View source for Waimahaka

{{Short description|Locality in Southland District, Southland Region, New Zealand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2015}}
[[File:Waimahaka_in_1952.jpg|thumb|Waimahaka in 1952]]
'''Waimahaka''' is a locality in the [[Southland, New Zealand|Southland]] region of New Zealand's [[South Island]].<ref name="linz">{{LINZ|6648||16 November 2007}}</ref>  It is situated in a rural area, inland from [[Toetoes Bay]].  Nearby settlements include [[Pine Bush, New Zealand|Pine Bush]] and [[Titiroa]] to the northwest, [[Fortification, New Zealand|Fortification]] and [[Te Peka]] to the east, [[Pukewao]] and [[Tokanui, Southland|Tokanui]] to the southwest, and [[Fortrose, New Zealand|Fortrose]] on the coast to the south.

== History ==

The first Public Hall was opened in 1906 and demolished c1972, and is now the site of the firestation. A second hall was opened in 1972 and it currently operating. 
In 2020 a Historical Information Board was erected beside the hall. Information for this board was largely sourced from the local history book "A High Point of Vantage" by Marjory Smith <ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Marjory |title=A High Point of Vantage |date=2001 |publisher=Craig Printing |location=New Zealand |isbn=0-473-07992-5 |edition=First}}</ref>
[[File:Waimahaka Community Centre 2025.jpg|thumb|Waimahaka Community Centre 2025]]
[[File:Waimahaka information display.jpg|thumb|Waimahaka historical information board at the community centre.]]

== Railway ==
[[File:K_class_loco_at_Waimahaka.jpg|thumb|[[NZR K class (1877)|K class loco]] at Waimahaka]]
On 9 June 1899,<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 June 1899 |title=Seaward Bush Railway. Southland Times |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST18990610.2.18 |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref> a {{Convert|6|mi|61|ch|abbr=on}}''<ref name=":3232">{{Cite web |last=Scoble |first=Juliet |title=Station Archive |url=https://railheritage.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Station_Archive_4web-2.xls |website=Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand}}</ref>'' extension of the [[Tokanui Branch|Seaward Bush Branch]] was opened from [[Gorge Road]] to Waimahaka.<ref>''New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas'', fourth edition, edited by John Yonge (Essex: Quail Map Company, 1993), 30.</ref>  This [[branch line]] [[railway]] linked Waimahaka with [[Invercargill]], {{Convert|25|mi|47|ch|abbr=on}} away.''<ref name=":3232" />'' A {{Convert|60|ft|abbr=on}} [[motive power depot|engine shed]], {{Convert|50|ft|abbr=on}} [[turntable (railroad)|locomotive turntable]], coal store, {{Convert|40|ft|abbr=on}} x {{Convert|30|ft|abbr=on}} [[goods shed]], [[George Troup (architect)#Standard station designs|5th class station]], stationmaster's house, platform, loading bank, cattle yards, privies, urinals and 3 platelayers' cottages were established at the Waimahaka station. Another cottage was added in 1908 and a telephone in 1909.''<ref name=":3232" />'' The opening of the railway allowed Waimahaka to develop at the expense of Fortrose, as the railway provided quicker transport to [[Invercargill]] than the vessels that called at Fortrose's small port.<ref name="cpa">Catlins Promotions Association, [http://www.catlins.org.nz/history.htm "History - Fortrose"], accessed 15 November 2007.</ref>  On 20 December 1911, the railway was extended to Tokanui and Waimahaka's engine facilities were transferred there.<ref name="leitch">David Leitch and Brian Scott, ''Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways'', revised edition (Wellington: Grantham House, 1998 [1995]), 125-6.</ref>

Passengers and freight were carried together on [[mixed train]]s that ran daily to and from Invercargill.  In 1951, these were cut to operate just once per week, mainly for the benefit of families employed by the [[New Zealand Railways Department|Railways Department]] who lived in the area; goods-only trains operated on other days.  On 1 June 1960, passenger services were fully cancelled and trains through Waimahaka catered solely for freight until the line officially closed on 31 March 1966 as freight levels had not been profitable for years.  The loading bank<ref name="leitch" /> and station platform remain identifiable,<ref>{{Citation |last=Wheel5800 |title=Waimahaka Platform edge |date=2008-02-27 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/46769458@N08/4703032896/ |access-date=2023-09-11}}</ref> and the goods shed has been refurbished for other uses.<ref>{{Citation |last=Wheel5800 |title=Old Goods Shed |date=2008-02-27 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/46769458@N08/4702398455/ |access-date=2023-09-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=28 Waimahaka-Fortification Rd |url=https://www.google.com/maps/@-46.5159722,168.8168682,3a,15y,345.37h,88.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCDpMW6x7H5R1siAQzhEdsQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=Google Maps |language=en}}</ref> Some of the line's old [[track bed|formation]] can still be seen in the vicinity of Waimahaka.<ref name="leitch" />

There was a Post Office at the station from 1902 to 1953 and a new Post Office and telephone exchange building opened on 15 September 1966, after closure of the station on Sunday, 31 July 1966.''<ref name=":3232" />'' The Post Office was among many closed by [[Richard Prebble]] in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 October 1987 |title=List of P.O. closings and modifications. Press |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19871016.2.39 |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref>

{{s-start|noclear=yes}}
{{s-note|text=Former adjoining stations}}
{{Rail line|previous=[[Titiroa#Railway|Titiroa]]<br /><small>Line closed, station closed<br />{{convert|5.11|km|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Yonge|first1=John Roger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OsnRPgAACAAJ|title=New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas|date=1993|publisher=Quail Map Company|isbn=9780900609923|language=en}}</ref></small>|next=[[Te Peka#Railway|Te Peka]]<br /><small>Line closed, station closed<br />{{convert|2.49|km|abbr=on}}</small>|route=[[Tokanui Branch]]|col={{BR(E) colour}}}}
{{s-end}}

== Education ==

Waimahaka School operated from 1901 to 2012.<ref name="Waimahaka School bell tolls">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/features/8080824/Sadness-as-bell-tolls-for-school|title=Sadness as bell tolls for school|date=16 December 2012}}</ref> The school began with more than 25 students, a teachers' residence was built in 1908, and a second classroom, play shed, washhouse, bathroom and stoves were added in 1920. The site was remodelled in the 1950s. The school moved to a new larger site to accommodate a larger post-war roll in 196, with a new teachers' residence being added in 1968.<ref name="msmith">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Majory |title=A High Point of Vantage: The history of the Waimahaka, Pine Bush and Fortification districts |date=October 2001 |publisher=Craig Printing Co |location=New Zealand}}</ref> By 2006, the school had 16 students and featured netball fields, a rugby field, a covered swimming pool heated with solar panels, and a computer for every child.<ref name="Waimahaka School TKI">{{cite web |title=Waimahaka School |url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=4040 |website=tki.org.nz |publisher=[[New Zealand Ministry of Education]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061002174343/http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=4040 |archive-date=2 October 2006}}</ref> The school roll had dropped to four students by its final year of teaching in 2012.<ref name="Waimahaka School bell tolls" />

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{coord|46|31|S|168|49|E|display=title|region:NZ_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}
{{Southland District}}

[[Category:Populated places in the Southland Region]]
[[Category:The Catlins]]
[[Category:Southland District]]