Milton, New Zealand
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Milton, formerly known as Tokomairiro or Tokomairaro, is a town of over 2,000 people, located on
State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...
, 50 kilometres to the south of
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
in
Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...
, New Zealand. It lies on the floodplain of the
Tokomairaro River The Tokomairaro River is located in Otago, New Zealand. It flows southeast for some 50 kilometres (30 mi), reaching the Pacific Ocean at Toko Mouth 50 kilometres (30 mi) south of Dunedin. The town of Milton is located on the Tokomai ...
(until 2016 called the ''Tokomairiro''), one branch of which loops past the north and south ends of the town. This river gives its name to many local features, notably the town's only secondary school,
Tokomairiro High School Tokomairiro High School is a co-educational, state secondary school in Milton, New Zealand, Milton, New Zealand, often simply known as "Toko". History Founded in 1856 as Tokomairiro School, it is one of New Zealand's oldest schools. It was orig ...
. Founded as a milling town in the 1850s, there has long been dispute as to the naming of the settlement. The town's streets are named for prominent British poets, and it is possible that the town's original intended name of Milltown became shortened by association with the poet of the same name. It is equally possible, however, that the name Milton inspired the choice of poets' names for the streets.


History

Milton's early history was strongly affected by the discovery of gold by
Gabriel Read Thomas Gabriel Read (21 August 182531 October 1894) was a gold prospector and farmer. His discovery of gold in Gabriel's Gully triggered the first major gold rush in New Zealand. Life Read was born on 21 August 1825 in Van Diemen's Land. The e ...
at
Gabriel's Gully Gabriel's Gully is a locality in Otago, New Zealand, three kilometres from Lawrence township and close to the Tuapeka River. It was the site of New Zealand's first major gold rush. The discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully by Gabriel Read o ...
close to the nearby township of
Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...
. As Milton stood close to one of the most easily accessible routes to the interior, it grew greatly during the
goldrush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Gr ...
years of the 1860s and was a major staging post for prospectors heading for the goldfields. The town was originally established at Fairfax, a settlement nestling at the foot of the hills which lie to the southeast of the town. As communication with the goldfields in the interior became more important, and the desirability of the town becoming a staging post increased, it spread down onto the plains around the river. A
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
church, Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church, was built at this time by the architect R A Lawson. At the time of its construction, this church was the tallest building at such a southern latitude in the world. The church is still the town's most obvious landmark, and is visible across the Tokomairiro Plains from several kilometres away. It was located as a
terminating vista In urban design, a terminating vista is a building or an object such as a monument that stands within view in the Sightline (architecture), sightline or at the end or the middle of a road. Function Terminating vistas are considered an importa ...
at the end of the main road connecting Fairfax with the main route south from Dunedin to the goldfields, and as such is an imposing structure dominating this road. Milton was an important town in early Otago – much more so than it is today – mainly due to its location on the route to the goldfields, and also for the Bruce Woollen Mills, which were among the province's largest factories. Other prominent industries included the Kiwi Bacon Factory, which had a branch in Milton until the early 1980s. The town's importance in communication in the early years of New Zealand settlement is emphasised by it being one of the two centres first linked by long-distance
telephony Telephony ( ) is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunications services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties. The history of telephony is ...
, with a pioneering line set up between Milton and
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
in February 1878. It was not until the early twentieth century that it was superseded in size by the now considerably larger local town of Balclutha. The town was also important in education in early Otago – the Tokomairiro School – now split into Tokoiti School (still on the site of the original school) and
Tokomairiro High School Tokomairiro High School is a co-educational, state secondary school in Milton, New Zealand, Milton, New Zealand, often simply known as "Toko". History Founded in 1856 as Tokomairiro School, it is one of New Zealand's oldest schools. It was orig ...
– was founded in 1856, only eight years after the founding of the province itself, and was one of the province's leading schools for many years thereafter. Electric lighting was installed in 1919.


