Clyde, formerly Dunstan, is a small town in

Central Otago Central Otago is an area 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 ...

, New Zealand with a population of in It is located on the Clutha River, between Cromwell and

Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...

History

Clyde grew up around the former settlement of Dunstan during the Otago gold rush of the 1860s. The town could once claim to be the most populous in New Zealand during the height of gold fever. The town's post office (and thus the town) was officially renamed from Dunstan to Clyde on 22 May 1865, after Lord Clyde. St Dunstan's Church a now heritage building designed by the architect Francis William Petre in the early English Gothic revival style was built in Clyde in 1903.

Geography

More recently the town has been known for the

Clyde Dam The Clyde Dam, New Zealand's second-largest hydroelectric dam, is built on the Clutha River / Mata-Au near the town of Clyde. It is owned and operated by Contact Energy. History There was considerable controversy when the dam was planned becau ...

, a giant

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

at the north end of the town, behind which lies Lake Dunstan. The Clutha River is the swiftest river (per volume) in the southern hemisphere. The river then runs to the

Roxburgh Dam The Roxburgh Dam is the earliest of the large hydroelectric projects in the lower half of the South Island of New Zealand. It lies across the Clutha River / Mata-Au, some from Dunedin, some to the north of the town of Roxburgh. The settlement o ...

before finally meeting the sea at Balclutha.

Climate

Economy and infrastructure

The town is a popular holiday spot. It lies at the western end of the Otago Central Rail Trail. The Otago Central Branch Railway originally terminated at Cromwell, but this section of the railway was closed in 1980, with the railway to Clyde used to bring materials for the dam project. The rail trail is nowadays often cycled and walked by visitors and locals alike. The township is home to Dunstan Hospital, serving the surrounding district, including

and Cronwell. The hospital was rebuilt in 2006 with the original building remaining. Clyde is fast becoming known as a tourist haven. The location is particularly attractive to those visiting the region's many vineyards and orchards. The regional weather is particularly warm and dry during the summer months due to the rain shadow effect caused by the Southern Alps (given New Zealand's westerly winds). During the week beginning 22 September, the Clyde/Alexandra district hosts a Blossom Festival. This event celebrates the beginning of spring which brings the blossoming of fruit trees in the area's orchards. Entertainment at the festival includes a parade with floats made by local businesses, fun park rides, and bands.

Demographics

Clyde is described by

Statistics New Zealand Statistics New Zealand (), branded as Stats NZ, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the collection of statistics related to the economy, population and society of New Zealand. To this end, Stats NZ produces New Zealand c ...

as a small urban area, and covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Clyde had a population of 1,161 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 162 people (16.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 255 people (28.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 528 households, comprising 594 males and 564 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.05 males per female. The median age was 55.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 165 people (14.2%) aged under 15 years, 99 (8.5%) aged 15 to 29, 558 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 342 (29.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 93.8% 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%

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 ...

, 1.8% Pasifika, 2.3% Asian, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.6, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.2% had no religion, 37.5% 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 ...

, 0.3% 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 1.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 153 (15.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 198 (19.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $31,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 144 people (14.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 477 (47.9%) people were employed full-time, 156 (15.7%) were part-time, and 21 (2.1%) were unemployed.

Education

Clyde School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of . The school opened in 1863. The nearest high school is Dunstan High School, which is situated 10 km away in Alexandra. The nearest university is Otago University 200 km away in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

Notable people

* Steffan Browning, former

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...

MP * Jason Hewett, All Black * Roy Scott, cricketer * Emily Siedeberg, doctor

References

External links

Clyde
(official website)
Promote Dunstan
(Promotions Group for the region) {{Authority control Central Otago District Clutha River Populated places in Otago