Belfast () is a suburb of

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand. It is in the north of the city 10 km from Cathedral Square, close to the banks of the

Waimakariri River The Waimakariri River is one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean. ...

History

Belfast is named after

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. It was originally known as North Road District, Seven Mile Peg, Styx, or by its

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 C ...

name Purarekanui. James McNeight Watt (1838–1892) emigrated from Belfast and was a partner with the original meat works, around which the settlement grew. Watt, who developed much of the area, is believed to have given it its present name.

Demographics

Belfast, comprising the statistical areas of Belfast West and Belfast East, covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Belfast had a population of 4,218 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 sho ...

, an increase of 318 people (8.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 549 people (15.0%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 1,632 households. There were 2,091 males and 2,124 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female, with 759 people (18.0%) aged under 15 years, 801 (19.0%) aged 15 to 29, 1,956 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 705 (16.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 86.8% European/Pākehā, 11.7% Māori, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 6.4% Asian, and 2.9% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 17.0%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 54.5% had no religion, 33.4% were Christian, 1.1% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.7% were Buddhist and 2.5% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 441 (12.7%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 855 (24.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,812 (52.4%) people were employed full-time, 492 (14.2%) were part-time, and 129 (3.7%) were unemployed.

Economy

Belfast has a freezing works. The nearest shopping complex is at Northwood Supa Centre.

Education

Belfast School is a contributing primary school catering for years 1 to 8. It had a roll of as of The school opened in 1878.

Sport

Belfast is home to the Belfast Rugby Club, which competes in the Christchurch rugby competition. The team's colours are green and gold. Its main sports ground is Sheldon Park. The northern end of the suburb houses light industry.

Notable people from Belfast

Shane Bond Shane Edward Bond (born 7 June 1975) is a New Zealand cricket coach and former cricketer and present bowling coach of Mumbai Indians, described as "New Zealand's best fast bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee". He represented New Zealand in Test, O ...

(Former player for New Zealand

Black Caps The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Named the Black Caps, they played their first Test cricket, Test in 1930 against England cricket team, England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth cou ...

cricket team) * Bill Bush (former All-Black) Now President Belfast Rugby Club (Cobras) * Craig Green (former All Black) *

Jamie Nutbrown Ronald Jamie Nutbrown (born 1981 in Christchurch, New Zealand), is a referee for Canterbury and New Zealand Rugby Union. Formerly a Half-back/Scrum Half for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union club in New Zealand, who compete in the ITM Cup. Educat ...

Former

Canterbury Crusaders The Crusaders (formerly Canterbury Crusaders and BNZ Crusaders due to sponsorship by the Bank of New Zealand) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, who compete in the Super Rugby competition. They are the mos ...

halfback, also a former Super Rugby referee. * Wayne Smith (All Black's assistant coach) * Mabel Whitaker (1884–1976), teacher and local historian.

References

{{Waimakariri River Suburbs of Christchurch Populated places in Canterbury, New Zealand