Railway

Milton was connected to the national
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
network in the early 1870s when the
Main South Line The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railway line that runs north and south from Lyttelton, New Zealand, Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the ...
was built through the town and goods were first carried in October 1874.''Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand'' by Juliet Scoble (2012) The official opening from Green Island to Balclutha was on 1 September 1875. Milton station was east of Clarksville, south of Milburn, from
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
and from Dunedin. In 1907, the town became a railway junction when an extension of the
Roxburgh Branch The Roxburgh Branch was a branch line railway built in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island that formed part of the country's national rail network. Originally known as the Lawrence Branch, it was one of the longest construction pr ...
was constructed alongside the Main South Line from its original junction at nearby Clarksville into Milton to facilitate better operations. In 1960, Milton lost this status when the extension was removed and the Roxburgh Branch's junction reverted to being in Clarksville. The Main South Line still runs through the town, though the station closed to passengers on 1 December 1970, when the
South Island Limited The ''South Island Limited'' was a passenger express train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department (NZR) between 1949 and 1970. It operated over the almost Main South Line between Christchurch and Invercargill. It was replaced by the ...
was replaced by the Southerner, which didn't stop at Milton. Milton had an engine shed for two engines, a passenger platform (later extended to ), a 3rd class station, cart approach to the platform, by goods shed, loading bank, cattle yards, stationmaster's house, a
refreshment room A railway refreshment room is a catering facility attached to a railway station that was formerly common in United Kingdom, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. They were opened in the ...
from 1895 to 1957 and a bookstall from 1897. A
turntable A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding phys ...
was added in 1927. There were fires at the engine shed in 1938 and in 1959, when both A Class locomotives in the shed were undamaged. There was also a fire at the station in 1942, and in a large shed in 1944. The stockyards closed in 1971. In December 1988 there was still a station building, verandah, platforms and goods sheds, as can be seen in a 1986 aerial photo, but by 1995 they had gone.


Fortification and Waronui coal mines and railway line

Coal was dug in the lower Tokomairaro valley from 1855. A railway was considered as early as 1875. Mining near Fortification Hill started in 1882. Poor roads and difficult navigation of the river limited production. The Fortification Railway and Coal Company started building a railway in 1900 and opened it on 3 April 1901, but went into liquidation in 1903. In 1906 the Bruce Coal Company Ltd opened a new mine across the river, calling it Waronui. A temporary bridge was built over the river, until the railway was extended about to the new mine when Glendining and Co took over in 1908. The line ran south west, crossing the Tokomairaro River a few times, from Milton, for about to mines at Fortification and Waronui. The line was little used after two miners were killed in 1930 and it was sold for scrap in 1932.


Milton pottery

An early claim to fame for Milton was its pottery, often regarded as some of the country's finest.
Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
is a plentiful natural resource in
South Otago South Otago lies in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand. As the name suggests, it forms the southernmost part of the geographical region of Otago. The exact definition of the area designated as South Otago is imprecise, as the area ...
, and potteries were a major employer in the late 19th century throughout South Otago and Southland. Between 1873 and 1915 numerous pottery works operated from the Milton area, starting with William White's short-lived Tokomairiro Steam Pottery Works, reputedly the first industrial kilns in the Southern Hemisphere.Sumpter, D.J. & Lewis, J.J. (1949) ''Faith and toil – The story of Tokomairiro.'' Christchurch: Whitcombe & Tombs., p.101 The Milton Pottery works was rescued in 1880 by former Mayor of Dunedin (1876) Charles Reeves. The industry reached its height in the 1880s, at which time five kilns were operating and over 40 staff were employed, producing building materials such as bricks and tiles, sanitary ceramics such as washbasins, and domestic and decorative dinner sets, vases, and jars. The industry in Milton did not survive the loss of manpower during World War I, though pottery as an industry continued in South Otago at Benhar near Balclutha, which was a major producer of toilet bowls and other domestic ceramics until the 1990s.


Bruce Herald

''The Bruce Herald'' was established by Joseph Mackay in 1864 and was one of the longest running country newspapers, closing on 7 October 1971. It was one of a chain, including the ''
Mataura Ensign ''The Ensign'' is a regional newspaper based in Gore, New Zealand published on Wednesdays and Fridays by Allied Press Ltd. It was first published in 1878 as ''The Mataura Ensign'' and changed to its current name in 1973. The newspaper features c ...
'' at
Gore Gore may refer to: Places Australia * Gore, Queensland * Gore Creek (New South Wales) * Gore Island (Queensland) Canada * Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community * Gore, Quebec, a township municipality * Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manito ...
and ''Clutha Times'' at Balclutha. Other local papers were the ''Bruce Independent'' (1866–1867) and the ''Milton Mirror'' in 1905, but was taken over by the ''Herald'' after a fire at its office in 1910.


Demographics

Milton covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Milton had a population of 2,157 at the
2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...
, an increase of 87 people (4.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 111 people (5.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 861 households, comprising 1,086 males and 1,068 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female. The median age was 42.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 429 people (19.9%) aged under 15 years, 333 (15.4%) aged 15 to 29, 945 (43.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 447 (20.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 87.8% European/
Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 17.8%
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 1.7% Pasifika, 1.9% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 8.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.1% had no religion, 33.4% were
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 0.4% had
Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 0.3% were
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.1% were
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 0.1% were
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 1.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 123 (7.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 591 (34.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 150 people (8.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 816 (47.2%) people were employed full-time, 252 (14.6%) were part-time, and 54 (3.1%) were unemployed.


