Rolleston, New Zealand

Infobox Settlement
name = Rolleston
area_total_km2 = 3.5037
population_as_of = 2006
population_total = 3822
population_density_km2 = auto

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 in the South Island of New Zealand. The town's slogan 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 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 to Greymouth and the Main South Line. 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. [cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10512777|title=Concrete truck in near-miss with TranzAlpine express|publisher=The New Zealand Herald|date=27 May 2008]

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The Radiata Pine plantations which used to be a feature of this part of Canterbury have largely been replaced by more water-intensive grazing land to take advantage of the dairy boom of the early 21st century.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 [http://www.meltonestate.co.nz Melton Estate Vineyard] .

Rolleston also has a large community centre and library, a supermarket, medical centre, dental surgery, veterinary service and various other service industries befitting a rapidly growing, but still rural, community. The town also offers an excellent coffee shop or two and restaurants and other facilities worthy of further examination.

Rolleston is the site of Rolleston Prison.

Rolleston is also the home of the [http://www.rollestonfire.co.nz Rolleston Volunteer Fire Brigade] .

References