Arthur's Pass, previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats, and for some time officially Arthurs Pass, is a township in the
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...
of the
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 ...
of New Zealand, located in the
Selwyn district. It is a popular base for exploring
Arthur's Pass National Park.
Arthur's Pass township is about south of the
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...
with the same name. At an elevation of above sea level, the settlement is surrounded by
beech
Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...
forest. The
Bealey River runs through the township. The town is located from Christchurch, a two-hour drive on
State Highway 73.
Naming and history
The township and the pass take their names after
Arthur Dudley Dobson (1841–1934, Sir Arthur from 1931). The Chief Surveyor of
Canterbury Province,
Thomas Cass, had tasked Arthur Dobson to find out if there was an available pass out of the
Waimakariri watershed into valleys running to the
West Coast. In 1864, Arthur's brother Edward Henry Dobson joined him and accompanied him over the watershed into the valley of the
Ōtira River. A West Coast
Māori chief, Tarapuhi, told Arthur of a pass that
Māori hunting-parties occasionally used. When Arthur returned to
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 ...
, he sketched the country he had traversed and included it in a report to Cass. Arthur Dobson did not name the pass, which he found very steep on the western side.
Dobson gave the name "Camping Flat" to the site that became the township.
When the
West Coast gold rush
The West Coast gold rush, on the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, lasted from 1864 to 1867.
Description
The gold rush populated the area, which up until then had been visited by few Europeans. Gold was found ...
began in 1864, a committee of businessmen offered a £200 prize for anyone who would find a better or more suitable pass from
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 ...
over the Southern Alps to West Canterbury (the West Coast). At the same time George Dobson, (another brother), was sent to examine every available pass between the watershed of the
Taramakau,
Waimakariri, and the
Hurunui. After examining passes at the head of every valley he reported that "Arthur's" pass was by far the most suitable for the direct crossing.
The township, at the time named Bealey Flats after the second
Superintendent of Canterbury,
Samuel Bealey, was originally built as a construction village for the building of the
Otira Tunnel, which started on 14 January 1908. The railway 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 ...
reached Arthur's Pass township in 1914, the Westland section having advanced to
Otira. Construction of the tunnel was very slow; it finally finished in 1923, and its opening marked by the
British and Intercolonial Exhibition.
The
TranzAlpine
The TranzAlpine is a passenger train operated by the Great Journeys New Zealand division of KiwiRail in the South Island of New Zealand over the Midland Line, New Zealand, Midland Line; often regarded to be one of the world's great train jour ...
passenger railway service passes through Arthur's Pass and the Otira Tunnel as part of its journey from Christchurch to
Greymouth
Greymouth () (Māori language, Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast List of regions in New Zealand, region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The populat ...
. In 2022,
CNN Travel
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour United Stat ...
described the trip as one of the world's great train journeys.
A power station was built below the Devil's Punchbowl Falls to provide electricity for the tunnel construction and for the village itself.
In 1929, the
Arthur's Pass National Park was established by the Governor-General of New Zealand, New Zealand's third
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
.
[http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/timeline&new_date=12/3 Article on Arthur's Pass on New Zealand History website; accessed 1 January 2010] An
earthquake measuring 7.1 struck Arthurs Pass on 9 March 1929. Slips closed the road to the west coast for months and there was damage to the railway lines. The earthquake was thought to have occurred due to movement along the Poulter Fault.
The
Geographic Board had a policy of omitting apostrophes in place names, and the name was officially changed to "Arthurs Pass". This caused an upset with the local population, and the Minister of Lands reinstated the old version with the apostrophe. On 16 September 1975, the
New Zealand Post Office
The New Zealand Post Office (NZPO) was a government department of New Zealand until 1987. It was previously (from 1881 to 1959) named the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department (NZ P&T).
As a government department, the New Zealand Post Office ...
also adopted the spelling with the apostrophe.
Demographics
Arthur's Pass is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers .
It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2. It is part of the statistical area of
Craigieburn.
Arthur's Pass had a population of 48 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 ...
, a decrease of 6 people (−11.1%) since the
2013 census, and a decrease of 27 people (−36.0%) since the
2006 census. There were 30 households, comprising 27 males and 21 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.29 males per female. The median age was 44.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 3 people (6.2%) aged under 15 years, 9 (18.8%) aged 15 to 29, 30 (62.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 3 (6.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 81.2% 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 ...
, 6.2%
Pasifika, and 18.8%
Asian. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.2% had no religion, 31.2% 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 ...
and 6.2% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (53.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 3 (6.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 9 people (20.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 30 (66.7%) people were employed full-time, 9 (20.0%) were part-time, and 3 (6.7%) were unemployed.
Climate
Arthur's Pass township lies in a valley about 750 metres above sea level and is about 4 km south of Arthur's Pass (920 m). The town falls under the Köppen-Geiger climate classification of Cfb (Oceanic). Snowfall is not uncommon during winter, especially in the mountains above the village. The coldest temperature recorded in Arthurs Pass was at Bealey on 19 July 1878.
Facilities and attractions
New Zealand's first national park visitor centre was built in Arthur's Pass in 1959, with the help of the Christchurch Wanderers Tramping Club. It was designed by Christchurch architect
Paul Pascoe and used local stone to reflect the geology of the national park. As well as
Department of Conservation offices, the building housed museum displays on the history of Arthur's Pass (including
Richard Seddon's stagecoach) and archives detailing the history of the National Park. In 2019 the building was declared earthquake prone, and the visitor centre was moved to a
portacabin across the road. The cost to upgrade the building to the required standard was estimated at NZ$3 million.
Visitor accommodation is provided, from camp ground up to hotel standard. The township provides a general store, a petrol station, tea rooms and restaurants. Arthurs Pass is well known as a starting point for many excellent tramping tracks within the Arthurs Pass National Park.
There are also several good walks from here, including the Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Bealey Valley and Avalanche Peak.
Day walks in Arthur's Pass
Department of Conservation. The mischievous kea
The kea ( ; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the Family (biology), family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green, with br ...
(New Zealand mountain parrot) can be found here.
The club skifield Temple Basin is nearby and is a popular attraction through winter.
The town can be reached by The Tranz Alpine Express train on the famous Midland Line. State Highway 73 also passes through the town.
File:Arthur's Pass train station 01.jpg, Train station
File:Arthurs Pass Village (20295490610).jpg, Arthur's Pass Chapel (built 1953)
File:Arthurs Pass MRD 01.jpg, Arthur's Pass Store
File:Arthur's Pass Outdoor Education Centre, Canterbury, New Zealand.jpg, Outdoor Education Centre
File:Wobbly Kea MRD 01.jpg, Wobbly Kea Cafe
File:Aniwaniwa, Arthur’s Pass.jpg, Aniwaniwa, historic chalet
File:Arthur's Pass house MRD 01.jpg, Typical cottage
References
External links
Spectacular footage Train plowing through deep snow Arthur's Pass
Arthur's Pass Website
{{Authority control
Selwyn District
Populated places in the Canterbury Region
Rail mountain passes of New Zealand
Arthur's Pass National Park