Wedderburn, New Zealand facts for kids
Wedderburn is a small community found in Central Otago, New Zealand. It is about 15 kilometres northwest of Ranfurly. Long ago, this area was busy with people looking for gold and coal.
The name Wedderburn was given to the area by John Turnbull Thomson. He named many places in the area after farm animals, which people sometimes called "Thomson's Barnyard". The word "wedder" is an old word from a part of England called Northumberland. It means a male sheep that has been desexed.
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Wedderburn's Railway History
Wedderburn is located on State Highway 85. It is also very close to the famous Otago Central Rail Trail.
Early Days as a Coaching Stop
In the past, Wedderburn was a popular stop for coaches. These were like old-fashioned buses pulled by horses. People would stop here to rest or change horses during their journeys.
The Arrival of the Railway
Later, in 1921, Wedderburn became an important stop on the Otago Central Railway. It was even the main office for the Public Works Department while they were building this part of the railway line.
Why the Railway Closed
Over time, fewer and fewer trains used the railway line through Wedderburn. This meant there wasn't enough traffic to keep it going.
During the 1980s, the railway was used to carry materials for building the Clyde Dam. This big dam was built on the Clutha River. Part of the railway line between Clyde and Cromwell was covered by the water from the dam. Once the dam was finished, there wasn't enough train traffic to make the line useful anymore, so it was officially closed.
The Otago Central Rail Trail
After the railway closed, a special group called the Otago Excursion Train Trust and the Dunedin City Council bought part of the track. This part went through the beautiful Taieri Gorge up to Middlemarch. They turned it into a special train ride called the Taieri Gorge Railway.
The rest of the railway tracks were removed. This section became the 150-kilometre-long Otago Central Rail Trail. This trail goes from Middlemarch all the way to Clyde. Today, it's a popular path for people to cycle and walk on. The trail passes right through Wedderburn and goes past the old Wedderburn goods shed.
The Famous Wedderburn Goods Shed
The Wedderburn railway goods shed became very famous because of an artist named Grahame Sydney. In 1975, he painted the shed in a simple, stark landscape of Otago. His painting showed how railways changed the economy and social life of the area.
For a while, the shed was moved about five kilometres away. But people wanted it back! After many public protests, the shed was returned to its original spot. Now, the shed is being looked after and has been painted back to its well-known green colour.
