Dacre, New Zealand facts for kids
Dacre is a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. It sits on the Southland Plains. You can find it between the cities of Invercargill and Edendale. It's right on State Highway 1. Another road, State Highway 98, meets SH 1 in Dacre. This road goes west towards Makarewa. Nearby small towns include Mabel Bush and Woodlands. Dacre is about 25 kilometers northeast of Invercargill. A railway line also runs just south of the town. Dacre is mainly a dairy farming area. It has a community hall and a small garage for engines.
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The town of Dacre was first mapped out in December 1863. This was done by Theophilus Heale. He was the main surveyor for the area. No one is quite sure where the name "Dacre" came from. An old newspaper article from 1912 mentioned this. It said the name looked "foreign." The article also said the area used to be called "Halfway Bush." This was because it was halfway between two houses.
From 1863 to 1865, Dacre had a police station. This was because of its good location. It was on the route between Invercargill and the Otago Goldfields. After the gold rush ended, the police station closed for good. This was part of a plan to reduce the number of police in the Southland area.
Dacre School Days
Dacre School was a primary school for students from Year 1 to Year 8. It opened in Dacre in 1900. The school was set up in a building that used to be a hotel.
In 1999, the school celebrated its 100th birthday. At that time, it had two teachers. When the school closed in 2008, it had only five students.
