Dunsandel is a small rural town in the

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

region 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 ...

, New Zealand. The town is located on the

Canterbury Plains The Canterbury Plains () are an area in New Zealand centred in the Mid Canterbury, to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and ...

just south of the

Selwyn River / Waikirikiri The Selwyn River (, officially gazetted as Selwyn River / Waikirikiri) flows through the Selwyn District of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. Description The river has its source in the Southern Alps and flows east for before e ...

and about 40 km south of

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

. Dunsandel is a junction town on SH1, halfway between Christchurch and Ashburton, with roads leading to

Leeston Leeston (Māori language, Māori: ''Karumata'') is a town on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres southwest of Christchurch, between the shore of Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and the mouth of the Ra ...

, Southbridge and

Hororata Hororata is a village at the northwestern edge of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 15 kilometres southwest of Darfield, New Zealand, Darfield, five kilometres south of Glentunnel, and 50 kilometr ...

. The town provides an important refreshment stop for main road travellers with eateries and coffee shops, as well as acting as a support town for the rural hinterland. The town was established to serve the local farming community which includes dairy, sheep and cropping and continues providing veterinary, transport and vehicle repair services. It was named after

Dunsandle Castle Dunsandle Castle is a 15th-century tower house near Athenry, County Galway, in Ireland. History Dunsandle Castle is referenced by Nolan, J.P. Galway Castles and Owners in 1574 (Barons of Kingestowne Athenry) the owner being Villig Osebeg o ...

, the home of Robert Daly, who had owned the land on which the town as established. It has one primary school for approximately 150 children. The town is the home to the Dunsandel Cricket Club. The club's 'A' team has a reputation as one of the premier teams in the Ellesmere district.

Demographics

Dunsandel is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². It is part of the Bankside statistical area. Dunsandel had a population of 438 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 ...

, a decrease of 3 people (−0.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 39 people (9.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 156 households, comprising 210 males and 228 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female, with 105 people (24.0%) aged under 15 years, 63 (14.4%) aged 15 to 29, 213 (48.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 57 (13.0%) 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 ...

, 9.6%

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 ...

, 0.7% Pasifika, and 1.4% Asian. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 65.1% had no religion, 23.3% 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 ...

, 0.7% had

Māori religious beliefs 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 2.1% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 33 (9.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 63 (18.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 72 people (21.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 207 (62.2%) people were employed full-time, 45 (13.5%) were part-time, and 9 (2.7%) were unemployed.

Bankside

The Bankside statistical area covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Bankside had a population of 1,656 at the

, an increase of 51 people (3.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 291 people (21.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 627 households, comprising 873 males and 783 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.11 males per female. The median age was 32.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 375 people (22.6%) aged under 15 years, 342 (20.7%) aged 15 to 29, 798 (48.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 144 (8.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 82.4% European/

, 6.3%

, 1.3% Pasifika, 11.8% Asian, and 3.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 24.8, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.6% had no religion, 33.0% were

, 0.4% had

, 0.9% were

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, 0.9% 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 3.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 216 (16.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 216 (16.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $45,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 255 people (19.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 822 (64.2%) people were employed full-time, 180 (14.1%) were part-time, and 27 (2.1%) were unemployed.

Education

Dunsandel School is a contributing primary school catering for years 1 to 6. It had a roll of as of The school opened in 1879. Selwyn and Upper Selwyn schools merged into Dunsandel School in 1936.

References

{{Selwyn District, New Zealand Selwyn District Populated places in the Canterbury Region