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69-717: Kaiapoi is a town in the Waimakariri District of the Canterbury region, in the South Island of New Zealand. The town is located approximately 17 kilometres north of central Christchurch , close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River . It is considered a satellite town of Christchurch and is part of the Christchurch functional urban area. The town is named after the nearby Kaiapoi Pā . Kaiapoi suffered extensive damage in

138-431: A flat or gently ascending back, which are also called as “Gilbert-type” mouth bars, commonly in deep-water areas of the delta . Lateral spreading of turbulent jet enhanced by increasing frictional resistance in shallow inshore waters, also associated with high bed load, produces almost triangular “middle ground bar” in the mouth of the river causing the channel to bifurcate. As progradation continues, new bars develop at

207-472: A high proportion of residents are involved in an extensive range of community and recreational organisations. Waimakariri District had a population of 66,246 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 6,744 people (11.3%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 16,257 people (32.5%) since the 2013 census . There were 32,415 males, 33,621 females and 207 people of other genders in 25,539 dwellings. 2.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age

276-599: A high standard of communications. The South Island Main Trunk Railway and State Highway 1 cross the eastern portion of the District. The District also has an airfield at Rangiora, and is close to the Christchurch International Airport. Telecommunications are continually being upgraded. The District offers a wide range of recreation. It has sandy beaches, estuaries, river gorges and braided rivers, which offer

345-609: A library, museum, and a swimming pool. The Darnley Club provides community recreational opportunities for the elderly and the Chris Ruth Centre provides community recreational opportunities for adults with severe disabilities. Kaiapoi is represented by both rugby codes . The Kaiapoi Rugby Football Club was established in 1883 and has its home ground at Kaiapoi Park. It competes in the Canterbury Rugby Football Union . The Kaiapoi Rugby League Club (now playing as

414-469: A major part of industrial transport in the area, however. Local businessman John Sims purchased coastal shipping vessels and expanded the wharf facilities at Kaiapoi during the 1870s and 80s. It was not until 1904 that the Kaiapoi Railway Station was opened. The Kaiapoi Woollen Milling Company was established in the late 1870s. This business produced high-quality woollen blankets and clothing, and

483-457: A range of choices for fishing, boating and rafting. The famous Waimakariri River provides opportunities to jet boat, kayak and fish, and sandy beaches are nearby. The District also offers the opportunity to enjoy sailing on Pegasus Lake, horse riding, farm tours and weekly farmers' markets. The foothills and mountains offer a variety of tramping experiences, which complement a growing range of walking trails and formal recreational areas throughout

552-458: A river port. Rangiora was the area's main market town, and the development of Oxford was based on timber milling. The roles of the District's main urban areas have changed during recent years, mainly as the result of the rapid population growth. During the colonial era, the area was also known as Courtenay, but the Maori name Waimakariri ultimately prevailed. The township of Courtenay is today part of

621-472: A sex ratio of 0.96 males per female, with 2,022 people (17.1%) aged under 15 years, 2,217 (18.7%) aged 15 to 29, 5,178 (43.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,430 (20.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 90.1% European/ Pākehā , 11.5% Māori , 2.3% Pasifika , 3.4% Asian , and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.6, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer

690-497: A strategic location for the research projects regarding estuarine and delta restoration which makes them ideal for studying the effects of river sediment reduction and relative sea level rise and for estimating the evolution, including land loss and inundation, of the river deltas. A serious example is the Mississippi River Delta where coastal wetlands are disappearing at a rate of approximately 1% of land per year. On

759-432: Is expected to continue to grow. Before the 2023 census, the town had a smaller boundary, covering 14.33 km (5.53 sq mi). Using that boundary, Kaiapoi had a population of 11,841 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 2,367 people (25.0%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 1,239 people (11.7%) since the 2006 census . There were 4,602 households, comprising 5,796 males and 6,051 females, giving

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828-562: Is extremely significant within the coastal landscape. Most of the time, they are subaqueous and inaccessible. However, after they emerge and their subaerial portion becomes visible, they evolve into deltaic islands. Consequently, by promoting land expansion, they restore artificially modified shorelines and mitigate coastal erosion , protect coastal communities, promote vegetation growth, provide habitat for rich and productive estuarine ecosystems, and potentially be utilized for farming, living and engineering. Moreover, mouth bar deposits offer

