Pukeuri
Encyclopedia
Pukeuri is a settlement to the north of Oamaru
in the North Otago
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is located near the coast in the Waitaki District
that straddles the border of Otago
and Canterbury
. According to the 2001 census
, it has a usually resident population of 183; 99 males and 84 females, a decline of 21 people or 10.3% since the 1996 census.
The settlement's major employer is the Alliance abattoir, which is North Otago's biggest employer. A large fire in January 2006 came at the height of the killing season and caused significant disruptions for both workers and customers.
Pukeuri is the location of the junction of State Highways 1 and 83
, and it used to be the junction of the Main South Line
and Kurow Branch
railways as well. The Main South Line still runs through the town, though it no longer caters for passenger traffic. Construction of the branch line
began in 1874 and Pukeuri served as the junction until the line's closure in 1983.
A plaque next to State Highway 1
to the north of the settlement (close to the farming community of Hilderthorpe) marks the 45th parallel
.
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
in the North Otago
North Otago
The district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama . The large east-coast town of Oamaru serves as North Otago's main centre...
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...
. It is located near the coast in the Waitaki District
Waitaki District
The Waitaki district, in the Canterbury and Otago regions of New Zealand, straddles the traditional border between the two regions, the Waitaki River. It has a land area of 7,151.94 km² , divided 59.28% to Canterbury Region and 40.72% to Otago Region. It is the only district on the South...
that straddles the border of Otago
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...
and 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.-...
. According to the 2001 census
Census
A 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...
, it has a usually resident population of 183; 99 males and 84 females, a decline of 21 people or 10.3% since the 1996 census.
The settlement's major employer is the Alliance abattoir, which is North Otago's biggest employer. A large fire in January 2006 came at the height of the killing season and caused significant disruptions for both workers and customers.
Pukeuri is the location of the junction of State Highways 1 and 83
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...
, and it used to be the junction of 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...
and Kurow Branch
Kurow Branch
The Kurow Branch was a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealand's national rail network...
railways as well. The Main South Line still runs through the town, though it no longer caters for passenger traffic. Construction of the 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...
began in 1874 and Pukeuri served as the junction until the line's closure in 1983.
A plaque next to 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...
to the north of the settlement (close to the farming community of Hilderthorpe) marks the 45th parallel
45th parallel south
The 45th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It is the line that marks the theoretical halfway point between the equator and the South Pole...
.