Outram is a rural suburb of

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

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 coun ...

, with a population of 642 (2006 Census). It is located 28 kilometres west of the central city at the edge of the

Taieri Plains The Taieri Plain (also referred to in the plural as the Taieri Plains) is an area of fertile agricultural land to the southwest of Dunedin, in Otago, New Zealand. The plain covers an area of some 300 square kilometres, with a maximum extent of ...

, close to the foot of Maungatua. The Taieri River flows close to the southeast of the town. Outram lies on State Highway 87 between

Mosgiel Mosgiel (Māori: ''Te Konika o te Matamata'') is an urban satellite of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand, fifteen kilometres west of the city's centre. Since the re-organisation of New Zealand local government in 1989 it has been inside the Dunedin ...

and

Middlemarch ''Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life'' is a novel by the English author Mary Anne Evans, who wrote as George Eliot. It first appeared in eight installments (volumes) in 1871 and 1872. Set in Middlemarch, a fictional English Midland town, ...

. The original town was formed at a river crossing (ferry then bridge) on a route to the

Central Otago Central Otago is located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River and tribu ...

goldfields Goldfield or Goldfields may refer to: Places * Goldfield, Arizona, the former name of Youngberg, Arizona, a populated place in the United States * Goldfield, Colorado, a community in the United States * Goldfield, Iowa, a city in the United Sta ...

. The village was moved following a flood in the late 19th century and relocated to its current location. It was the first town in New Zealand to have electric street lights and still has the town's library. From 1877 until 1953, Outram was served by a

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

that connected with 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 in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Inverca ...

. This line was known as the

Outram Branch The Outram Branch was a branch line railway near Dunedin, Otago, that operated from 1877 to 1953 and formed part of New Zealand's national rail network. Construction The line was built at the urgings of local residents in and around Outram ...

and it had a relatively unremarkable career. Closure came as a result of an almost total absence of traffic caused by the development of road transport during the first half of the 20th century, and today, few remnants of the line are visible. Outram's facilities include Outram Volunteer Fire Brigade, Outram Primary School, Outram Library, West Taieri Rugby Club, Church, Memorial Hall, Outram Hotel, a handful of retail outlets including a cafe and some antique shops. The West Taieri Cemetery is on the outskirts of the town. Outram is administered by Dunedin City Council, and has a reticulated water supply, but no reticulated sewerage. Sir John Richardson named the town after

Sir James Outram Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet (29 January 1803 – 11 March 1863) was a British general who fought in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Early life James Outram was the son of Benjamin Outram of Butterley Hall, Butterley, Derbyshir ...

, a British general in the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

. The town was the setting and filming location for New Zealand's first non-documentary "talkie" film, 1935's '' Down on the Farm. The 1982 movie '' Shaker Run'' features a brief scene shot in the main street of Outram.Martin, Helen, and Edwards, Sam, (1997) ''New Zealand film, 1912-1996''. Auckland: Oxford University Press.

Demographics

Outram is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers , and is part of the much larger Momona statistical area. Outram had a population of 774 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...

, an increase of 63 people (8.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 129 people (20.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 297 households. There were 402 males and 366 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.1 males per female, with 174 people (22.5%) aged under 15 years, 96 (12.4%) aged 15 to 29, 372 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 132 (17.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 95.7% European/Pākehā, 7.8% Māori, 1.9% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). Although some people objected to giving their religion, 60.1% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 1.2% were Buddhist and 0.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 108 (18.0%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 141 (23.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 312 (52.0%) people were employed full-time, 111 (18.5%) were part-time, and 12 (2.0%) were unemployed.

Education

Outram School is a full primary school serving years 1 to 8, with a roll of students as at The school first opened in 1861. Henley School and Momona School merged with Outram School in 2004.

References

{{Dunedin Populated places in Otago Taieri River