Weston, New Zealand facts for kids

Weston is a town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) inland from the town of Oamaru. Weston is known as one of the wealthier towns in the Waitaki District. In 2018, about 1,050 people lived there.

The town has a volunteer fire station and a local supermarket. There is also the Weston Community Church and a primary school. Farming is a very important business in Weston and the areas around it.

Limestone and Cement Production

Weston is home to New Zealand's biggest quarry for Oamaru stone. This special stone is used in New Zealand and also sent to other countries. The quarry is a bit further inland from Weston. This means its daily work does not bother the people living in the town.

A large company called Holcim wants to build a cement factory near Weston. This factory would need more limestone from the area. Some local people have formed a group called the Waiareka Preservation Society. They are against the new factory. They worry about more trucks on the roads in town. However, Holcim has said they prefer to use trains to move cement to the harbor. They would like to reopen the old train line to Weston.

A company called Taylor's Limeworks used to run the operations in Weston. This company was part of Holcim. In 1990, Taylor's Limeworks moved its main work to a new factory in Makareao. The limeworks in Weston were then sold to Parkside Quarries Ltd. This company still mines lime and Oamaru stone in two places. If the new cement factory is built, new quarries will open nearby. The cement factory itself would be built next to the old Taylor's works.

Who Lives in Weston?

Weston covers an area of 2.00 square kilometers (0.77 square miles). As of June 2023, about 1,150 people live there. This means there are about 575 people per square kilometer.

In 2018, Weston had 1,050 people living there. This was an increase of 66 people since 2013. It was an increase of 153 people since 2006. There were 411 homes in Weston. There were slightly more males (534) than females (516). The average age of people in Weston was 46 years old. About 20% of the people were under 15 years old. About 21% were 65 years or older.

Most people in Weston (95.4%) are of European background. About 6.9% are Māori. Smaller groups include Pasifika (0.6%) and Asian (2.3%).

About 8% of people in Weston were born outside New Zealand. This is lower than the national average of 27.1%.

When asked about religion, 52% of people said they had no religion. About 37% were Christian. A small number (0.3%) were Buddhist. About 2% followed other religions.

Of adults aged 15 and older, 11.1% had a university degree or higher. About 23.9% had no formal school qualifications. The average income was $34,900. About 50.4% of adults worked full-time. Another 17.5% worked part-time.

Fun and Sports

Weston has some of the biggest sports areas in the Oamaru region. The Weston Domain has a large cricket field and tennis courts. There are also fields for football and rugby union. It has a large building for events and a public park. This is where the Valley Sports Club is located.

The Rockvale Venue Room & Gardens is a place for events like weddings. It offers rooms to stay in a quiet countryside setting. It also has large, beautiful gardens.

Getting Around Weston

Weston is connected to main roads. You can reach State Highway 1 (which goes south) using Whiterocks Road. You can also get to State Highway 83 using Airedale and Horse Gully Road.

The Old Ngapara Train Line

Weston was the first stop on the old Ngapara Branch railway line. This line was built in 1871 to help open up a large area of land. The main line closed in July 1959. However, the first 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the line stayed open. It was called "Taylor's Siding" and later the "Waiareka Industrial Line". This part of the line served Taylor's Limeworks. It finally closed in 1997 because not many trains used it. Also, the tracks and wooden sleepers were getting old.

In 2006, there was a plan to reopen the first 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) of the line through Weston. If the new cement factory is built, trains might use this line. They would take cement to harbors in Timaru or Port Chalmers. The land where the train line used to be is still owned by ONTRACK. The plan would involve at least two trains going each way every day.

The part of the old train line that still exists between Waiareka Junction and Parkside Quarries is now part of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail. This trail connects Weston to Oamaru.

Schools in Weston

Weston School is a primary school for students in years 1 to 8. It has a roll of 223 students as of February 2024. . The school first opened in 1869.