Blenheim, New Zealand

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Blenheim
Population:	34,500 (EST 2005)
Mayor:	Alistair Sowman
Territorial Authority
Names:	Blenheim
Regional Council:	Marlborough District Council

Blenheim is a town in Marlborough, in the northeast of the South Island in New Zealand. It has a population of about 35,000. The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry. It enjoys one of New Zealand’s sunniest climates, with hot summers and crisp winters.

The region has a wide range of leisure activities, from swimming with dolphins in the Marlborough Sounds to watching whales in Kaikoura; from walks through the bush and along the rugged coastline, as well as scenic boat cruising, fishing, water-skiing and kayaking. The relaxed lifestyle and the flourishing wine and gourmet food industry in Marlborough are enjoyed by both locals and visitors alike.

Blenheim is named after the Battle of Blenheim (1704), where troops led by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough defeated a combined French and Bavarian force.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 3.1 Age 3.2 Education 3.3 Ethnic background 4 Economy 5 Education 5.1 Public schools 6 Transportation 6.1 Air 6.2 Road 6.3 Rail 7 Media 7.1 Print 7.2 Radio 8 Events and points of interest 8.1 Spy Base 9 Highlights 10 References 11 External links

[edit] History

The sheltered coastal bays of Marlborough supported a small Māori population possibly as early as the 12th century. Anthropologists have christened this part of central Aotearoa, Waenganui, a region that stretched from inland Ureweras to Kaiapohia. Māori in the Marlborough Region cultivated crops, including kumara (sweet potato) and exploited marine resources.

Although the early history of Marlborough was closely associated with the Nelson settlement, the people of Marlborough wanted independence from Nelson. Nineteen years after the original Nelson settlement the request of Marlborough settlers was granted, and Marlborough became a separate province in 1859. Although gold was discovered in the province in the early 1860s the boom did not last and, while it helped to expand the region, the development of pastoralism provided the greatest long-term benefits. Marlborough squatters developed huge sheep runs that dominated the countryside, rivalling Canterbury's sheep stations in size and wealth.

Today the region's economy is still rurally based with pastoral and horticultural farming, providing a major source of income. The region's inhabitants continue to utilise the marine resources. Lake Grassmere is the country's only source of salt, and fishing and mussel farming are also extremely important in the region. Grape growing has been one of the fastest growing industries and Marlborough is now New Zealand's largest wine producing region, receiving worldwide recognition for its sauvignon blanc wines. Olive growing has also become popular in recent years.

The sunny, pleasant climate has attracted people to the region, either as holiday-makers or as permanent settlers. The region is especially popular among retired people, as well as people seeking an alternative lifestyle. Rapid population growth and other factors though have led to a contemporary chronic shortage of affordable housing for low and middle income earners.

[edit] Geography

Blenheim, situated on the Wairau Plain, is mostly flat with surrounding hills. Giving it a good position to be protected by wind. Blenheim sits on the confluence of the Taylor and Opawa Rivers.

[edit] Demographics

Historical population
Census year	Population
1986	22,998
1991	23,787
1996	25,713
2001	26,550
2005	35,000

According to the 2001 census, Blenheim had a population of 26,550, a change of 3.3% since the 1996 census. 2005 estimates put Blenheim's population at 35,000.

[edit] Age

• 21.3% of people living in Blenheim were under 15, compared with 22.7% for all of New Zealand.
• 16.7% of people living in Blenheim were aged 65 years and over, compared with 12.1% for all of New Zealand.

[edit] Education

• 28.7% of people aged 15 years and over had a post-school qualification, compared with 32. percent for New Zealand as a whole.

[edit] Ethnic background

Most Blenheim residents are of European origin, predominately of British descent. Many of these people however identify as Pakeha or New Zealanders rather than anachronistically refer to themselves as European. Small Māori, Pacific Island and Asian communities exist. Ethnic diversity has increased in recent years with the arrival of large numbers of South Americans (mostly Brazilians) and Asians (mainly Japanese and Koreans) who work in the expanding viticulture sector.

