Finegand, New Zealand facts for kids
Finegand is a small place, also called a 'locality', in the South Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It's a quiet, rural spot located near the Clutha River.
The name 'Finegand' comes from a place in Scotland. A man named John Shaw arrived in New Zealand in 1852. He came from Finegand, Scotland, with his sister Margaret. John started a farm on the south side of the Clutha River. He decided to name his new farm "Finegand" after his home in Scotland.
You can find Finegand south of a bigger town called Balclutha. Other small places nearby include Otanomomo and Waitepeka to the south. Kakapuaka is located to the northwest.
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What Finegand Does: Farming and Food
Finegand is mostly a farming area. This means its economy focuses on agriculture, which is growing crops and raising animals.
A very important business in Finegand is a large meat processing factory. It's called a 'freezing works' and is run by a company named Silver Fern Farms. This factory prepares meat for sale. In 2007, the factory had a big upgrade that cost many millions of dollars.
How People Get Around: Roads and Trains
Finegand is located on the Southern Scenic Route road. This road connects to State Highway 1 just north of Finegand, in Balclutha.
The Railway Line
A railway line, called the Catlins River Branch, opened through Finegand on December 15, 1885. This train line eventually went all the way to a place called Tahakopa. The Finegand station was about 3.6 kilometers from where it joined the main railway line in Balclutha.
In the early 1900s, the railway was very busy. Up to sixteen trains would pass through Finegand each week. These trains often carried both passengers and goods.
However, after World War II, fewer people used the train line. Because of this, the railway beyond Finegand closed on February 27, 1971.
The Railway Today
Today, a small part of the railway line, about 4.05 kilometers long, is still used. It works as a special track called an 'industrial siding'. This siding helps serve the Silver Fern Farms meat processing factory. Trains from the main line still use this short track to move goods to and from the factory when needed.