897-579: Is only a short-distance south, between Kaiapoi and Kainga . State Highway 1 bypasses the town to the west via the Christchurch Northern Motorway . Prior to the completion of the motorway in December 1970, State Highway 1 ran down the main street of Kaiapoi. A half-hourly bus service connects Kaiapoi to Rangiora and central Christchurch. The Main North Line railway runs through Kaiapoi, and

966-419: Is some local industry, a large percentage of the population works in the neighbouring city of Christchurch. One optimistic politician of the 1800s had even predicted that Kaiapoi would outsize its neighbour Christchurch . Kaiapoi is considered to be a satellite town of greater Christchurch, alongside Rolleston. Kaiapoi has five schools: three primary schools, one high school, and a teen parent unit attached to

1035-579: The 2010 Canterbury and also the February 2011 Christchurch earthquakes , which rendered many homes uninhabitable and businesses inoperable. Large areas were condemned as part of a residential red zone covering uninhabitable areas. Kaiapoi is located on what was formally the south bank of the north branch of the Waimakariri River. This patch of land between the north and south branches of the Waimakariri

1104-526: The Selwyn District . The name Waimakariri translates from Te Reo Māori to 'cold water', referring to the snow melt source of the river in the Southern Alps. European settlement concentrated on the fertile soils of the plains. Until the middle of the 20th century, extensive agricultural and pastoral farming predominated. More recently, horticultural and forestry have gained in importance. Today, some 11% of

1173-505: The geologic record . Analyses of the hydraulic and sedimentologic conditions of river mouth bar formation, progradation and aggradation , and prediction on their shape, size and spacing are incredibly valuable for reservoir prediction. Eventually, in estuarine regions, there is a mutual interaction between morphology and flow dynamics. While mouth bar morphology is shaped and affected by flow and sediment dynamics or wave and current patterns, mouth bars also modify those dynamics and change

1242-465: The Christchurch settlement was planned, a secondary market town named 'Mandeville' was proposed by Captain Joseph Thomas to support north-Canterbury farmers. Charles Torlesse surveyed the area in 1849 and on early maps it is marked to the south-west of modern-day Kaiapoi. The Canterbury Association ran out of money in 1850, and surveying work came to a stop before the town could be established. While

1311-450: The District's labour force is now involved with agriculture, forestry and fishing. Waimakariri District covers 2,217.13 km (856.04 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 69,600 as of June 2024, with a population density of 31 people per km . The district has experienced a rapidly growing population that is predicted to continue to increase. Despite rapid growth, Waimakariri has retained its rural/small-town character and

1380-600: The District's western landscape. Historically, the District was dominated by extensive agricultural and pastoral farming activity, with few major industries. More recently, many new small holdings have been created; some of these are used for full-time or part-time horticultural enterprises, including vegetable and flower growing. The District has a few major industries. A large fibreboard plant at Sefton draws on local wood resources. The other industries are mainly small-scale service and processing enterprises, some of which also use local wood resources. The Waimakariri District has

1449-501: The District. Mouth bar A mouth bar is an element of a deltaic system, which refers to the typically mid-channel deposition of the sediment transported by the river channel at the river mouth . River mouth bars form because the cross-sectional area of the expanding sediment-laden outflow increases, and consequently, the sediment transport rate down the jet centerline decreases basinward as flow progresses from confined to unconfined. More specifically, four stages of

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1518-520: The District. The Waimakariri District is served by 20 state and three state-integrated primary schools, as well as two area schools covering years 1–13, one in Oxford and one in Rangiora ( Rangiora New Life ), and two secondary schools: Rangiora High School and Kaiapoi High School . Many of the primary schools are well-supported by the community, and an increasing number of pre-schools have begun to open in

1587-460: The Gladstone settlers began arriving in 1853 they discovered no land had been set aside for them. The mouth of the Waimakariri River was suggested as a possible place for their new town, as much of that land had been set aside for the use of the church. An inspection party of settlers were joined by Sewell and surveyor Thomas Cass to explore the area. The group agreed on a location at the confluence of

