Mayfield, Canterbury

Mayfield is a small farming settlement in Mid Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 35 km from Ashburton on former State Highway 72 at the intersection of the Lismore-Mayfield Road towards the top of the Canterbury Plains. Mayfield is within the Ashburton District Council and Canterbury Regional Council boundaries. The population of the Mayfield village is around 200. The majority of the population is engaged either directly or indirectly in farming or farming related services.

The village has a shop, garage, tavern, local transport company and rural supply store. The Mayfield domain features rugby fields, tennis and squash courts, outdoor swimming pool, rifle range, play centre, adventure playground and memorial hall.

The town has a voluntary rural fire brigade staffed by locals. The brigade uses a Bedford tanker and International fire appliance. The fire brigade is particularly useful since the climate and local farms are particularly prone to drought and grass fires during the summer season.

The first post office in Mayfield was established on 1 September 1879 when Mr. John Bowick was appointed Postmaster, he was also the town blacksmith and it was his house on the Mayfield-Klondike road that was the first Post Office. He was later bought out on 1 July 1881 by Mr. James Dellow, who became the local blacksmith. But it was only in mid-1889 that a post office with telegraph office and bureau was opened. The Mayfield post Office was in use from this time until it was downgraded to a volunteer Post office in 1982. Several local ladies held the position of volunteer Postmistress thereafter until the postal services were shifted to the local store.

If any one person could be considered to have founded Mayfield then it was almost certainly James Dellow. It was he who essentially invented the heavier, more robust farming gear needed when it became quite clear that the lightweight harrows and plows previously used could not handle the stony conditions and it was he who lived to see Mayfield grown from one or two houses to a functioning, prosperous settlement.

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