Kirwee is a town located west of Christchurch in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It was named after Karwi in India by retired British Army colonel De Renzie Brett. The 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings revealed that Kirwee and its surrounding rural area has a usually resident population of 2,646, an increase of 393 or 17.4% since the 1996 census. The actual township population is much smaller and is considered a minor town compared to nearby Darfield, which has a lot more services.
State Highway 73 and the Midland Line railway both pass through the town. In the early 1870s, Kirwee was intended to be the junction of two branch lines, one to Whitecliffs and the other to Sheffield and Springfield. The line from Kirwee to Darfield, intended to be the first portion of the Whitecliffs Branch, was built first and the decision was taken to establish the junction of the two branches in Darfield instead. The section of line from Kirwee to Darfield, as well as the branch to Sheffield and Springfield are now part of the Midland Line.
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