Tinwald, New Zealand

Tinwald is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, now little more than a suburb of Ashburton. It lies to the south of the larger town, separated from it by the Ashburton River. The town was named after the Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.

Prominent former citizens of Tinwald include William Massey, who was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925.

The Main South Line section of the South Island Main Trunk Railway runs through Tinwald, and from 1878 until 1968, the town acted as the junction for the Mount Somers Branch. The first few kilometres of the branch line at the Tinwald end are now preserved by the Plains Vintage Railway, who regularly operate public open days. The Railway is particularly notable for K 88, a locomotive recovered in 1974 from where it was dumped in the Oreti River and returned to full operating condition in 1981. It still operates services on the Plains Railway today.

History

Tinwald was originally the only settlement within 10 kilometres when the European settlers arrived. The settlers finally managed to cross the Ashburton river, thus forming the next settlement of Ashburton. Tinwald has one main primary school (Tinwald School) which in 2004 celebrated its 125 year celebrations.

External links

* [http://www.plainsrailway.co.nz/ Official website of the Plains Vintage Railway]