Dobson | |
|---|---|
 State Highway 7 outside Dobson | |
| Coordinates: 42°27′10″S 171°18′18″E / 42.45278°S 171.30500°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | West Coast |
| District | Grey District |
| Ward | Eastern |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Grey District Council |
| • Regional council | West Coast Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Grey | Tania Gibson |
| • West Coast-Tasman MP | Maureen Pugh |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.19 km2 (1.62 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2023)[2] | |
| • Total | 620 |
| • Density | 150/km2 (380/sq mi) |
| Local iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Dobson is a small town on the banks of the Grey River in the South Island of New Zealand. It is 10 kilometres (6 mi) east from the river's mouth at Greymouth. The settlement of Taylorville is across the river from Dobson, but no bridge directly connects the two. State Highway 7 passes through Dobson.[3][4]
History
The town is named for the surveyor George Dobson, the second son of Edward Dobson and brother of Arthur Dudley Dobson, who was murdered at this site in 1866. He was killed in a bungled robbery by a gang who had mistaken him for a gold buyer carrying gold from the nearby Arnold goldfield. A monument now stands where George Dobson was murdered.[5][6]
Dobson was the site of one of the West Coast's many coal mines. The Dobson mine was opened in 1919, and closed in 1968.[7] It was the site of one of the country's worst mining disasters. Nine men were killed in an explosion at the mine in 1926.[8]
A hydroelectric dam was proposed for the area by TrustPower in 1999 but it failed to secure access to public land that needed to be flooded for the scheme.[9] In 2003 Nick Smith, who was an Opposition MP at the time, attempted to remove the reserve status from the land needed for the dam reservoir in order to allow the scheme to go ahead, but was unsuccessful.
Demographics
Dobson and Taylorville are defined by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and cover 4.19 km2 (1.62 sq mi).[1] They had an estimated population of 620 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 148 people per km2. Dobson and Taylorville are part of the larger Dobson statistical area.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 597 | — |
| 2013 | 564 | −0.81% |
| 2018 | 570 | +0.21% |
| Source: [10] | ||
Dobson and Taylorville had a population of 570 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 6 people (1.1%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 27 people (−4.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 240 households, comprising 315 males and 255 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.24 males per female, with 96 people (16.8%) aged under 15 years, 114 (20.0%) aged 15 to 29, 243 (42.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 111 (19.5%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 92.6% European/Pākehā, 13.2% Māori, 0.5% Pasifika, 2.1% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.3% had no religion, 26.3% were Christian and 2.1% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (5.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 162 (34.2%) people had no formal qualifications. 57 people (12.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 243 (51.3%) people were employed full-time, 57 (12.0%) were part-time, and 27 (5.7%) were unemployed.[10]
Dobson statistical area
Dobson statistical area covers 169.89 km2 (65.59 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 880 as of June 2022,[11] with a population density of 5.2 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 807 | — |
| 2013 | 801 | −0.11% |
| 2018 | 828 | +0.67% |
| Source: [12] | ||
The statistical area had a population of 828 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 27 people (3.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 21 people (2.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 342 households, comprising 459 males and 369 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.24 males per female. The median age was 44.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 141 people (17.0%) aged under 15 years, 150 (18.1%) aged 15 to 29, 393 (47.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 147 (17.8%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 93.5% European/Pākehā, 11.6% Māori, 0.4% Pasifika, 2.5% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 6.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.0% had no religion, 26.1% were Christian, 0.4% were Hindu and 2.9% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 45 (6.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 222 (32.3%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $27,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 87 people (12.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 360 (52.4%) people were employed full-time, 93 (13.5%) were part-time, and 36 (5.2%) were unemployed.[12]
Education
Paparoa Range School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a decile rating of 3 and a roll of 60 students as of April 2023.[13][14] The school was established in 2005 when Blackball, Kaiata, Stillwater and Brunnerton Primary Schools were merged onto the Brunnerton Primary School site.[15]
References
- 1 2 3 "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- 1 2 "Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (regional councils); "Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (territorial authorities); "Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (urban areas)
- ↑ Peter Dowling, ed. (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. map 69. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
- ↑ Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. map 157. ISBN 1-877333-20-4.
- ↑ "Dobson Brothers". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).
- ↑ Hamilton, David (1993) [1948]. "The George Dobson Saga". In Peter Kerridge (ed.). Glimpses of Greymouth and District. pp. 30–32. ISBN 0-473-02367-9.
- ↑ "Industry history - Greymouth". Solid Energy.
- ↑ "Dobson Mine Disaster, West Coast". Christchurch City Libraries.
- ↑ TrustPower (30 December 2008). "Submission on proposed National Policy Statement for renewable electricity generation" (PDF). TrustPower. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- 1 2 "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7023749–7023751.
- ↑ "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- 1 2 "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Dobson (310900). 2018 Census place summary: Dobson
- ↑ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ↑ Education Counts: Paparoa Range School
- ↑ "School Mergers, Closures and New Schools". Education Counts. 2005. Archived from the original (XLS) on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2008.