Selwyn, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Selwyn
Herewini (Māori)
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Town
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 Selwyn
Location in New Zealand
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Selwyn is a small village in the Selwyn District of Canterbury, New Zealand. It was planned in the 1860s to be a town for 2,000 people, but today, only a few houses remain.
Why is it Called Selwyn?
Captain Joseph Thomas was a main surveyor for the Canterbury Association. He named the Selwyn River after Bishop Selwyn. Bishop Selwyn was New Zealand's first Anglican Bishop. Later, this village, the district, and an electorate all got the same name.
Where is Selwyn and How Do You Get There?
Selwyn is just south of the Selwyn River / Waikirikiri. Because it's so close to the river, it sometimes floods. The village was built around the railway line, called the Main South Line. This railway was planned in the 1860s. The train first reached Selwyn in 1867.
Most of the time, people could cross the river by walking or driving through it. A proper road bridge wasn't built until 1927. Today, a newer bridge carries State Highway 1 traffic. This highway crosses the railway line in Selwyn.
Selwyn is about 37 kilometers (23 miles) southwest of Christchurch. It is also about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of Dunsandel.
A Look Back at Selwyn's History
Albert Beetham was an engineer and surveyor from Christchurch. He knew about the plans for the Main South railway. So, he bought land on both sides of the planned railway path. This land was about 1 square kilometer (0.4 square miles) in size. He divided it into 470 sections for homes and businesses. He hoped 2,000 people would live there. He also created two town squares: Victoria Square and Market Square.
The railway reached Rolleston in October 1866. It got to the north side of the Selwyn River on October 7, 1867. Then, it reached Selwyn Station on December 16, 1867, using a bridge over the river. However, this first bridge was washed away in a flood on February 4, 1868. New supports were used when the bridge was rebuilt. Because the Canterbury Provincial Council had money problems, Selwyn was the end of the railway line for several years.
For a while, many people wanted to buy land in Selwyn. Even people who just wanted to buy and sell land quickly (speculators) bought some sections. At one point, Selwyn had many useful shops and services. There was a blacksmith, a bootmaker, a butcher, and a saddler. The village also had a boarding house, a billiard hall, a hotel with stables, and other shops. The railway area was a base for construction work by the Provincial Council.
Selwyn became less important when the railway reached the south side of the Rakaia River. This is where the town of Rakaia grew. The Rakaia River Bridge was officially opened on May 29, 1873.
A bigger problem for Selwyn was the ongoing floods. Many people left Selwyn and moved to the nearby town of Dunsandel. Even the hotel was moved to Dunsandel around 1900. Today, Selwyn has fewer than ten houses. You can still see many old, rundown cottages. Selwyn celebrated its 150th birthday in September 2012.
