Switzers, New Zealand
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Waikaia, formerly known as Switzers, is a town in the Southland region of New Zealand's
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 ...
. From 1909 until 1959, it was the terminus of the Waikaia Branch railway. The population in the 2013 census was 99, unchanged from the previous census in 2006. The town is in the
Southland District Southland District is a New Zealand Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district that covers most of the southern end of the South Island as well as Stewart Island. History Southland District was formed through the 1989 local govern ...
and is covered by the Waikaia Community Development Area Sub-committee. Facilities include a museum, to which is attached an iconic "bottle house", constructed from approximately 20,000 wine bottles. The historic Glenaray Station farm is located close to Waikaia. Several of the farms buildings are
Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust; in ) is a Crown entity that advocates for the protection of Archaeology of New Zealand, ancest ...
-classified structures.


Demographics

Waikaia is described as a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand. It covers , and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. It is part of the much larger Riversdale-Piano Flat statistical area. Waikaia had a population of 135 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 6 people (4.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 21 people (18.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 60 households, comprising 72 males and 63 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.14 males per female. The median age was 57.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 21 people (15.6%) aged under 15 years, 15 (11.1%) aged 15 to 29, 48 (35.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 51 (37.8%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 97.8% 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 ...
, 6.7%
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 ...
, and 2.2% Asian. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 42.2% had no religion, and 48.9% 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 ...
. Of those at least 15 years old, 6 (5.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 45 (39.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $24,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 9 people (7.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 48 (42.1%) people were employed full-time, 21 (18.4%) were part-time, and 3 (2.6%) were unemployed.


Education

Waikaia School is a state full primary school for years 1 to 8 with a roll of as of The school first opened in 1882. Waikaia School (originally called Switzers School) moved into the town from the hill above it about 1880, but burned down six weeks later, and was subsequently rebuilt.


Notable people

* John Benjamin Charles Dore (1872–1945), carrier, tourist operator, secret government agent, explorer and surgeon


References


Further reading

* * {{Southland District Populated places in the Southland Region