Valetta, New Zealand facts for kids
Valetta is a small place with not many people living there. It's located in the middle of the Canterbury region, on the South Island of New Zealand. Valetta is in a farming area, right next to the southern part of the Ashburton River / Hakatere. Another river, the Hinds River, is also nearby, to the southwest.
Valetta has some neighbors too! To the northwest, you'll find Mount Somers. To the west is Anama, and to the southwest is Mayfield. If you head southeast, you'll reach Punawai. Interestingly, the name Valetta is a bit of a mistake! It's actually a misspelled version of Valletta, which is the capital city of Malta.
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Valetta's Railway Story
For many years, Valetta had its own train station! It was part of a special train line called the Mount Somers Branch. This smaller line connected to a bigger one, the Main South Line, near a town called Ashburton.
Trains Arrive in Valetta
The train line reached Valetta on October 3, 1882. This meant people and goods could travel by train between Westerfield and Anama, with a stop right in Valetta.
When the Trains Stopped
Trains carried passengers in Valetta until January 9, 1933. Why did they stop? More and more people started buying their own cars, so fewer people needed to ride the train. However, trains continued to carry goods like farm products for many years, even after World War II.
The End of the Line
Eventually, carrying goods by train also became less common, and the railway wasn't making enough money to stay open. So, on January 1, 1968, the train line officially closed down. Even after the official closing, some wheat was still sent by train from Valetta until April 1968.
What's Left of the Railway?
Even today, you can still find parts of the old railway in and around Valetta. There's the building where goods were stored, some parts of old bridges, and even some of the raised ground where the tracks used to be. These are like clues to Valetta's past!
Staying Safe from Floods
Valetta is in an area that could be at risk if there's a really big flood. Because of this, there have been plans to build special walls, called stopbanks, along the southern part of the Ashburton River. These stopbanks would help protect the area from floodwaters. However, the construction of these protective walls is currently on hold.
