Oxford, New Zealand

Oxford

Oxford is a small town of 1,716 people serving the farming community of North Canterbury, New Zealand.^[1] It is part of the Waimakariri District. Oxford is a linear town, approximately two kilometres long. For a time Oxford was serviced by the Oxford Branch railway, and had two stations, East Oxford and West Oxford. Due to declining traffic, the line was closed in 1959 and subsequently removed. Some railway signs and the remnants of some old railway platforms can still be seen along Oxford Road on the way to Rangiora.

Oxford was originally a logging town: trees were felled from forests in the area, and then hauled by beast to Christchurch. A mural depicting life from that era is painted on the side wall of the butchers shop.

Oxford has won awards for both the most beautiful village, and the most beautiful toilet^{[citation needed]}.

Geography

welcome sign with winner of most beautiful small town claim

Oxford is located at the inland edge of the Canterbury Plains, approximately 50 km northwest of Christchurch, at 43°18' South 172°11' East (-43.1666, 172.0833) [1]. The township is about 30 km from Rangiora to the East, and the townships of Sheffield and Darfield to the west.

Oxford can be reached from Christchurch by means of Tram Road, which has the longest straight section of road in New Zealand.

Amenities

Looking east

Oxford's excellent historical museum is housed in a building that was built by the community from more than 20,000 hand-made bricks.

Oxford has both a restaurant, Cafe 51, and a cooking school, Seagars, operated by celebrity TV chef Jo Seagar.

There is work under way to create a bee heritage centre.

A Farmers' Market operates in Main St, between the Service Centre and the butcher, every Sunday from 9:30 to 12:30. This is the only Canterbury Farmers' market to operate year round. A Craft Market runs on the first Sunday of each month in the Town Hall.

Oxford has a Town Hall, which opened in 1931. The new town hall was intended to replace two previous town halls and was seen as one means to unify East Oxford and West Oxford into a single township.

Community

The Town Hall

The community saved hard during 2005 and 2006 to raise funds for such projects as a community-based swimming pool in Burnett Street (the Oxford Community Pool) and a first-response ambulance to assist local citizens. The town prides itself on its ability to self-fund community projects through organizations such as the Lions.

Oxford has several Churches and Organisations

Oxford Union Church (Presbyterian)
Oxford Baptist Church
Catholic Church
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Anglican Church
Tawera Masonic Lodge
Oxford Working Men’s Club
West Oxford Hotel (Public House - The West)

Oxford Benevolent and Improvement League

The OB&I is an organization formed during World War I to provide charitable support to war widows. To raise money, the League showed films in the old Oxford Town Hall. The OB&I still exists and provides charitable support to the citizens of Oxford. Today, movies are screened in the Town Hall on approximately every other Saturday during the winter. The heyday of the OB&I movies was the middle of the 20th century, when three or four films would be shown every week, and queues often extended around the building. This was before private car ownership became popular as the nearest cinema was in Christchurch, some 50 km distant.

Renovating Main Street

New Township Entry Sign

During 2009 Oxford's Main Street underwent a major renovation with the road resurfaced, pedestrian refuges in strategic locations and new footpaths with garden beds. The old welcome signs were replaced with new "Experience Oxford" signs at East and West entries. This project was a joint undertaking by the Waimakariri Council and the Oxford Promotions and Action Committee (OPAC).

References

1. ^ Quickstats about Oxford

External links

• Oxford website

Coordinates: 43°18′S 172°11′E / 43.3°S 172.183°E / -43.3; 172.183