Balclutha, New Zealand
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Balclutha is a town in Otago, it lies towards the end of the Clutha River on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is about halfway between Dunedin and Invercargill. Balclutha has a population of 4104 (2001 census), and is the largest town in South Otago. A service town for the fertile farming region around the lower reaches of the Clutha River, it is also the nearest large centre to the Catlins, a scenic region of forest, wildlife, and rugged coastline.
Known locally as The Big River Town, Balclutha's name - and that of the river on which it stands - reflects the Scottish origin of the town's settlement, and translates from Scottish Gaelic as "Town on the Clyde". The Māori name for the area is Iwikatea, literally "Bleached bones".
The Clutha flows through the town. The Clutha is the largest river in New Zealand by volume of water, and the country's second longest after the Waikato. It provides the town with various recreational facilities, including fishing (brown trout), water skiing and power boating.
The most prominent structure in the town is the concrete road bridge across the river, which was built in 1938. The South Island Main Trunk Railway crosses the river some 800 metres downstream. Most of the town lies on the flat land which lies within a wide loop in the river to the south of the road bridge, but North Balclutha perches on the hill to the north of the bridge and Rosebank on the hill to the South.
[edit] Government Funded Educational Facilities
- South Otago High School
- Balclutha Primary School
- Rosebank Primary School
- St. Joseph's Primary School
[edit] Famous people from Balclutha
- Barbara Tilden (November 26, 1955), New Zealand field hockey player
[edit] References
- Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.
