Ashley is a small town in North

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 ...

, in 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. It used to have a railway station on the Main North Line that runs through the village.

Education

Ashley Rakahuri School is Ashley's only school, and was established in 1864. It is a state co-educational full primary, with students (as of The principal is Linda Horne.

Demographics

Ashley 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 km². Ashley is part of the larger Ashley-Sefton statistical area. Before the 2023 census, the settlement had a larger boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Ashley had a population of 312 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 51 people (19.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 90 people (40.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 108 households, comprising 153 males and 159 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. The median age was 35.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 81 people (26.0%) aged under 15 years, 60 (19.2%) aged 15 to 29, 138 (44.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 36 (11.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 95.2% 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 ...

, 8.7% Māori, 2.9% Asian, and 2.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 73.1% had no religion, 20.2% 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 ...

, 1.0% had Māori religious beliefs and 1.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 21 (9.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 63 (27.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $34,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 39 people (16.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 129 (55.8%) people were employed full-time, 57 (24.7%) were part-time, and 12 (5.2%) were unemployed.

Ashley-Sefton statistical area

Ashley-Sefton statistical area, which also includes Sefton, covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Ashley River Bridge

Ashley-Sefton had a population of 2,139 at the

, an increase of 186 people (9.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 429 people (25.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 762 households, comprising 1,065 males and 1,074 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. The median age was 45.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 441 people (20.6%) aged under 15 years, 318 (14.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,041 (48.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 339 (15.8%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 95.4% European/

, 6.6% Māori, 1.0% Pasifika, 1.8% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.7, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.2% had no religion, 33.7% were

, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% 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 1.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 246 (14.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 354 (20.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 351 people (20.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 891 (52.5%) people were employed full-time, 318 (18.7%) were part-time, and 42 (2.5%) were unemployed.

Climate

The average temperature in

summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

is 15.9 °C, and in

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

is 7 °C.

References

{{Waimakariri District New Zealand Waimakariri District Populated places in the Canterbury Region