Inangahua Junction

Infobox Settlement
name = Inangahua Junction
population_total = 159
population_as_of = 2006
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = New Zealand
subdivision_type1= Region
subdivision_name1= West Coast
subdivision_type2= District
subdivision_name2= Buller District
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = top
latd = 41
latm = 51
lats = 27
latNS = S
longd = 171
longm = 57
longs = 8
longEW = E

Inangahua Junction is a small town in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island. It is located at the confluence of the Inangahua and Buller Rivers, 34 kilometres north of Reefton and 46 kilometres southeast of Westport. Murchison is 52 kilometres to the east. The town of Inangahua is just to the east of the junction. [cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7900-0952-8|author=Peter Dowling (editor)|publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 64] [cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|id=ISBN 1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 141] The town's main industries include forestry, coal, farming and sawmilling. There is a small primary school, shops, fire station and earthquake museum. The population was 159 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 12 from 2001. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/2006-census-data/final-counts/west-coast-region.htm|title=Final counts – census night and census usually resident populations, and occupied dwellings - Buller District|publisher=Statistics New Zealand]

The name of the town refers to "inanga", the Māori word for whitebait. Inangahua Junction was formerly known as Christies Junction.

Earthquake

The town was substantially affected by an earthquake on Friday, 24 May 1968. At 5:24am, the earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale struck the town, and many landslides and aftershocks followed. The entire population of around 100 was temporarily evacuated. Three people were killed, and another three died later when a helicopter evacuating survivors crashed. As of 2006 no larger on-land earthquake has occurred in New Zealand since.

Railways

Inangahua Junction is located on the Stillwater - Westport Line railway, and was intended to be the junction of this line with the never-completed Nelson Section. In 1914, the railway was opened to Inangahua Junction from its former terminus in Cronadun, but subsequent progress through the Buller Gorge was slow. In July 1942, trains began running the full length of the line between Stillwater and Westport, but the line was not officially opened until 5 December 1943. With the commencement of through services, passenger trains were operated by RM class Vulcan railcars, which connected in Stillwater with services that ran along the Midland Line between Greymouth and Christchurch. In 1967, the passenger services ceased, and today, the primary traffic is coal, with multiple coal trains passing through Inangahua Junction daily.

PHAT Music Festival

Inangahua is the host of the PHAT New Years Eve music festivals. PHAT07 was called Bass Camp and featured the best of New Zealand and many international acts. PHAT is held on flat clearings surrounded by rain forest on Rough Creek Road, off Browns Creek Road, south of Inangahua. PHAT is run by Dave and Selena, who also run the PHAT club in Nelson. Approximately 5000 people attend the PHAT music festivals, with 48 hours of continuous performance on two stages. A pre-party was held at Berlins and 'Phat Taster' shows held in Wellington and Auckland before the event with 'Phat After Party' events subsequently.

Education

Inangahua Junction School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 9. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=3198|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Inangahua Junction School|publisher=Ministry of Education] The school was in existence in 1887. [cite web|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~babznz/Inanghuaschool.html|title=Nelson Education Board Exam Schedules - Inangahua Junction 1887-1900]

Inangahua College merged with Reefton School to form Reefton Area School in 2004. [cite web|url=http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/schooling/directories/?a=7771|title=School Mergers, Closures and New Schools|year=2004|format=XLS|publisher=Education Counts] The College, which existed for 38 years, replaced the Reefton District High School. [cite web|url=http://hometown.co.nz/downloads/School%20Closures%20.pdf|format=PDF|title=District School Reunion|year=2003]

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=-41.86074,171.895523&spn=0.061239,0.160675&om=1 Map of Inangahua area]
* [http://www.phatclub.co.nz/ PHATCLUB official site with PHAT07 event images]
* [http://www.was.org.nz/phat07.htm Gallery] by photographer [http://www.astronomy.net.nz Paul Moss] .

References

*cite book | first=A. W. | last=Reed | title=The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names | publisher=Reed Books | location=Auckland | year=2002 | id=ISBN 0-7900-0761-4