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Walton, New Zealand facts for kids

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Walton
Walton Community Church
Walton Community Church
Country New Zealand
Region Waikato Region
District Matamata-Piako District
Ward Matamata Ward
Electorates
  • Waikato
  • Hauraki-Waikato
Area
 • Total 15.86 km2 (6.12 sq mi)
Population
 (2018 Census)
 • Total 192
 • Density 12.11/km2 (31.35/sq mi)

Walton is a small community in New Zealand. It is located where Walton Road and Morrinsville Walton Road meet. This area is in the central part of the Waikato Region.

You can find the Walton Golf Club about 2 kilometers from the center of the village.

What People Do in Walton

This area is mostly known for its farms. Farmers here mainly focus on dairy farming, growing corn, and raising chickens for meat. There is also a large farm that breeds special horses called thoroughbreds. These horses are often used for racing.

There are only a few small businesses in Walton that help support the local farms. One important business is a large plant that dries grain. This plant is located right next to the railway tracks.

The Railway History

Walton used to have a small train station called a flag station. This means trains would only stop if someone waved a flag to get on, or if a passenger on the train wanted to get off there. The station was part of the East Coast Main Trunk railway line. It opened on March 8, 1886.

At first, the station had a small shelter shed and a larger shed. It also had yards for cattle and a small house. Over time, more things were added, like a platform for people to get on and off trains, a loading area, and yards for sheep. The railway also added a passing loop, which is an extra track that allows trains to pass each other. This loop was made longer over the years.

Walton station stopped serving passengers on February 2, 1981. It closed for goods (like farm products) on March 29, 1981. The station fully closed on November 3, 1986. Now, only a single track runs through where the station used to be. There are still passing loops at Kereone, about 5.7 kilometers north, and at Hemopo, about 13.2 kilometers east.

    Former adjoining stations    
Kiwitahi
Line open, station closed
9.54 km (5.93 mi)
  East Coast Main Trunk   Apata
Line open, station closed
29.77 km (18.50 mi)
via Kaimai Tunnel
Terminus   Kinleith Branch   Waharoa
Line open, station closed
6 km (3.7 mi)

Where is Walton?

To the east of Walton, you will find another small community called Wardville.

People Living in Walton

Walton is part of a special area used for counting people, called an SA1 statistical area. This area also includes Richmond Downs and covers about 15.86 square kilometers.

In 2018, 192 people lived in this area. This number has stayed the same since 2013. However, it is a decrease of 21 people since 2006. There were 75 homes in the area. For every 84 females, there were 105 males. The average age of people living here was 35.8 years old. About 21.9% of the people were under 15 years old.

Most people (90.6%) in Walton are of European background. About 9.4% are Māori, and 6.2% are Asian. Some people belong to more than one ethnic group.

When asked about their religion, most people (59.4%) said they had no religion. About 35.9% were Christian, and a small number had other religions.

For adults aged 15 and older, 16% had a university degree or higher. About 20% did not have any formal qualifications. The average income was $48,000, which is higher than the national average of $31,800. Many people (26%) earned over $70,000. Most adults (64%) worked full-time, and 14% worked part-time. Only 4% were unemployed.

In 1916, Walton had a population of 320 people.

Education

Walton School is a primary school for children from Year 1 to Year 6. It is a co-educational school, meaning both boys and girls attend. The school has been open since 1896.

Famous People from Walton

Some well-known people have connections to Walton:

  • Judith Collins is a politician from the National Party.
  • Sue Moroney is a politician from the Labour Party.
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