Waddington is a small village located in the

Selwyn District Selwyn District is a predominantly rural district in central Canterbury, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is named after the Selwyn River / Waikirikiri, which is in turn named after Bishop George Selwyn, the first Anglican b ...

of the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

region of New Zealand's

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

, near the

Waimakariri Gorge The Waimakariri Gorge is located on the Waimakariri River in inland Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. The height of the Waimakariri gorge bridge is 30m. Like its neighbour, the Rakaia River, the Waimakariri runs through wide shing ...

Description

Waddington was named by and for William Waddington, who purchased part of the

Homebush Homebush is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. The name o ...

run that had previously been held by John Deans, and laid out the township in 1873. Waddington has a close association with its neighbouring village

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, which is further north-west along State Highway 73. The two villages share a community committee. The two villages are located between Darfield and Springfield on both State Highway 73 and the Midland Line railway. The towns were settled in the 19th century by farmers attracted to the area because of its suitability for sheep grazing. Waddington is situated at the intersection of three major roads (two of them popular tourist roads) that service the inland regions of Canterbury, including the Inland Scenic Route and the Great Alpine Highway / State Highway 73. Waddington's cemetery was initially called the East Malvern Cemetery, but in 1880 the trust changed its name to Waddington Cemetery Trust. Its first burial was in 1882. Waddington is also home to the

St John Youth New Zealand Hato Hone St John Youth is a cadet-based programme for young people aged between five and eighteen. Members who turn eighteen tend to remain involved in leadership roles. St John Youth is closely affiliated with the Venerable Order of Saint Joh ...

South Island Training Camp.

Demographics

Sheffield and Waddington are described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. They cover and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². They are part of the statistical area of Torlesse. Waddington covers . Waddington had a population of 132 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 9 people (7.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 9 people (7.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 51 households, comprising 69 males and 63 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.1 males per female. The median age was 42.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 27 people (20.5%) aged under 15 years, 18 (13.6%) aged 15 to 29, 63 (47.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 24 (18.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 93.2% 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 ...

, 18.2%

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 ...

, 2.3% Pasifika, 4.5% Asian, and 4.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 43.2% had no religion, and 36.4% 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 ...

. Of those at least 15 years old, 18 (17.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 21 (20.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $23,500, compared with $31,800 nationally. 12 people (11.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 45 (42.9%) people were employed full-time, 24 (22.9%) were part-time, and 6 (5.7%) were unemployed.

References

{{Selwyn District, New Zealand Selwyn District Populated places in the Canterbury Region