Glenpark, New Zealand facts for kids
Glenpark is a small, quiet countryside area located in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It sits northwest of a town called Palmerston and is right next to the Shag River. To its west, you'll find another small place called Stoneburn.
What People Do in Glenpark
The main activity in Glenpark is farming. This includes growing crops and raising animals. Glenpark is even home to New Zealand's biggest farm for free-range chickens, where chickens can roam freely outdoors.
Getting Around Glenpark
Glenpark is located along State Highway 85, a main road that connects Palmerston and Inch Valley.
For over 100 years, a special branch line railway track ran through Glenpark. This railway started from the main Main South Line in Palmerston. It originally went to Dunback and later had a smaller track going to Makareao. Together, these tracks were known as the Dunback and Makareao Branches.
The railway opened in Glenpark on 29 August 1885. The station was about 7.23 kilometers (4.5 miles) from where it joined the main line. At first, trains carried both passengers and goods. However, not many people used the passenger service, so it stopped on 10 August 1930. After that, Glenpark station only handled freight. The station had a small building for goods, a loading area, and a side track to hold up to 31 train wagons.
On 1 January 1968, the part of the railway that went to Dunback closed down. Trains then only ran to serve a limeworks (a place that processes limestone) in Makareao. This meant local goods were no longer picked up or dropped off in Glenpark. Trains just passed through without stopping, about three times a week. The entire railway line closed on 1 June 1989. Today, you can still see parts of the old railway path and a disused bridge in and around Glenpark.