1656-660: The Mississippi Delta, in order to eliminate land loss and mitigate coastal erosion, artificial diversions, reconnecting river to the deltaic wetland , have been constructed. Essentially, these diversions are expected to generate mouth bars at downstream end. Therefore, the restoration plans and studies by many scientists and engineers aim ultimately to promote mouth bar deposition by strategically selecting diversion sites and diversion geometries, and consequently stabilizing jet, enhancing bottom friction and sediment trapping efficiencies. This example shows how extremely essential

1725-634: The Northern Bulldogs) began in 1957 and play in the local Canterbury Rugby League . The club has been based at Murphy Park since 1960. In 2007 — the club's jubilee 50th season — the Bulldogs won the Thacker Shield . Kaiapoi is the location of St Bartholomew's Church, which is the oldest wooden church in the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch , built in 1855. The dirt-surface Woodford Glen Speedway

1794-605: The South arm of the Waimakariri. Kaiapoi was well known for the woollen mill run by the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company , and many woollen items produced at the mill can still be found throughout the world. A freezing works (meat processing plant) was also a major employer in the town, and once this and the woollen mill had closed there was some economic turmoil in the town, and concern over its future. It, however, has survived and prospered, and although there

1863-511: The area now occupied by the Waimakariri District. The centre of Ngāi Tahu was the pa of Taurakautahi, known as Kaiapoi. Today, the hapu Ngai Tuahuriri is based at Tuahiwi, to the north of Kaiapoi. People who identify themselves as having NZ Maori ancestry presently represent 8.5% of the District's population, and most of these people live in the eastern part of the District. During the early years of European settlement, Kaiapoi developed as

1932-535: The bar top; (4) Finally, as the levees continue to grow and spread due to the presence of the bar, increased water and sediment discharges around the bar cause widening and creation of a classic triangular river mouth bar in plan view. Sediment erosion and deposition dynamics in estuarine region, consequently the formation and growth of mouth bars, are affected by several natural and artificial factors. Human activities, such as reservoir construction, large-scale reclamation and embankment construction completely disturb

2001-441: The bar, and subsequently, this acceleration changes the sediment transport gradient over the bar triggering erosion on the upstream bar face and deposition in the downstream bar wake ; (3) River mouth bar progradation stops and it stagnates when depth over the bar is shallow enough to create a fluid pressure on the upstream side of the bar forcing flow around the bar, and consequently decreasing velocity and shear stress over

2070-423: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 7,200 (13.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 31,890 (58.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 13,035 (23.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 40,200, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 5,850 people (10.7%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

2139-482: The census's question about religious affiliation, 55.7% had no religion, 33.5% were Christian , 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.5% were Hindu , 0.2% were Muslim , 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,017 (10.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,544 (25.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,404 people (14.3%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

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2208-607: The channel flow due to initial mouth bar formation forms new distributary channels and they extend as the mouth bar migrates. Lateral and upstream growth of mouth bar reduces the flow velocity and sediment flux, i.e., flow capacity to carry sediments, through that channel resulting in filling and abandonment of the terminal distributary channel. The active channel, where the flow is diverted into, bifurcates again, following formation of another mouth bar, and creates another unit of channels. Moreover, river mouth bars are important hydrocarbon reservoirs , and have been widely interpreted in

2277-429: The delta. Mississippi delta is composed of widely separated buoyancy-dominated mouth bar types in the south ( Southwest Pass and South Pass). Powerful and persistent wave energy and corresponding processes such as wave reworking, refraction of outflow, mixing due to wave breaking , longshore and cross-shore dispersion of sediment generate regular, commonly sand-filled, crescentic bars located at short distances from

2346-478: The development of distinct mouth bar morphologies. River discharge , tides and waves can also simultaneously affect the outflow dynamics depending on buoyancy, which play an important role on the evolution of mouth bars. When a river-dominated delta is considered, formation and evolution of terminal distributary channels of the delta, which are the most active parts of the distributive channel network, are closely related to mouth bar formation. Bifurcation of

2415-525: The disease, meaning that Kaiapoi had the second-highest death rate in North Canterbury, after Amberley . The town was struck by two earthquakes in 1921 and 1922, and in 1923 the town experienced a major flood. This flood lead to a flurry of activity over the following decade to stabilise the course of the Waimakariri. Changes upstream of the town had the effect of reducing the flow of the North Branch of