The 2001 New Zealand Census showed that of people in the Blenheim Urban Area :

• 94.4% belonged to the European ethnic group.
• 3.1% belonged to the Asian ethnic group.
• 1.1% belonged to the Māori ethnic group.
• 1.1% belonged to the Pacific Island ethnic group.

[edit] Economy

The Marlborough region is famous for its wine production, although other forms of agriculture are significant and the services sectors is also important.

With the growing international critical recognition of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, much of the wine industry has come to be dominated by large firms, owned by major New Zealand firms or offshore capital. Wages for most industry participants are low (around NZ$10-NZ$13/hour) and often calculated on a piece rate basis. Employment arrangements are often unsecure and not in accordance with New Zealand employment law. Agricultural land prices in the Wairau Valley have increased dramatically in value through the 1990s and 2000s.

Overall, income and wealth distribution in the town and wider region is highly uneven.

[edit] Education

[edit] Public schools

Marlborough Girls' College [1]and Marlborough Boys' College [2]are the only two colleges in Blenheim. Primary Schools include Redwoodtown School, Witherlea School, Mayfield School, Springlands School[3], Fairhall School[4], Riverlands School, Blenheim School, Richmond View School[5], Whitney Street School and St. Mary's School. The Intermediate School in Blenheim is called Bohally Intermediate School. Other educational options in Blenheim are Polytechnic and NMIT.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Air

Woodbourne Airport is a domestic airport and is also used by the RNZAF as an operational base. There are direct flights from Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland. Omaka Aerodrome, to the south of the city centre, is used solely by private and vintage aircraft pilots.

[edit] Road

Blenheim is on State Highway One and State Highway Six.

[edit] Rail

Blenheim is on the northern section of the South Island main trunk railway. The daily long-distance passenger service, the TranzCoastal, stops at the Blenheim Railway Station.

A major railway classification yard is located north of Blenheim at Spring Creek.

[edit] Media

[edit] Print

Blenheim is served by a variety of print publications. The major daily newspaper serving the Blenheim-Picton area is The Marlborough Express. Its headquarters are in downtown Blenheim. The Saturday Express and Midweek newspapers are published by the same company. Another smaller weekly newspaper is The Blenheim Sun.

[edit] Radio

The following is a list of radio stations in Blenheim.

FM Stations

Frequency	Callsign	Nickname	Format	Owner
88.1	The Shed		Classic rock
88.7	Sunshine Radio		Easy listening
90.5	ZM		Top 40
92.1	Newstalk ZB		News/Talk
92.9	Sounds FM		Adult Contemporary
96.1	Easy FM Blenheim		Easy listening
96.9	Classic Hits Marlborough		Classic Hits
99.3	Concert FM		Classical
101.7	National Radio		Public Radio
106.7	Whisper FM		Echoes of the Past

[edit] Events and points of interest

Omaka Aerodrome, south of the town centre, is the setting for the biennial Classic Fighters Marlborough airshow. The show, with a large emphasis on aircraft of World War One, has been held in 2001, 2003 and 2005. The next is set to be held over the weekend of April 16-18 2007.

In December 2005 the third meeting of the biennial Australasian Ornithological Conference series, initiated and organised by the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, and jointly sponsored by the RAOU and the Ornithological Society of New Zealand (OSNZ), was held in Blenheim.

[edit] Spy Base

The Waihopai spy base, part of the ECHELON network, is situated near Blenheim.

[edit] Highlights

• Marlborough residents have the highest median age of 36.1 years, compared with 33.0 years nationally.
• The population of Marlborough is increasing at a faster rate than the national average.
• The population of the land surrounding the Marlborough Sounds is the fastest growing in the region.
• The region had the third-lowest population (38,397 usual residents on census night 1996), and a low population density.
• The population is predominantly European and Māori.
• Agriculture and horticulture are important to the economy. The region is currently the largest and fastest growing grape producing area in the country.
• The region has the highest proportion of businesses in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries - 16.9% compared with 4.4% nationally (as at 30 June 2004).

[edit] References

• Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.

[edit] External links

• Blenheim, New Zealand travel guide from Wikitravel
• Destination Marlborough
• Marlborough District Council
• The Marlborough Express daily newspaper
• Blenheim Street Map

Coordinates: 41°31′S 173°58′E