Temuka
Encyclopedia
Temuka is a town on New Zealand
's Canterbury Plains
, 15 kilometres north of Timaru
and 142 km south of Christchurch
. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy
farming region, for which it is a service town.
scouring plants, it had a flour mill
and manufactured electric power transmission
insulators. The name Te umu kaha (original spelling) means long-lasting ovens, from the earth ovens that Māori people used to cook the plentifully-growing cabbage trees.
. Temuka is home to three school
s, two primary schools and one secondary school
. Temuka is accessed by New Zealand's State Highway Number 1
and the Main South Line
railway allowing for major cargo
handling. Temuka is north of the Opihi and Temuka river
s. The local secondary school, Opihi College, takes its name from the Opihi River. Both rivers are popular with locals and tourists. Almost all traffic passing north or south goes through or around Temuka. Temuka has recently had the redevelopment of the local Domain by incorporating a skate park to join the other facilities which include a swimming pool
, mini golf
, golf, netball
, outdoor bowls
and tennis
. Also here are rugby
and football fields, a stadium complex and a popular Holiday Park. For the three local schools, Temuka has transportation for the children that attend, that run daily.
is the local milk processing plant, The largest in New Zealand which employs local Temuka people, in the order of hundreds. Fonterra processes the milk product, which is picked up from farms all over the south island, and makes it into dairy products to be sent around the world. The number of Fonterra milk tankers travelling though a local 'one way bridge' prompted the installation of a diverse traffic light system, to help cope with the increased load. Fonterra is owned by the farms that provide milk for it, shareholders.
crockery. Currently, the older and traditional items are undergoing an increase of demand from collectors
and the accompanying industry. Located in Temuka are many businesses, supermarkets, takeaways, collectors, hardware stores, office supply stores, art galleries, and others.
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 Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains
The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury Region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki...
, 15 kilometres north of 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 142 km south of 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...
. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
farming region, for which it is a service town.
History
At one time it supported woolWool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
scouring plants, it had a flour mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and manufactured electric power transmission
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
insulators. The name Te umu kaha (original spelling) means long-lasting ovens, from the earth ovens that Māori people used to cook the plentifully-growing cabbage trees.
Local Council
Temuka previously had its own council system in place, but since then has been under the administration of TDC, Timaru District Council. Recently, the council has been redeveloping Temuka; in the form of cleaning waterways, new walkways, redeveloping of existing walkways, new gardens, domains, new tennis courts, complete skate park and generally modernizing of the large service town.Population & Demographics
With a population of 4,044 people in 2006, it is the second largest town in South CanterburyCanterbury, 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.-...
. Temuka is home to three school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, two primary schools and one secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
. Temuka is accessed by New Zealand's State Highway Number 1
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 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 allowing for major cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
handling. Temuka is north of the Opihi and Temuka river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. The local secondary school, Opihi College, takes its name from the Opihi River. Both rivers are popular with locals and tourists. Almost all traffic passing north or south goes through or around Temuka. Temuka has recently had the redevelopment of the local Domain by incorporating a skate park to join the other facilities which include a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, mini golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, golf, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, outdoor bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. Also here are rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and football fields, a stadium complex and a popular Holiday Park. For the three local schools, Temuka has transportation for the children that attend, that run daily.
Fonterra
FonterraFonterra
Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited is a New Zealand multinational dairy co-operative owned by almost 10,500 New Zealand farmers. The company is responsible for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports and with revenue exceeding NZ$19.87 billion, is New Zealand's largest company.- History :In...
is the local milk processing plant, The largest in New Zealand which employs local Temuka people, in the order of hundreds. Fonterra processes the milk product, which is picked up from farms all over the south island, and makes it into dairy products to be sent around the world. The number of Fonterra milk tankers travelling though a local 'one way bridge' prompted the installation of a diverse traffic light system, to help cope with the increased load. Fonterra is owned by the farms that provide milk for it, shareholders.
Schools
There are currently three primary and secondary schools in Temuka.- Temuka Primary.
- St. Joseph's Temuka.
- Opihi College.
- Opihi College was originally called Temuka High School until 2005 when the name was changed.
Business
Temuka is home to a very large trucking company; Temuka Transport. This company is hired throughout South Canterbury and has about 40 trucks which are used to service the South Canterbury area. Also located in the town is; Temuka Homeware. This company produces ceramicCeramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
crockery. Currently, the older and traditional items are undergoing an increase of demand from collectors
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
and the accompanying industry. Located in Temuka are many businesses, supermarkets, takeaways, collectors, hardware stores, office supply stores, art galleries, and others.