end of the Clutha River on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is about halfway between Dunedin and Invercargill on the Main South Line railway, State Highway 1 and the Southern Scenic Route...
—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...
and Invercargill are the nearest cities. The urban area estimated resident population at the was , the second largest in Southland. Gore is a service town for the surrounding farm communities.
It is divided by the Mataura River
Mataura River
The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
into Gore and East Gore, the majority of the town being situated on the western banks of the river. 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 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...
to Invercargill runs through the town, though passenger services ceased in 2003. Gore was once a busy railway junction; the Waimea Plains Railway
Waimea Plains Railway
The Waimea Plains Railway was a secondary railway line that linked the towns of Lumsden and Gore in northern Southland, New Zealand...
ran west to connect with the Kingston Branch in Lumsden
Lumsden, New Zealand
Lumsden is a town in Southland, New Zealand. Lying in a gap in the surrounding hills, it is the location of a major junction halfway along the north-south road from Queenstown to Invercargill, where it is crossed by the east-west road from Gore to Te Anau. The town had a population of 453 as of the...
, while the Waikaka Branch
Waikaka Branch
The Waikaka Branch was a branch line railway of the Main South Line that ran through agricultural and gold-mining country in Southland, New Zealand...
connected with the Main South Line nearby in McNab. One of New Zealand's most famous preserved trains is the Kingston Flyer
Kingston Flyer
The Kingston Flyer is a vintage steam train operating in the South Island of New Zealand at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu. It uses 14 kilometres of preserved trackage that once formed a part of the Kingston Branch.-History:...
, which takes its name from a passenger express that once ran between Kingston and Gore.
Gore is known in New Zealand folklore as the home of Hokonui moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
. During the days of prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, the Hokonui Hills
Hokonui Hills
The Hokonui Hills, also known as The Hokonui Mountains or simply The Hokonui, are a range of hills in northern Southland, New Zealand. They rise to 600 metres above the surrounding Southland Plains, of which the hills mark a northern extremity....
to the west of the town gained a reputation for the production of illicit alcohol.
Gore's local radio station Hokonui Gold
Hokonui Gold
Hokonui Gold is an easy listening radio station that is based in Gore, New Zealand.The station was formerly known as 4ZG or Radio Hokonui, which broadcast on 558 AM and was operated by Radio New Zealand...
broadcasts from within the town.
History
Before the arrival of Europeans the current site of Gore was a part of or near the routes used by Maori travellers. Tuturau, near modern Mataura, was the nearest Maori settlement. In 1836 southern Maori repelled a raid from the north, which provided sufficient security for Europeans to purchase land and settle in the area. By the mid 1850s large tracts nearby had been converted into sheep runs.As crossing the Mataura River
Mataura River
The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
involved a long fording, the locality became known as “the Long Ford”, or Longford. In 1862 a few town sections were surveyed on the west bank of the river and Longford was named Gore as a compliment to Sir Thomas Gore Browne
Thomas Gore Browne
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne KCMG CB was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.-Early life:...
, an early Governor of New Zealand. One of the first buildings was Long Ford House an accommodation house opened by local sawmill owner Daniel Morton
A village named Gordon after Governor Sir Arthur Gordon became established on the opposite bank of the Mataura. By 1864 a road from Balclutha through Gore to Invercargill had been opened for wheeled traffic which allowed the establishment of a regular coach service between Invercargill and Dunedin.
Becomes established
By 1877 there were enough business opportunities in the area for the Bank of New Zealand to establish a branch in Gore. Within another three years both the Bank of Australasia and the Colonial Bank had also opened branches. In 1899 the Bank of New South Wales followed suit.After its construction began in the early 1870s, a railway line between Invercargill and Gore was opened on 30 August 1875. By 22 January 1879 the railway had been extended to Balclutha where it linked with an existing line to Dunedin. A private Waimea Plains railway from Gore to Lumsden was opened on 31 July 1880. This was subsequently purchased by the Government in 1886. It connected Gore with the Invercargill-Kingston branch line. By 1908 another branch had been completed via McNab to Waikaka. The extension of the railways established Gore as an important hub and had a significant effect on its development.
