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Birdling's Flat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birdling's Flat, originally named Poranui, is a settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand, close to the shore of Lake Ellesmere.
It is known as a launch site for sounding rockets, and is located at 43°49' S and 172°40'59" E. The launch site has been in service since 1963.
Birdling's Flat is named for the Birdling family, who were the first Pākehā to farm the area. William Birdling, the first member of the Birdling family to arrive in New Zealand built a house, Waikoko, in the area which was later to bear his name.
On 16 May 1882, a branch line railway was opened to Birdling's Flat from a junction with the Southbridge Branch in Lincoln. This line became known as the Little River Branch, with the extension to Little River opened on 11 March 1886. The railway served Birdling's Flat until its closure on 30 June 1962. The railway's old formation remained well preserved and is now being revitalised into a public walking and cycling track, the Little River Rail Trail.
- Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.
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