2484-517: The east to the Puketeraki Range in the west. It is bounded to the north by the Hurunui District. The Waimakariri district has five towns with a population over 1,000. Together, they are home to 64.3% of the district's population. (June 2024) Other settlements and localities in the district include: In pre-European times, there were several important Ngāi Tahu settlements in

2553-412: The heritage building was moved to a safer location and later restored. Kaiapoi is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area and covers 14.65 km (5.66 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 13,700 as of June 2024, with a population density of 935 people per km. The population experienced a large dip after the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes , but has been growing rapidly, and

2622-571: The high school. Outdoor recreation options include the Kaiapoi River which is deep enough for boating, with multiple accessible boat-ramps. There is a paddle-boat that offers pleasure cruises for tourists. The nearby Waimakariri River Regional Park is popular for kayaking, fishing, cycling and off-roading . Kaiapoi is also close to The Pines Beach . The Waimakariri District Council operates several public recreation facilities in Kaiapoi including

2691-686: The hydrodynamic balance of the system and permanently interfere with the morphology of mouth bars. Moreover, hydrodynamic factors such as water runoff , discharge fluctuations of the rivers, i.e., non-uniform flow conditions linked to the river hydrograph , sediment flux, sediment characteristics, river mouth geometry, vegetation, existence of tides and waves, play a vital role in sediment erosion and deposition dynamics at river mouths and activate serious geomorphologic controls on mouth bar development. Regarding sediment characteristics, mass and cohesiveness play important roles in river mouth bar evolution. Since coarser sediments are not well suspended by

2760-408: The jet, they are likely to deposit close to the river mouth and lead to mouth bar construction. On the other hand, since fine sediments are generally transported in a suspended form, they can be carried further and disperse widely, and most of the time, lead to levee construction. Moreover, sediment cohesion, and similarly vegetation , play a role in the morphology of river mouth deposits by enhancing

2829-532: The local farms to the major port at Lyttelton. During the great storm of 1868 the Waimakariri flooded, destroying buildings, bridges, telegraph lines and port facilities. Later that same year, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Peru did further damage to the wharves. The rail line from Christchurch to Kaiapoi opened in April 1872, beginning a decline in the use of Kaiapoi as a port. Coastal shipping did continue to be

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2898-580: The morphology of estuaries. Therefore, the understanding of mouth bar evolution is key for further and better quantification of the changes in river hydraulics and morphodynamics due to mouth bar existence. Mouth bars are categorized based on the primary forces dominating their formation: (1) outflow inertia, (2) turbulent bed friction, (3) effluent buoyancy , (4) wave-induced, and finally, (5) tidal forces. Processes linked to high outflow velocities at deep water outlet and dispersion of sediment due to turbulent jet produce narrow, elongated lunate bars with

2967-477: The mouth. The shape and location of the mouth bar also changes with normal or oblique wave incidence. The development of tidal-dominated river mouth bars highly depends on the bidirectional sediment transport by tidal currents causing significant upstream return of sediment into channel. Flood and ebb-dominated sediment transports generate a broad, discontinuous, radial mouth bar dominated by large tidal ridges separated by deep channels. River mouth bar evolution

3036-451: The mouths of the bifurcated channels and enhance basinward the delta growth. Mississippi Delta is composed of shallow-water friction-dominated types in the east (Northeast Pass). Dominance of buoyancy processes at the river mouth associated with strong outflow density stratification and fine-grained sediment load rather than bed load , produces laterally restricted, narrow radial bars with gently dipping slopes in shallow water areas of

3105-559: The name of 'Mandeville' stuck for the surveyed region, the area of the future township remained 'Kaiapoi' due to the continued presence of Ngāi Tahu families in the area. In 1851, Sir Thomas Tancred proposed a new settlement in Canterbury. He was concerned that the Canterbury Association had not made enough progress in establishing the promised Anglican model values in their new settlements. The name for this proposed settlement

3174-421: The north and south branches, close to where the proposed North Road met the river. However, tensions flared the following day at a meeting between the settlers, Sewell, and Charles Simeon . An offer of 50 acres (20 ha) of church land was made and agreed to, but the settlers had additional demands that could not be immediately met. After an argument, Sewell and Simeon decided to end the Gladstone scheme, as it

