A hotel was established there in the late 1870s and, in 1880, was owned by a Mr Philip Tesch. William Campbell, blacksmith by trade, of Oakfield Demesne, County Donegal established a blacksmith business next to the hotel in 1882 and purchased the nearby Spreadeagle Farm with his wife Mary (née Falloon). The hotel and blacksmith shop burnt down in 1892. William Campbell died a few weeks later from consumption. William Campbell Jnr, son of William and Mary Campbell, continued to work the Spreadeagle Farm until his death in 1936. Mary Campbell was postmistress at Spreadeagle/Ashburton Forks until 1928. She died in 1932 and is buried in the nearby town of Methven.[2]
Demographics
The statistical area of Ashburton Forks, which also includes Mount Somers, covers 859.39 km2 (331.81 sq mi)[3] and had an estimated population of 2,680 as of June 2024,[4] with a population density of 3.1 people per km2.
Ashburton Forks had a population of 2,214 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 207 people (10.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 528 people (31.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 840 households, comprising 1,197 males and 1,017 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.18 males per female. The median age was 33.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 501 people (22.6%) aged under 15 years, 468 (21.1%) aged 15 to 29, 1,065 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 183 (8.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 82.9% European/Pākehā, 5.6% Māori, 1.1% Pasifika, 10.4% Asian, and 5.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 22.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.6% had no religion, 42.1% were Christian, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.1% were Hindu, 0.4% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 2.0% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 303 (17.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 243 (14.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $41,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. 285 people (16.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,104 (64.4%) people were employed full-time, 309 (18.0%) were part-time, and 21 (1.2%) were unemployed.[5]
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