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Pleasant Valley is a small
locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...
near the town of
Geraldine Geraldine may refer to: People * Geraldine (name), the feminine form of the first name Gerald, with list of people thus named. * The Geraldines, Irish dynasty descended from the Anglo-Norman Gerald FitzWalter de Windsor * Geraldine of Albania, th ...
in the
Canterbury Region Canterbury ( mi, Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current fo ...
of the
South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
of New Zealand. The area is boarded by the Geraldine Downs to the north and
Gapes Valley Gapes Valley is a valley in the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about west of Geraldine and located on the Geraldine Fairlie Highway. The valley is nestled between the Waitohi Hill and the Rocky Ridges and is descri ...
to the south. The
Hae Hae Te Moana River The Hae Hae Te Moana River is a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It originates in the Four Peaks Range of the Southern Alps, with a North Branch and South Branch merging to the north of Pleasant Valley. The river runs south-east to ...
runs through the valley.


History

Originally Pleasant Valley was part of the Raukapuka estate, farmed by Alfred Cox. The region grew with the rise of the timber industry and was up until the 1880s larger than nearby Geraldine. In its heyday the valley was home to a blacksmith, innkeepers, a joiner and merchants amongst others, all of which have long left. The school was original built in 1875 though moved, then destroyed by flood in 1868 and celebrated 85 years in 1960. The school still stands today. The area was also held a number of horse races. The Pleasant Valley Hall was built in 1922.


Notable landmarks

The Geraldine Cheese, Butter and Bacon Factory, built in 1884, is the oldest existing
dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
factory in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The factory was closed but subsequently reopened several times finally ceasing production in 1959 as the Geraldine Co-operative Dairy Company. The factory still stands today as a Heritage New Zealand (NZHPT) Category II Heritage Building on private land. St. Anne's Church, built in 1863, is the oldest church in South Canterbury and one of the oldest in the
Anglican Diocese of Christchurch The Diocese of Christchurch is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area between the Conway River and the Waitaki River in the South Island of New Ze ...
. The church which was constructed with local timber is listed as a NZHPT Category II Heritage Building, and includes a
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
window made by
Veronica Whall Veronica Mary Whall (1887–1967) was an important stained glass artist, painter, and illustrator associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. Her father, Christopher Whall, was the leader of the Arts and Crafts Movement in stained glass. ...
. Church services are still held at the church and it celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013.


Economy

The local economy these days is driven by farming in the region. There is also a well-established
daffodil ''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as '' Sternbergia'', ''Is ...
farm, and local fruit producers Barkers.


References

{{Timaru District Timaru District Populated places in Canterbury, New Zealand