3243-411: The north of the Waimakariri River in North Canterbury. The major urban areas are Rangiora and Kaiapoi, which are respectively about 30 and 20 minutes travelling time by car from the centre of Christchurch City. There are other urban settlements, including Woodend and Oxford, as well as a number of village and beach settlements. The District occupies some 225,000 hectares, and extends from Pegasus Bay in

3312-407: The other hand, depend on the relative strength of river inertia with respect to the tidal energy. When tidal energy is much higher than the fluvial one, hydrodynamics of the jet exiting the river mouth, dominating the sediment deposition, are highly affected. Continuously altered tidal wave velocity, width of spreading jet, water depth, and therefore, bottom friction throughout the tidal cycle, cause

3381-405: The port at Kaiapoi, several factors were working against it: the Waimakariri river bar still posed a significant hazard to ships; the course of the north branch of the river shifted so frequently that it was seen as unreliable for shipping vessels; the introduction of rail across the Southern Alps via the tunnel at Otira in 1923 made coastal shipping less necessary; and the river could not accommodate

3450-478: The river mouth bar formation are: (1) Turbulent jet, expanding into a shallow and sloping basin, first creates parallel subaqueous levees extending basinward and starting a river mouth bar basinward of the levee tips due to the decrease in jet momentum flux and resulting the high sedimentation rate in this region; (2) The subaqueous levees extend basinward and the river mouth bar aggrades and progrades since its presence causes flow acceleration on streamlines over

3519-435: The river mouth bar. In addition to the controls related to fluvial processes , the effects of marine controls, such as wave activity and tides, on river mouths are significant on the mouth bar evolution. Waves have a double effect on mouth bar growth; while small and locally generated waves favor the bar formation by increasing the jet spreading, large, swell waves suppress bar development. The complex effects of tides, on

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3588-468: The river, and making it less prone to flooding. As it became effectively disconnected from the Waimakariri upstream of Kaiapoi, it was renamed to Kaiapoi River in 1959. The 1920s saw a brief renewal of interest in the use of Kaiapoi as a port. This came in the context that both Kaiapoi and Lyttelton were at risk of losing port trade to Timaru. At one stage the Kaiapoi freezing works was sending frozen meat to Timaru for export. Despite local popular support for

3657-440: The stabilization, consequently changing the hydraulic geometry of the mouth and altering the hydrodynamics of the jet. Grain size , which controls the settling velocity of the particles, also influences the location of the river mouth bar basinward of the outlet. In addition, model results recently suggest that river channel width, depth, outflow velocity, and basin slope are the most important variables influencing distance to

3726-459: The town once served as the junction for the Eyreton Branch , which provided rail access to communities west of Kaiapoi such as West Eyreton (though it ran to the north of Eyreton itself). This branch line opened in 1875 and closed fully by April 1965. The old station has a NZHPT Category II listing. The river used to have a port before the construction of the Waimakariri River bridge, and

3795-481: The trend towards larger more economical vessels for coastal shipping. All of these factors contributed to the decline of Kaiapoi as a trade port. Coastal shipping continued at Kaiapoi, with a brief increase after World War II. The port continued to bring in coal and dangerous goods even into the 1960s. In 1969 port activity was finally suspended. The town's war memorial records 20 local men as having died during World War II . The memorial, designed by William Trethewey ,

3864-463: The water supply and sewerage. Many local buildings were damaged and demolished. The façade of the Blackwell's Department Store was significantly damaged. It was demolished the same afternoon as the first earthquake to mitigate the safety risk during the ongoing aftershocks . The Kaiapoi Railway Station building was largely undamaged, though its foundation tilted dramatically. Rather than be demolished,

3933-560: Was 44.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 11,748 people (17.7%) aged under 15 years, 10,143 (15.3%) aged 15 to 29, 30,168 (45.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 14,187 (21.4%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 92.1% European ( Pākehā ); 9.9% Māori ; 1.6% Pasifika ; 3.8% Asian ; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English

4002-694: Was an important point for the transport of goods to and from Christchurch. Bucking the trend of river ports dying off in the middle of the 20th century, the port actually reopened for a decade between 1958 and 1967, to allow smaller ships to bypass the congested Lyttelton wharves. There were at least six test match All Blacks who were born in Kaiapoi, including William Balch , New Zealand teacher; George Maber , who had played for Wellington; Duncan McGregor , who also played league, as well as John Ashworth (born 1949), who played for them, although he had been born in Waikari . Waimakariri District The district

