Rotherham, New Zealand

Rotherham
town
George Street, Rotherham's main street
Rotherham
Coordinates: 42°42′S 172°57′E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
Territorial authority	Hurunui District
Population
• Total	324
Time zone	UTC+12 (New Zealand Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Postcode	7379

Rotherham is a small village in the Hurunui District of the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island. It is between Culverden and Waiau on the Inland Kaikoura Road, and is near the south bank of the Waiau River, a popular location for trout and salmon fishing. It has a population of 324.

On 8 February 1886, a railway was opened to Culverden, but construction then stalled as debate raged about the final route and destination of the line. Some proposals included a line through Rotherham, and in 1914, work finally began on extending the line to Waiau via Rotherham. This extension was opened on 15 December 1919 and the line became known as the Waiau Branch.

Rotherham station had a relatively large station building by the standard of rural New Zealand stations, possibly due to plans that suggested terminating the line in Rotherham rather than in Waiau. The station also had stockyards and a goods shed; the stockyards were removed in 1970, and the goods shed was sold and relocated by July 1975.

The railway itself closed on 15 January 1978, with the station building left in its original location and acquired for use by a local farmer.

The Inland Kaikoura Road was formerly New Zealand State Highway 70; the state highway designation was revoked in 2004.

Education

Rotherham School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students, with a roll of 35 as of February 2024.