Birdling's Flat

Birdling's Flat

Birdling's Flat, originally named Te Mata Hapuku, is a settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand, close to the shore of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora.

William Birdling (1822-1902)

Fishing at Birdling's Flat

Pebbles from Birdling's Flat

Birdling's Flat also commonly refers to the nearby pebble beach that is part of Kaitorete Spit. The beach is well known as a place to find small agates and a variety of other attractive rounded pebbles. Due to strong ocean currents, swimming and surfing is not advised.

Birdling's Flat is named for the Birdling family, who were the first European Settlers to farm the area. William Birdling was the first member of the Birdling family to arrive in New Zealand. He was employed by George Rhodes in 1843 to come to Banks Peninsula and work as his overseer. William built a house, Waikoko, in the area which was later to bear his name.

On 16 May 1882, a branch line railway was opened to Birdling's Flat from a junction with the Southbridge Branch in Lincoln. This line became known as the Little River Branch, with the extension to Little River opened on 11 March 1886. The railway served Birdling's Flat until its closure on 30 June 1962. The railway's old formation remained well preserved and has now been revitalised into a public walking and cycling track, the Little River Rail Trail.

It has been used as a launch site for sounding rockets. The University of Canterbury has a meteorological research station based there. Hector's dolphins live along the beach in notable numbers,^[1] and whales,^[2] fur seals, much rarer whales and elephant seals are known to appear to cavort and rest.

References

Bradley, Barry (1999). New Zealand Atlas. Auckland, NZ: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-028914-3.
Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birdling's Flat.

Encyclopedia Astronautica - Birdling's Flat
University of Canterbury - Birdling's Flat radars

Coordinates: 43°49′28″S 172°42′21″E / 43.824415°S 172.70575°E / -43.824415; 172.70575

Settlements of Banks Peninsula and the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand

Settlements	Allandale Akaroa Ataahua Barrys Bay Birdling's Flat Cass Bay Charteris Bay Chorlton Church Bay Cooptown Corsair Bay Diamond Harbour Duvauchelle French Farm Gebbies Pass Gebbies Valley Governors Bay Gold Valley Hilltop Kaituna Valley Kukupa Lansdowne Le Bons Bay Little Akaloa Little River Lyttelton Motukarara McQueens Valley Ohinetahi Okains Bay Okuti Valley Onuku Otanerito Bay Peraki Pigeon Bay Port Levy Prices Valley Puaha Puari Purau Rapaki Robinsons Bay Tai Tapu Takamatua Teddington Wainui

Port Hills suburbs	Cashmere Clifton Cracroft Ferrymead Halswell Heathcote Valley Hillsborough Hoon Hay Huntsbury Kennedys Bush Moncks Bay Mt Pleasant Murray Aynsley Hill Redcliffs Richmond Hill Scarborough St Andrews Hill Sumner Te Onepoto / Taylors Mistake Westmorland

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