Glenpark, New Zealand

Location map
New Zealand
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lon_dir=E | lon_deg=170 | lon_min=40
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Glenpark is a lightly populated rural locality in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. [Land Information New Zealand, [http://www.linz.govt.nz/apps/placenames/index.html?p=12869 Geographic Placenames Database - Place Name Detail: Glenpark] , accessed 12 October 2007.] It is northwest of Palmerston and is on the banks of the Shag River. To the west is the locality of Stoneburn.

Economy

Economic activity in and around Glenpark is agricultural, including New Zealand's largest free range chicken farm. [Glenpark Eggs, [http://www.glenpark.co.nz/about_us.html About Glenpark] , accessed 12 October 2007.]

Transport

Glenpark is located between Palmerston and Inch Valley on the route of State Highway 85.

For 104 years, a branch line railway that diverged from the Main South Line in Palmerston passed through Glenpark. This railway originally ran to Dunback with a later sub-branch to Makareao and was thus collectively known as the Dunback and Makareao Branches. It opened through Glenpark on 29 August 1885; the station was 7.23 km from the junction with the main line, near the halfway point of the 15.2 km long branch. Passenger services were provided solely by mixed trains and due to low patronage, they were cancelled on 10 August 1930 and Glenpark station became freight only. [David Leitch and Brian Scott, "Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways", rev. ed. (Wellington: Grantham House, 1998 [1995] ), 88.] The station had a small goods shed, a loading bank, and a loop to hold 31 wagons. [Patrick Dunford, [http://www.trainweb.org/enzedrail/branch/makareao/ "Dunback & Makareao Branches"] , accessed 12 October 2007.]

On 1 January 1968, the Dunback portion of the railway closed and trains ran solely to serve a limeworks in Makareao. Local freight ceased to be carried and trains ran through Glenpark without stopping thrice weekly. The line closed entirely on 1 June 1989 and the formation and a disused bridge are still visible in and near Glenpark. [Leitch and Scott, "Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways", 89.]

References