Ashburton Forks, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ashburton Forks
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Locality
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Thomsons Track crossing the North Branch of Ashburton River / Hakatere
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial authority | Ashburton District |
| Ward | Western |
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Ashburton Forks is a small area in New Zealand. It is located on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island. This place gets its name because it sits between two branches of the Ashburton River / Hakatere.
Ashburton Forks is part of the Ashburton District. It is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of the town of Ashburton. It's also quite close to the Southern Alps, about 17 kilometers (11 miles) away. This area was once known by a different name: Spreadeagle.
Early Settlers
In the late 1870s, a hotel was built in Ashburton Forks. By 1880, a man named Philip Tesch owned this hotel.
A blacksmith named William Campbell started his business here in 1882. His shop was right next to the hotel. William and his wife, Mary (whose maiden name was Falloon), also bought a nearby farm called Spreadeagle Farm.
Sadly, both the hotel and the blacksmith shop burned down in 1892. William Campbell passed away a few weeks later. His son, William Campbell Jnr, continued to work on Spreadeagle Farm until he died in 1936. Mary Campbell was the postmistress for the area until 1928. She passed away in 1932 and is buried in the nearby town of Methven.
About the People
The area called Ashburton Forks, which also includes Mount Somers, is quite large. It covers about 859 square kilometers (332 square miles).
As of 2023, about 2,570 people live here. This means there are about 3.0 people for every square kilometer.
The population has grown over the years. In 2018, there were 2,214 people living in Ashburton Forks. This was an increase of 207 people since 2013. Many families live here, with 840 households counted in 2018. There were more males than females. The average age of people living here was 33 years old. About 22.6% of the people were under 15 years old.
Most people in Ashburton Forks are of European background (82.9%). There are also people of Māori (5.6%), Asian (10.4%), and other backgrounds. About 22.5% of the people living here were born outside New Zealand.
When asked about their beliefs, many people (48.6%) said they had no religion. About 42.1% were Christian. A smaller number followed other religions like Hinduism, Islam, or Buddhism.
Many adults in Ashburton Forks have jobs. In 2018, about 64.4% of people aged 15 or older worked full-time. Another 18.0% worked part-time. The average income for people aged 15 and over was $41,800.
