Waimahaka
Encyclopedia
Waimahaka is a locality in the Southland region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is situated in a rural area, inland from Toetoes Bay
. Nearby settlements include Pine Bush
and Titiroa
to the northwest, Fortification
and Te Peka
to the east, Pukewao
and Tokanui
to the southwest, and Fortrose
on the coast to the south.
was opened from Gorge Road
to Waimahaka. This branch line
railway linked Waimahaka with Invercargill
, and an engine shed
, locomotive turntable
, and goods shed
were established at the Waimahaka station. The opening of the railway allowed Waimahaka to develop at the expense of Fortrose, as the railway provided quicker transport to Invercargill
than the vessels that called at Fortrose's small port. On 20 December 1911, the railway was extended to Tokanui and Waimahaka's engine facilities were transferred there.
Passengers and freight were carried together on mixed train
s that ran daily to and from Invercargill. In 1951, these were cut to operate just once per week, mainly for the benefit of families employed by the Railways Department
who lived in the area; goods-only trains operated on other days. On 1 June 1960, passenger services were fully cancelled and trains through Waimahaka catered solely for freight until the line officially closed on 31 March 1966 as freight levels had not been profitable for years. The station platform and loading bank remain identifiable, and the goods shed has been refurbished for other uses. Some of the line's old formation
can still be seen in the vicinity of Waimahaka.
The school is well resourced with netball courts, a rugby field, and a covered swimming pool, heated with solar panels. The library is extensive boasting over 3,000 books. The classroom has an interactive whiteboard and a computer for every child. The school has fast speed wireless internet.
Contact email address is [waimahaka.sch@woosh.co.nz]
Although small in stature the school is big in heart. It is extremely well supported, not only by the parents but the wider community.
ERO has visited recently and given the school a good report.
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 situated in a rural area, inland from Toetoes Bay
Toetoes Bay
Toetoes Bay is the easternmost of three large bays lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Te Waewae Bay and Oreti Beach. Thirty kilometres in length, the bay is the southern end of the Awarua Plain, an area of swampy land stretching inland for about fifteen...
. Nearby settlements include Pine Bush
Pine Bush, New Zealand
Pine Bush is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island.It is situated near the eastern bank of the lower Mataura River. From 1899 until 1966, the Tokanui Branch railway passed just south of Pine Bush, with a station in neighbouring Titiroa...
and Titiroa
Titiroa
Titiroa is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is on the eastern bank of the lower Mataura River, inland from Toetoes Bay...
to the northwest, Fortification
Fortification, New Zealand
Fortification is a locality in the western part of the Catlins region of Southland in New Zealand's South Island. Nearby settlements include Quarry Hills and Waikawa to the southeast, Tokanui to the southwest, and Waimahaka to the west...
and Te Peka
Te Peka
Te Peka is a locality in the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on the western edge of the Catlins region, with Waimahaka to the west, Fortrose to the southwest, and Pukewao and Tokanui to the southeast.- Railway :...
to the east, Pukewao
Pukewao
Pukewao is a locality in the southeastern corner of the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located inland from Toetoes Bay in the very western part of the Catlins, and nearby settlements include Tokanui to the southeast, Fortrose on the coast to the southwest, and Te Peka and...
and Tokanui
Tokanui
Tokanui is a community in the eastern portion of Southland District Council, located on the Southern Scenic Route about 55 km east of Invercargill and 109 km southwest of Balclutha, New Zealand....
to the southwest, and Fortrose
Fortrose, New Zealand
Fortrose is a locality on the southernmost coast of the South Island of New Zealand in the Southland region. It is situated on Toetoes Bay at the mouth of the Mataura River, and is on the far western edge of the Catlins...
on the coast to the south.
Railway
On 18 June 1899, an extension of the Seaward Bush BranchTokanui Branch
The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a branch line railway located in Southland, New Zealand. It diverged from the Bluff Branch south of the main railway station in Invercargill and ran for 54 kilometres in a southeasterly direction...
was opened from Gorge Road
Gorge Road
Gorge Road is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is on the Southern Scenic Route and is situated on the western bank of the Mataura River...
to Waimahaka. This 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 linked Waimahaka with Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
, and an engine shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
, locomotive turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
, and 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...
were established at the Waimahaka station. The opening of the railway allowed Waimahaka to develop at the expense of Fortrose, as the railway provided quicker transport to Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
than the vessels that called at Fortrose's small port. On 20 December 1911, the railway was extended to Tokanui and Waimahaka's engine facilities were transferred there.
Passengers and freight were carried together on mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
s that ran daily to and from Invercargill. In 1951, these were cut to operate just once per week, mainly for the benefit of families employed by the Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
who lived in the area; goods-only trains operated on other days. On 1 June 1960, passenger services were fully cancelled and trains through Waimahaka catered solely for freight until the line officially closed on 31 March 1966 as freight levels had not been profitable for years. The station platform and loading bank remain identifiable, and the goods shed has been refurbished for other uses. Some of the line's old 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 in the vicinity of Waimahaka.
Education
Waimahaka has a small primary school. Named Waimahaka School, it has sixteen students on its roll.The school is well resourced with netball courts, a rugby field, and a covered swimming pool, heated with solar panels. The library is extensive boasting over 3,000 books. The classroom has an interactive whiteboard and a computer for every child. The school has fast speed wireless internet.
Contact email address is [waimahaka.sch@woosh.co.nz]
Although small in stature the school is big in heart. It is extremely well supported, not only by the parents but the wider community.
ERO has visited recently and given the school a good report.