Kaitangata (New Zealand)
| Kaitangata | ||
| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 46 ° 17 ′ S , 169 ° 51 ′ E | |
| Region ISO | NZ-OTA | |
| Country |
 New Zealand
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| region | Otago | |
| District | Clutha District | |
| Ward | Kaitangata-Matau Ward | |
| Residents | 762 (2013) | |
| height | 11 m | |
| Post Code | 9210 | |
| Telephone code | +64 (0) 3 | |
| UN / LOCODE | NZ KTG | |
| Photography of the place | ||
 Kai Point opencast mine |
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Kaitangata , often justcalled Kai by the residents, is a small town in the Clutha District of Otago on the South Island of New Zealand .
Origin of name
The origin of the Maori place name is unknown. The name could be borrowed from a figure from Polynesian mythology, but more likely comes from cannibalistic festivals that were carried out after tribal battles between the Kāi Tahu and Kāti Māmoe . The name can be translated as " kill a person and eat him ".
geography
The place is 10 km southeast of Balclutha , near the coast, on the western arm of the delta of the Clutha River . Inch Clutha is located immediately southwest of the village. To the north is a small lake called Lake Tuakitoto , whose outflow is via a stream west of Kaitangata .
history
Kaitangata's European history is closely linked to coal mining. The coal mining determined the life and economic development of the place since the 1870s. A cut came in 1972 when the last state-owned underground coal mine ceased operations. Several opencast mines in private and state owned but still exist today, z. B. the Kai Point Mine . The Kai Point Coal Company built since 1951 in kaitangata from coal for the surrounding industry and for heating purposes. From 1876 to 1970 the Kaitangata Line railway ran to the mines; originally privately owned, it later came into the possession of the Mines Department . The locomotive that ran this line for many years, an "improved F ", was donated to the West Coast Historical Society for the Shantytown Heritage Park on the west coast and now pulls the open-air museum's historic trains with a nameplate reminding of its origin " Kaitangata " .
In the subterranean mines, coal was mined with a quality between hard coal and lignite , which was mainly used as fuel for steam locomotives , which were used in New Zealand until the 1960s. When the railroad switched to diesel locomotives , these mines fell into disrepair. The open-cast mines operated today mainly supply lignite for domestic use. Since the number of coal-fired households is declining and, for environmental reasons, the burning of lignite is to be reduced, the future of the remaining open-cast mines is uncertain.
In recent years, the city has gained some notoriety through several crimes, notably a spate of arson attacks in the 1990s. The establishment of a marketing company from the former home owners' association has improved the image of the place somewhat.
Mining disaster
One of New Zealand's first industrial disasters occurred in the Kaitangata mine in 1879 . 34 miners lost their lives in an explosion in the mine.
Promotion 2016
In 2016, the Clutha District Council decided to run an idiosyncratic advertising campaign. Since there were many job opportunities in and around Kaitangata , but not enough workers to be found, the council, in collaboration with the Bank of New Zealand , a real estate agent and various local companies under the leadership of Mayor Bryan Cadogan, offered to relocate Land, including houses ready to move into, can be purchased from NZ $ 230,000 per unit. Since the nationwide average price for a house with land at the time was around NZ $ 577,000, the offer was so attractive that around 10,000 prospective customers from all over the world contacted the district administration in a short time and the mayor Bryan Cadogan with 5,000 phone calls and around 1000 emails and contacts were confronted via social media .
population
In the 2013 census, the town had 762 inhabitants, 6.3% less than in the 2006 census.
Personalities
- Tony Brown , national rugby player, is from the town.
Web links
- Kaitangata Mine Disaster - Kaitangata Mine Explosion - 1879 . ancestry.com,accessed October 11, 2015.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Kaitangata . Statistics New Zealand , accessed June 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed June 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Kaitangata Mine Disaster - Kaitangata Mine Explosion - 1879 . ancestry.com , accessed October 11, 2015 .
- ↑ Living In Kaitangata Prospectus 2016 . (PDF 5.0 MB) Clutha Distroct Council , 2016, accessed on June 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Houses at a bargain price - New Zealand dump attracts Brexit Brits. In: Spiegel Online. Der Spiegel, July 1, 2016, accessed June 17, 2017 .
- ^ Tiny NZ town with too many jobs gets 10,000 inquiries from around world . The Guardian , July 1, 2016, accessed June 17, 2017 .