Finegand, New Zealand

Location map
New Zealand
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lon_dir=E | lon_deg=169 | lon_min=44
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Finegand is a locality in the South Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. [Land Information New Zealand, [http://www.linz.govt.nz/apps/placenames/index.html?p=10975 "Place Name Detail: Finegand" ] , "Geographic Placenames Database", accessed 27 November 2007.] Named after Finegand, Scotland, it is situated on the Clutha River south of Balclutha. Other nearby settlements include Otanomomo and Waitepeka to the south and Kakapuaka to the northwest.

Economy

Finegand is located in a rural area and thus the economic emphasis is on agriculture. A major freezing works operated by PPCS is located in Finegand. A multi-million dollar upgrade of the facility was undertaken in 2007. [Neal Wallace, "Meat Workers Remain Confident", "Otago Daily Times" (31 October 2007).]

Transport

Finegand is situated on the Southern Scenic Route road, which meets State Highway 1 just to the north in Balclutha.

On 15 December 1885, the first section of the Catlins River Branch railway opened through Finegand. This branch line ultimately terminated in Tahakopa, with the Finegand station 3.6 km from the junction with the Main South Line in Balclutha. ["New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas", fourth edition, edited by John Yonge (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 28.] At its peak in the first half of the 20th century, up to sixteen trains per week would pass through Finegand, primarily mixed trains. However, the line's profitability declined after World War II and it closed beyond Finegand on 27 February 1971. The first 4.05 km remain in operation as an industrial siding to serve the PPCS freezing works and it is shunted as required by passing trains on the Main South Line. [David Leitch and Brian Scott, "Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways", revised edition (Wellington: Grantham House, 1998 [1995] ), 103-4.]

References