By 1879, the “Ensign” newspaper was being published in the town, followed in 1887 by the rival “Standard”.
Becomes a borough
In 1885 Gore was constituted a borough and in 1890 Gordon, by now commonly known as East Gore, amalgamated with Gore. It acquired a nickname of "Chicago of the South".By 1905 the population had increased to 2,354, compared with 1,618 in 1891.
The establishment of the Gore Electric Light & Power Syndicate led in 1894 to Gore becoming the third town in New Zealand to install a generator and provide a public electricity supply.
From the end of the Second World War until 1976 Gore enjoyed prosperity driven by record prices for agricultural produce which saw the town’s population rise from 5,000 in 1945 to 9,000 in 1976. By the late 1960s it was reputed to have the highest per-capita retail turnover of any New Zealand town.
Decline
The farm sector went into decline after 1976 which lead to a corresponding decline in the population. Related businesses also closed, including the town’s iconic cereal mill, which had processed oats and other grains since 1877. Since 2000 prosperity has returned as large numbers of farms in the surrounding area were converted to dairy farms to take advantage of high prices for dairy produce. This growth lead to low employment in the town.Jeremy Wells
Jeremy Wells
Jeremy "Newsboy" Wells is a New Zealand television personality, most famous as the host of TVNZ's satirical news show, Eating Media Lunch. He is also a co-host of The Saturday Special radio show with Steve Simpson on New Zealand radio station bFM.Wells was born in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of...
and Mikey Havoc
Mikey Havoc
Mikey Havoc , also known colloquially as Havo is a New Zealand media personality.-Music:Roberts was the lead singer of the New Zealand glam metal group Push Push, best known for its 1991 number one singles "What My Baby Likes" and "Trippin'". He is now a house music DJ...
falsely labelled Gore the gay capital of New Zealand in 1999, during Havoc and Newsboy's Sell-out Tour. Returning to the town to cover the 2008 election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, Wells was confronted by a group of fifteen men angry over the comments. The group started harassing him at a petrol station, and followed him back to his hotel room, trapping him for ninety minutes before the police were called.
Education in Gore
Gore and surrounding districts have various Primary, Intermediate & High Schools.The two secondary schools in Gore are:
- Gore High SchoolGore High SchoolGore High School is one of two secondary schools in Gore, New Zealand. It is located on Coutts Road in the west of Gore.-Famous ex-pupils:*Aaron Barclay - 2010 Youth Olympics Gold Medalist*Jimmy Cowan - All Black*Justin Marshall - former All Black...
(the largest school in Gore) - St Peter's College, GoreSt Peter's College, GoreSt Peters College is a secondary school in the Gore district, Southland Region, New Zealand. A private co-ed school of 405 students, St Peter's college was founded in 1969, becoming the first Catholic co-educational boarding school in New Zealand...
a catholic schoolCatholic schoolCatholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
The only intermediate school in Gore is
- Longford Intermediate
There are four primary schools in Gore:
- West Gore School (the biggest primary school)
- Gore Main School
- East Gore School
- St Marys School.
There are also another 6 primary schools in the Gore District
- Knapdale School
- Mataura School
- Otama School
- Pukerau School
- Waikaka School
- Willowbank School
Landmarks and notable features
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
, the "Country Music Capital of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
".
Recently Gore has also gained a reputation as a centre for the visual arts in the southern South Island. A major bequest to the town's Eastern Southland Art Gallery by Dr. John Money
John Money
John William Money was a psychologist, sexologist and author, specializing in research into sexual identity and biology of gender...
has left the institution with one of the country's best collections of ethnological art. This is partnered by an impressive collection of modern New Zealand work, including several notable pieces by Ralph Hotere
Ralph Hotere
Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere is a New Zealand artist of Māori descent . He was born in Mitimiti, Northland and He is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important living artists...
