Valetta, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Valetta is a lightly populated locality in the mid-Canterbury
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is located in an agricultural
area on the southern side of the Ashburton River. Another river, the Hinds River
, is to Valetta's southwest. Nearby settlements include Mount Somers
to the northwest, Anama
to the west, Mayfield
to the southwest, and Punawai to the southeast. Its name is a misspelling of Valletta
, the capital of Malta
.
Valetta was formerly served by the Mount Somers Branch
, a branch line
railway that diverged from the Main South Line
at Tinwald, New Zealand
, just south of Ashburton
. On 3 October 1882, the Westerfield to Anama section of the line opened with a station in Valetta. Passengers ceased to be served by the railway on 9 January 1933 due to declining patronage as a result of increased private ownership of motor vehicles, but freight traffic stayed steady until after World War II
. It then declined to the point where the line was no longer profitable and it officially closed on 1 January 1968, though wheat
was railed from Valetta until April 1968. Some remnants of the railway still exist in and around Valetta: the station's goods shed
, minor bridge abutments, and some of the line's formation
.
Valetta has been identified as potentially at risk in the event of a major flood. Construction of flood protection stopbanks along the southern branch of the Ashburton River is proposed but currently on hold.
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.-...
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 in an agricultural
Agriculture
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...
area on the southern side of the Ashburton River. Another river, the Hinds River
Hinds River
The Hinds River is a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Its north and south branches drain the eastern flank of the Moorhouse Range, part of the Southern Alps, and their confluence is near Anama and Mayfield. The river then flows across the Canterbury Plains towards the Pacific Ocean,...
, is to Valetta's southwest. Nearby settlements include Mount Somers
Mount Somers
Mount Somers is a small town in Canterbury, New Zealand, nestled in the foothills of the Southern Alps. The population in the 2001 census was 2,307. Due to its scenic location, it has seen growth in the number of holiday homes....
to the northwest, Anama
Anama
Anama is a sparsely populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is on the Hinds River, with the Ashburton River not far to the north in nearby Mount Somers. Other nearby settlements include Valetta to the east, Mayfield to the south, and Montalto to the west. ...
to the west, Mayfield
Mayfield, New Zealand
Mayfield is a small farming settlement in Mid Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 35 km from Ashburton on former State Highway 72 at the intersection of the Lismore-Mayfield Road towards the top of the Canterbury Plains. The village has a shop, garage, tavern, local transport...
to the southwest, and Punawai to the southeast. Its name is a misspelling of Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
, the capital of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
.
Valetta was formerly served by the Mount Somers Branch
Mount Somers Branch
The Mount Somers Branch, sometimes known as the Springburn Branch, was a branch line railway in the region of Canterbury, New Zealand. The line was built in stages from 1878, reaching Mount Somers in 1885. A further section to Springburn was added in 1889; this closed in 1957, followed by the...
, a 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 that diverged from 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...
at Tinwald, New Zealand
Tinwald, New Zealand
Tinwald is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, now little more than a suburb of Ashburton. It lies to the south of the larger town, separated from it by the Ashburton River...
, just south of Ashburton
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
. On 3 October 1882, the Westerfield to Anama section of the line opened with a station in Valetta. Passengers ceased to be served by the railway on 9 January 1933 due to declining patronage as a result of increased private ownership of motor vehicles, but freight traffic stayed steady until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It then declined to the point where the line was no longer profitable and it officially closed on 1 January 1968, though wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
was railed from Valetta until April 1968. Some remnants of the railway still exist in and around Valetta: the station's goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
, minor bridge abutments, and some of the line's 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....
.
Valetta has been identified as potentially at risk in the event of a major flood. Construction of flood protection stopbanks along the southern branch of the Ashburton River is proposed but currently on hold.