Modern Milton

Today, Milton is, after Balclutha, the second largest town in
South Otago South Otago lies in the south east of the South Island of New Zealand. As the name suggests, it forms the southernmost part of the geographical region of Otago. The exact definition of the area designated as South Otago is imprecise, as the area ...
. Its form is largely a
ribbon development A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mate ...
along the main highway (
State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...
), with an extension north of the northern branch of the river (the suburb of Helensbrook). The old town of Fairfax is now a village with the
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
name of Tokoiti (meaning "small poles"). SH1, as Union Street, is the town's main road. Five main residential streets run parallel with Union Street (Elderlee, Ajax, Spenser, Johnson, and Chaucer Streets), with these streets being connected by other roads together forming a mostly regular grid pattern. Tokoiti lies one kilometre to the southeast. Milton's main economic livelihood is as a service town for the surrounding farming community, although
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
is also becoming of increasing importance. It is also home to Calder Stewart, one of New Zealand's largest construction firms. The farming settlement of Milburn two kilometres north of Milton, was chosen as the site of a new
prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
, opened in 2007 with a capacity of 485 prisoners. Officially referred to simply as the Otago Corrections Facility, it quickly picked up the nickname of "The Milton Hilton".


"The Kink"

In Milton there is an unusual planning anomaly – the main street (Union Street) is straight for several kilometres as it runs across the Tokomairaro Plain and through the town, yet in the northern part of Milton it has a kink in it at . Heading north on the main street the road moves a whole road-width to the west. The reason for the anomaly is disputed. A widely accepted view, but not the official view, states that the road was set out by two surveyors, one moving north and the other moving south, each of whom set out the road to the right of their survey line. Another widely held belief is that the change of course was designed to protect a large tree which formerly stood at the site where the kink is. However, why during the development of a milling area a single tree would be protected, and why the road would not return to its original line after passing the tree are both unexplained by this theory. A story on the Kink was run by
Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jeremy Strong Fictional c ...
on 6 May 2021.


In popular culture

Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. He received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, BAFTA Fellowship in 2013 and was knig ...
describes Milton in his 1997 book Full Circle as a "small inconspicuous town". He goes on to say "Yet nowhere has looked more like Britain. A gothic spire rises from a red brick parish church. There is a Salvation Army hostel, A Cosy Dell rest home and an advert for 'Frosty Boy' lollipops – 'Often Licked, Never Beaten'. The gardens, and fields beyond could be straight from my Yorkshire birthplace. At around the time of my birth."


Climate


Education


Primary schools

Milton Primary School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of as of . Tokoiti School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of . St Mary's School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of .


Secondary schools

Tokomairiro High School Tokomairiro High School is a co-educational, state secondary school in Milton, New Zealand, Milton, New Zealand, often simply known as "Toko". History Founded in 1856 as Tokomairiro School, it is one of New Zealand's oldest schools. It was orig ...
is a co-educational state secondary school for Year 7 to 13 students, with a roll of .


Notable people

*
Ken Bloxham Kenneth Charles Bloxham (4 January 1954 – 10 October 2000) was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. Career Born and educated in Milton, New Zealand, Milton, Bloxham represented the local Tokomairiro club, and won a place in the provincial s ...
– All Black rugby player * Richard Hayes – pilot *
Samantha Hayes Samantha Hayes (born 25 April 1984) is a New Zealand journalist and newsreader, best known for co-anchoring Three's flagship news programme Newshub Live at 6pm. Early life Hayes was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, to a New Zealand f ...
– TV news journalist * Thomas Joseph King –Army Officer * Tony Kreft – All Black rugby player * Frank Oliver – All Black rugby player *
Richard Pearse Richard William Pearse (3 December 1877 – 29 July 1953) was a New Zealand farmer and inventor who performed pioneering aviation experiments. Witnesses interviewed many years afterwards describe observing Pearse flying and landing a powered h ...
– aviation pioneer who lived in Milton for some time *
Martin Phillipps Martin John James Phillipps (2 July 1963 – 28 July 2024) was a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Chills. As part of the Dunedin sound, Phillipps and the Chills helped lay the groun ...
– musician who spent some of his childhood in Milton * Edward Stewart – All Black rugby player *
Daryl Tuffey Daryl Raymond Tuffey (born 11 June 1978) is a former New Zealand cricketer who represented New Zealand in all formats internationally. Tuffey was born in Milton, Otago, and played domestic first-class cricket for Northern Districts Knights. T ...
– test cricketer * Arthur Anderson Martin – surgeon


References

* Gunn, Alan (1977). ''Milton, Otago''. Dunedin: John McIndoe Ltd.


External links


Aerial Photos of Milton

Milton District website

Historic photographs of Milton from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa1901 photo of first train at Fortification coal mine


Further reading

* * {{Authority control Populated places in Otago Clutha District *