4071-500: Was declared a town by the provincial council. Kaiapoi was an important hub for the early north Canterbury settlers, largely due to the river port that was established there. The mouth bar of the Waimakariri River posed a significant hazard to ships, and many ran aground. The river was also notorious for changing course and flooding unexpectedly. Despite this, the north branch of the river was navigable to Kaiapoi by small coastal shipping vessels. This port transported wool and wheat from

4140-455: Was established on 1 April 1989 following the merger of Rangiora District and Eyre County. The district covers 2,217.12 square kilometres (856.03 sq mi), and is home to 69,600 people. Rangiora is the district seat and largest town, with other major towns including Kaiapoi , Oxford , Pegasus and Woodend . The current district mayor is Dan Gordon, who was elected in the 2019 local body elections. The Waimakariri District lies to

4209-414: Was first unveiled on Anzac Day in 1922 to commemorate the first world war. It was later updated after the second world war. The town suffered significant damage during the 2010 Canterbury earthquake . Ultimately, more than 900 homes in Kaiapoi and nearby The Pines Beach were ultimately abandoned due to the earthquake damage to the land. The earthquake caused enormous damage to infrastructure, interrupting

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4278-400: Was proving to be too much trouble. However, the suitability of the site was so great that Sewell began the work of establishing the town anyway, but rather under the direction of the Canterbury Association and not the Gladstone settlers. Soon 200 acres (81 ha) of church land was marked off, and in 1853 Henry Cridland had laid out a map of the new settlement. By early 1854 the road to Kaiapoi

4347-541: Was spoken by 97.7%, Māori language by 1.8%, Samoan by 0.2% and other languages by 6.6%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 18.1, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 31.1% Christian , 0.5% Hindu , 0.2% Islam , 0.3% Māori religious beliefs , 0.3% Buddhist , 0.5% New Age , and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.9%, and 8.1% of people did not answer

4416-445: Was successful during the 1880s in spite of the wider economic recession. It continued to be a major pillar of the local economy until its closure in the 1970s. During World War I , a major slaughterhouse and freezing works was established in Kaiapoi. The facility processed sheep from across North Canterbury and remained an economic centre of the town until its closure in 1991. During the 1918 influenza pandemic seventeen people died of

4485-500: Was that 26,910 (49.4%) people were employed full-time, 8,304 (15.2%) were part-time, and 981 (1.8%) were unemployed. A large portion of the Waimakariri District has fertile flat land, or highly productive rolling downs. Much of the land to the east of Rangiora is reclaimed swamp, which is still subject to poor drainage and occasional flooding. The north-western portion of the District is hill and high country. These hills, including Mt Oxford, Mt Richardson, Mt Thomas and Mt Grey, dominate

4554-414: Was that 4,893 (49.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,440 (14.7%) were part-time, and 291 (3.0%) were unemployed. Kaiapoi is also known as the 'River Town' after the Kaiapoi River , a tributary of the Waimakariri River that flows through the centre of the town. This was originally the main arm of the Waimakariri River, but extensive flooding led to a diversion so the majority of the water travelled down

4623-400: Was the largest island in the lower reaches of the river. "Kaiapoi Island" (as it was later called) was of spiritual and educational significance to Ngāi Tahu, who called it Te Rakai a Hewa ( the adornment of the deluded one ). A stream that ran through the island, Te Tupapaku (also known as Courtenay Stream), was an important location for the ritual burial process of local Māori. When

4692-405: Was to be 'Gladstone'. Tancred wrote to Henry Sewell , asking him to instruct John Robert Godley to set aside land for the Gladstone settlers. By this stage in 1852 the Canterbury Association was not performing well financially, and was soon to wind-up and hand control to the newly-formed provincial government . Sewell forwarded the message, but Godley took no action to advance the plan. Thus, when

4761-556: Was well-trodden, and the small settlement had begun to form. Despite the collapse of the Gladstone scheme, many of the Gladstone settlers became established at Kaiapoi. Notable figures included the Reverend John Raven, who commissioned the first church in the area. The wooden building of St Bartholomew's church was opened in 1856, to plans by Benjamin Mountfort . Today it is the oldest surviving church in Canterbury. In 1857 Kaiapoi

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