Makareao
Encyclopedia
Makareao is a lightly populated rural locality in the Otago
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. To the west is Dunback
and to the south is Inch Valley
and the nearest significantly populated town, Palmerston
.
is an important economic activity. Deposits of lime are also located in Makareao and accordingly a limeworks operates. In 1990, Taylor's Lime opened a new plant at Makareao replacing one formerly operated at Weston.
passes through Dunback on the other side of the Shag River
from Makareao.
From 1900 until 1989, Makareao was the terminus of a short branch line
railway. On 29 August 1885, a branch had been opened to Dunback from a junction with the Main South Line
in Palmerston, but to provide better access to the lime deposits, a sub-branch was built from Inch Valley to Makareao. Together, the two lines were known as the Dunback and Makareao Branches
and the Makareao portion served solely the limeworks; it did not carry passengers or general freight. It was just under 4 km long and opened on 31 March 1900. The terminus in Makareao was a modest affair, with just loading bins for the lime and a loop to hold 26 wagons. On 1 January 1968, the Dunback portion of the branch closed and the 11 km section between Palmerston and Inch Valley operated solely to carry Makareao lime. The demise of the line was sudden. Trains ran thrice weekly to carry the lime to a Dunedin
-based cement factory, and when this factory closed in 1988, the reason for the line's existence disappeared. The line was formally closed on 1 June 1989, but railway remnants remain at the Makareao terminus and the line's disused formation
can still be seen between Makareao and Inch Valley.
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
region 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...
's 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...
. To the west is Dunback
Dunback
Dunback, formerly Waihemo, is a small town in the Otago region of New Zealand. It is located between Palmerston and Ranfurly on Highway 85. It has a population of about 200 people...
and to the south is Inch Valley
Inch Valley
Inch Valley is a lightly populated rural locality in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It is northwest of Palmerston and Glenpark, east of Stoneburn, on the banks of the Shag River...
and the nearest significantly populated town, Palmerston
Palmerston, New Zealand
The town of Palmerston, in New Zealand's South Island lies 50 kilometres to the north of the city of Dunedin. It is the largest town in the Waihemo Ward of the Waitaki District with a population of 890 residents...
.
Economy
As with the surrounding area, agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
is an important economic activity. Deposits of lime are also located in Makareao and accordingly a limeworks operates. In 1990, Taylor's Lime opened a new plant at Makareao replacing one formerly operated at Weston.
Transport
No major roads pass through Makareao. State Highway 85New Zealand State Highway 85
State Highway 85 is a South Island State Highway in New Zealand, servicing the Maniototo Plains and the North and Central Otago regions of the South Island between the major settlements of Alexandra and Palmerston. It is wholly two lane and passes through some of the most extreme climatic regions...
passes through Dunback on the other side of the Shag River
Shag River
Shag River is located in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. It rises in the Kakanui Range, flowing southeast for 50 kilometres before reaching the Pacific Ocean near the town of Palmerston...
from Makareao.
From 1900 until 1989, Makareao was the terminus of a short branch line
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. On 29 August 1885, a branch had been opened to Dunback from a junction with 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...
in Palmerston, but to provide better access to the lime deposits, a sub-branch was built from Inch Valley to Makareao. Together, the two lines were known as the Dunback and Makareao Branches
Dunback and Makareao Branches
The Dunback and Makareao Branches were two connected branch line railways, part of New Zealand's national rail network. Located in the Otago region of the South Island, both lines were 15km in length and shared the first 11km...
and the Makareao portion served solely the limeworks; it did not carry passengers or general freight. It was just under 4 km long and opened on 31 March 1900. The terminus in Makareao was a modest affair, with just loading bins for the lime and a loop to hold 26 wagons. On 1 January 1968, the Dunback portion of the branch closed and the 11 km section between Palmerston and Inch Valley operated solely to carry Makareao lime. The demise of the line was sudden. Trains ran thrice weekly to carry the lime to a 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...
-based cement factory, and when this factory closed in 1988, the reason for the line's existence disappeared. The line was formally closed on 1 June 1989, but railway remnants remain at the Makareao terminus and the line's disused formation
Track bed
A track bed or trackbed is the term used to describe the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links....
can still be seen between Makareao and Inch Valley.