Fortrose is a locality on the southernmost coast 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 in the Southland region. It is situated on Toetoes Bay at the mouth of the

Mataura River The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is long. Description The river's headwaters are located in the Eyre Mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, New ...

, and is on the far western edge of

the Catlins The Catlins (sometimes referred to as The Catlins Coast) comprise an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha, New Zealand, Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between ...

. Nearby settlements include Otara to the southeast, Pukewao and Tokanui to the northeast, and Titiroa and

Waimahaka Waimahaka is a locality in the Southland, New Zealand, Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area, inland from Toetoes Bay. Nearby settlements include Pine Bush, New Zealand, Pine Bush and Titiroa to the nor ...

to the north.

History

From 1834 to 1836, whalers lived at a station in the Fortrose area, and the first surveys for a town – slightly to the west of Fortrose's present location – gave it the name of Russelltown. In the mid-19th century, Fortrose acquired its current name, a tribute to

Fortrose Fortrose is a town and former royal burgh on the Black Isle in the Highland (council area), Highland council area of Scotland, about northeast of Inverness. The town is known for its ruined 13th-century Fortrose Cathedral, cathedral, and as ...

in Scotland, from a Scottish drover. Its location at the Mataura's mouth meant it developed as a port to service the local region, and in 1875, a long jetty was built. However, Fortrose's economy declined after the

Tokanui Branch The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a branch line railway located in Southland, New Zealand. It diverged from the Bluff Branch south of the main railway station in Invercargill and ran for 54 kilometres in a southea ...

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

was opened to Waimahaka in 1899 and then Tokanui in 1911, as the railway provided much quicker transportation for freight to

Invercargill Invercargill ( , ) is the southernmost and westernmost list of cities in New Zealand, city in New Zealand, and one of the Southernmost settlements, southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland Region, Southlan ...

.Catlins Promotions Association
"History - Fortrose"
, accessed 15 November 2007. A number of Fortrose residents fought overseas in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Six were killed in the former and two in the latter. A round obelisk stands in Fortrose as a memorial to the deceased; it was unveiled in 1922 in honour of the World War I victims, with the names of the World War II casualties added later.Jock Phillips and Chris Maclean
"Fortrose War Memorial"
''New Zealand History Online'', accessed 16 November 2007.

Economy

In the 19th century, goods such as grain, logs, and wool were significant in the local economy. After its early 20th century decline, it is now reviving somewhat as 'The Gateway to

Residents

Catherine Carran Catherine Carran (née McKay, 1842 – 6 November 1935) was a half-Māori New Zealand midwife and nurse who spent her early life in the Waikato, and most of her adult life in the Fortrose area of Southland. She was born probably at Putataka ...

(midwife and nurse from the 1860s; died 1935) and her husband William Carran (ferryman, 1860s)

References

{{Southland District Populated places in the Southland Region The Catlins Foveaux Strait Southland District