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Rolleston, New Zealand

 

 
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Rolleston, New Zealand
 
 
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Rolleston is the centre of the Selwyn District of Canterbury and the Selwyn District Council has its headquarters in the town. It is located next to State Highway 1, 22km south-west of Christchurch on the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains

The Canterbury Plains cover an area bounded by the foothills of the Southern Alps and the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. They are centred to the south of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand in the Canterbury, New Zealand region....
 in the South Island
South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major Islands of New Zealand of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" , possibly evolved from Te Wahi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone"....
 of New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
. The town's slogan
Slogan

A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commerce, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose....
 is "The Town of the Future."

Rolleston was founded as a railway terminus in 1866, and is named after the Canterbury statesman William Rolleston. Rolleston (pronounced 'Rolston'), who was born in Yorkshire in 1831 and died in 1903, served as Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury
Province of Canterbury

The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England. It consists of 30 dioceses, covering roughly the southern two-thirds of England, along with the Channel Islands, the Falkland Islands, a few parishes in Wales, and the mainland of Europe....
 from 1868 until 1876, when New Zealand provinces were abolished.






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Rolleston is the centre of the Selwyn District of Canterbury and the Selwyn District Council has its headquarters in the town. It is located next to State Highway 1, 22km south-west of Christchurch on the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains

The Canterbury Plains cover an area bounded by the foothills of the Southern Alps and the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. They are centred to the south of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand in the Canterbury, New Zealand region....
 in the South Island
South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major Islands of New Zealand of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" , possibly evolved from Te Wahi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone"....
 of New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
. The town's slogan
Slogan

A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commerce, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose....
 is "The Town of the Future."

Rolleston was founded as a railway terminus in 1866, and is named after the Canterbury statesman William Rolleston. Rolleston (pronounced 'Rolston'), who was born in Yorkshire in 1831 and died in 1903, served as Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury
Province of Canterbury

The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England. It consists of 30 dioceses, covering roughly the southern two-thirds of England, along with the Channel Islands, the Falkland Islands, a few parishes in Wales, and the mainland of Europe....
 from 1868 until 1876, when New Zealand provinces were abolished. He was also a Member of Parliament, holding various Cabinet portfolios.

Rolleston is the site of the railway junction between the Midland line
Midland Line, New Zealand

The Midland line is a famous 212 km section of railway between Christchurch and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira Tunnel....
 to Greymouth
Greymouth

Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast, New Zealand List of regions in New Zealand on the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council....
 and the Main South Line
Main South Line

|}The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, runs south from Lyttelton, New Zealand in New Zealand through Christchurch and down the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin....
. The town served as a major railway junction point from the 1880s until the late 1980s, when the government deregulated the railways, and Rolleston became a stop only for the tourist orientated Tranzalpine. Even today if you want to join the Tranzalpine at Rolleston you must specify this in your booking. In 1993 Rolleston was also the site of one of the country's worst level crossing accidents when a concrete truck ran into the side of a passenger train killing 3 train passengers.

Until 1990, the town was confined to a few sealed streets and a population of just under 1,000. The current expansion was begun in the 1990s. Rolleston had a population of 1,974 as of the 2001 census, and 3,822 in the 2006 census. The projected population for Rolleston within the next 10 years is 14,000.

The Radiata Pine plantations which used to be a feature of this part of Canterbury have largely been replaced by more water-intensive grazing land to take advantage of the dairy boom of the early 21st century. It is very exposed on the Canterbury Plains and is therefore slightly drier with a more continental climate than nearby Christchurch.

There are many vineyards in the area which makes a planned wine trail a particularly memorable experience, including .

Rolleston also has a large community centre and library, a supermarket, medical centre, dental surgery, veterinary service, coffee shops and restaurants and various other service industries befitting a rapidly growing, but still rural, community.

Rolleston is the site of Rolleston Prison.

Rolleston is also the home of the .