Edgecumbe
| Edgecumbe | |
|---|---|
| Minor urban area | |
 Edgecumbe
|
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| Coordinates: 37°58.5′S 176°49.5′E / 37.9750°S 176.8250°ECoordinates: 37°58.5′S 176°49.5′E / 37.9750°S 176.8250°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Bay of Plenty |
| Territorial authority | Whakatane District |
| Ward | Rangitāiki |
| Population (June 2016) | |
| • Total | 1,780 |
| Postcode(s) | 3120 |
Edgecumbe is a town in the Bay of Plenty of the North Island of New Zealand, 15 kilometres to the west of Whakatane and eight kilometres south of the Bay's coast.
It is the main service town for the agricultural region surrounding the plains of the Rangitaiki River, which flows through the town.
It had a population of 1626 in the 2006 New Zealand Census but it has since increased to 1,638 as of the 2013 Census.
State Highway 2 and the Taneatua Branch railway line (disused) pass through the town.
The town is named after the small village of Edgecumbe in Cornwall, United Kingdom, between Penryn and Helston. Edgecumbe was linked with Tauranga and Auckland by rail, with the opening of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway and Taneatua Express in 1928.
In 1987, a large earthquake centered on Edgecumbe shook the Bay of Plenty, causing widespread damage and causing much of the population to leave Edgecumbe.
In July 2004, May 2005 and April 2017, the town experienced heavy flooding that ruined many homes. In the 2005 flood, the river swelled to within 5 cm of breaching the flood banks that had been put in place seven years prior.
The earthquake was a major turning point in the history of Edgecumbe. It measured 6.3 on the Richter magnitude scale and struck the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand on 2 March 1987, just after 1.42 pm. The earthquake was very shallow, being centred approximately 8 km from the Earth's surface. The earthquake was one of the most damaging New Zealand's North Island has experienced in recent decades, with approximately 50% of the houses in Edgecumbe being damaged by the quake. There was extensive damage to a local milk factory, with large storage tanks toppled. Kawerau was another nearby town that suffered damage and Whakatane was also badly shaken. An 80-tonne New Zealand Railways DC class locomotive was thrown onto its side.
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Wikipedia