.
The Flemings "Creamoata Mill" is an iconic local building, with Flemings "Creamoata" brand of porridge once considered the National Breakfast, and the mill itself considered one of the most modern cereal mills in the southern hemishphere. Production of all products was moved to Australia in 2001, and Creamoata was discontinued in 2008 after declining sales. Goodman Fielder claimed that the plant was no longer viable as it was operating at less than one third of its capacity. The building's famous "Sgt Dan" remains because rights to it have been purchased by the buildings current owner "Sgt Dan Stockfoods Ltd". The building has a Category I listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
.
The former East Gore Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is the main Presbyterian church in New Zealand.-History:The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand was formed in October 1901 with the amalgamation of churches in Synod of Otago and Southland with those north of the Waitaki River.Presbyterians had by and...
is one of the two remaining wooden Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
churches designed by the eminent architect R.A. Lawson
Robert Lawson (architect)
Robert Arthur Lawson was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. It has been said he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era architecture of the city of Dunedin...
.
Built in 1881 and registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, the main building is currently used as a performance and lecture theatre and the hall, built later, as a studio and flat for visiting artists. The latter houses the bedroom furniture from the Royal Suite commissioned for the Queen's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
Royal Tour to Southland in 1954.
Notable residents
- Jimmy CowanJimmy CowanQuinton James Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He has been an All Black since 2004 where he made his debut during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France. Cowan was born in Gore and attended Gore High School...
, international rugby player - James HargestJames HargestBrigadier James Hargest CBE, DSO & 2 bars, MC, ED, MP, was a New Zealand military officer and politician.Hargest was born in Gore, where his father was a farmer. He joined the Territorial Force in 1911, and when World War I broke out, he volunteered to serve in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force,...
, politician and military leader - Luke HurleyLuke HurleyLuke Hurley is an independent New Zealand guitarist and singer-songwriter, who works mostly outside the confines of the music industry. He was born in Kenya, and later moved with his family to Gore in Southland, New Zealand when aged 12...
, musician - Hadyn Jones, television journalist
- Shona McFarlaneShona McFarlaneShona Graham McFarlane CBE was a New Zealand artist, journalist and broadcaster.McFarlane was born in Gore and educated at Otago Girls' High School, and studied teaching at Dunedin Teachers' College...
, artist and broadcaster - Brian McKechnieBrian McKechnie (cricketer)-External links:*...
international cricket and rugby player - Justin MarshallJustin MarshallJustin Warren Marshall, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was born in Mataura and educated in Gore before settling in Christchurch. Marshall played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005...
, international rugby player - Geoff RaboneGeoff RaboneGeoffrey Osborne Rabone was a cricketer who captained New Zealand in five Test matches in 1953-54 and 1954-55....
, international cricketer - Eric RoyEric RoyEric Wilbur Roy is a New Zealand politician. He is a National Party Member of Parliament , being first elected in 1993.-Early years:...
, politician - Jenny ShipleyJenny ShipleyDame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
, former Prime Minister of New Zealand - Barry SoperBarry SoperBarry Soper is a conservative New Zealand political journalist, and has been featured regularly on radio and television since the 1970s....
, political journalist - Stu WilsonStu WilsonStu Wilson is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played for Wellington and New Zealand, captaining national team in the 1983 tour of England and Scotland....
, international rugby player - Mike PuruMike PuruMike Puru is a Radio DJ/Presenter best known for working at The Edge. He also competed on the 2006 New Zealand reality show Sing Like a Superstar and in the early 2000's he was Co-host of Flipside....
, radio host
External links
- Gore District Council
- The Golden Guitar Awards site
- http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/pdf/hoc_fr_bulletins/38_bulletin.pdf Hocken Collection Bulletin 38 - New Zealand’s ‘Little Lichfield’ - The literature of Eastern Southland.