Invercargill Waihōpai (Māori) | |
|---|---|
 Spring in 2005, Esk Street, Invercargill | |
| Motto(s): | |
 Invercargill in theSouth Island | |
| Coordinates:46°24′47″S168°20′51″E / 46.41306°S 168.34750°E /-46.41306; 168.34750 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Island | South Island |
| Region | Southland |
| Communities | Bluff |
| Settled by Europeans | 1853 |
| Named after | Inbhir –Scottish Gaelic for river's mouth andWilliam Cargill |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tom Campbell[2] |
| • MPs | |
| • Territorial authority | Invercargill City Council |
| Area | |
• Territorial | 389.92 km2 (150.55 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 62.95 km2 (24.31 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2025)[3] | |
• Territorial | 58,000 |
| • Density | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 51,200 |
| • Urban density | 813/km2 (2,110/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Invercargillite |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode(s) | 9810, 9812 |
| Area code | 03 |
| Localiwi | Ngāi Tahu |
| Website | icc |
Invercargill (/ˌɪnvərˈkɑːrɡɪl/IN-vər-KAR-ghil,Māori:Waihōpai)[4] is the southernmost and westernmostcity in New Zealand, and one of thesouthernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of theSouthlandregion. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of theSouthland Plains to the east of theŌreti or New River some 18 km (11 miles) north ofBluff, which is the southernmost town in theSouth Island. It sits amid rich farmland that is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, includingFiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island and theCatlins coastal region.
Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in Scotland. These include the main streetsDee andTay, as well as those named after theTweed,Forth,Tyne,Esk,Don,Ness,Yarrow,Spey,Eye andYthan rivers, amongst others.
The 2018 census showed the population was 54,204, up 2.7% on the 2006 census number and up 4.8% on the 2013 census number.[5]
Inver comes from theScottish Gaelic wordinbhir meaning 'a river's mouth' andCargill is in honour of CaptainWilliam Cargill, who was at the time the Superintendent ofOtago, of which Southland was then a part.[6]
TheMāori name for the city,Waihōpai,[7] comes from theWaihopai River.[8] It may be a corruption ofWaiopai, meaningwai ('water or stream') of Pai.[9]
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Southland was the scene of early extended contact between Europeans and Māori, notably whalers and missionaries –Wohlers atRuapuke Island.[10] In 1853,Walter Mantell purchasedMurihiku from local Māoriiwi, claiming the land for European settlement.[11]Otago, of which Southland was itself part, was the subject of planned settlement by theFree Church of Scotland, an offshoot of theChurch of Scotland.[12] Settlement broadened with the discovery of gold inCentral Otago in the 1860s. Traces of Scottish speech persist in Southland voices, with R often pronounced with a rolling burr. This is more noticeable among country people.
In 1856, a petition was put forward toThomas Gore Browne, theGovernor of New Zealand, for a port at Bluff. During the Otago gold rush, the region's population grew during the 1860s with the settlement ofBluff.[13] Browne agreed to the petition and gave the name Invercargill to the settlement north of the port. The settlement's chief surveyor wasJohn Turnbull Thomson, a British civil engineer.[14]
On 5 February 1867, the 27 km railway line from Invercargill to the port at Bluff opened, the third public railway in the colony, reflecting the town's ambitions to link to maritime trade.[15]
Under the influence ofJames Menzies, Southland Province (a small part of the present Region, centred on Invercargill) seceded from Otago in 1861 following the escalation of political tensions. However, rising debt forced Southland to rejoin Otago in 1870 and the provincial system, and with it the province of Otago, was abolished entirely in 1876.[16] This debt was caused by a population decline stemming from poor returns from pastoral farming. In 1874, Invercargill's population was less than 2,500, which reflected the drift north to large centres.[16] In the 1880s, the development of an export industry based on butter and cheese encouraged the growth ofdairy farming in Southland.[17]
On 6 August 1884, a group of women gathered together in the Don Street Primitive Methodist Church to form a local branch of theWoman's Christian Temperance Union.Eliza Ann Brown, wife of Charles W. Brown (who that same year co-founded the localIndependent Order of Rechabites), led the group to establish eight main objectives, which included gathering signatures for a petition for women's suffrage.[18] This was the first all-women's organisation established in New Zealand. After affiliating with the new national organisation, the Women's Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand, under the guidance of world missionaryMary C. Leavitt, Roberta Annie Hinton, wife of the new Baptist minister, led the new club as it worked to strengthen the temperance movement in the area and support the needs of women and children across the nation.[19] By 1897, a founding member of this first branch of the WCTU Invercargill, Mrs. Elizabeth Stephen Baird, led the establishment of the Victoria Home for Friendless Girls.[20]
In December 1905, Invercargill voted in localprohibition of alcohol sales. This lasted for 40 years until voted out by returning servicemen in theSecond World War. Drinking continued meanwhile, thanks to hotels and liquor merchants in outlying districts, huge volumes of beer, often in kegs, brought to private homes, or sold by the glass by keggers at hiding spots round the city. When prohibition ended, a committee of citizens persuaded the Government to give the monopoly on liquor sales in Invercargill to the specially formedInvercargill Licensing Trust. Based on a scheme inCarlisle, England, it returns profits to city amenities. Even today, alcohol is not sold in supermarkets.[citation needed]
Publicity was brought to the city by the election ofTim Shadbolt, a colourful and outspoken former student activist and former mayor ofWaitemata City, as mayor. His supporters liked the colour he brought to the city. His opponents referred to his controversial mayoral career in theAuckland suburbs and to his attitude to veterans during his opposition to theVietnam War. Publicity and students have also been drawn to the city by theSouthern Institute of Technology's "Zero Fees" scheme, which allows New Zealand citizens and permanent residents to study while only paying for material costs of their study, and not tuition fees.[citation needed]
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Invercargill is the southernmost city in theCommonwealth of Nations. Invercargill is situated on the fertile and alluvialSouthland Plains, which is amongst some of New Zealand's most fertile farmland. Southern Invercargill lies on the shore of theNew River Estuary, while the northern parts lie on the banks of theWaihopai River. The Otepuni Stream or Creek, which flows from east to west through the city, throughOtepuni Gardens, and under the railway yards. 10 kilometres west of the city centre liesOreti Beach, a long expanse of sand stretching from the Sandy Point area to nearbyRiverton.
Owing to its relatively high latitude (46° 24′), the city enjoys nearly 16 hours of daylight at the summersolstice in late December, withastronomical night lasting as little as 2.5 hours. Conversely, the city receives only around 8.5 hours of daylight at the winter solstice in late June.[21]
Invercargill is the "City of Water and Light". The "light" refers to the long summer twilights and theaurora australis (southern lights). The "water" reference, humorists suggest, comes from notorious horizontal, driving rain in high wind at the corner of the two main streets, Dee and Tay. A recent sign also states, "Invercargill, where dreams can come true" with an image from the 2005 filmThe World's Fastest Indian.
1 - major settlement
Invercargill has atemperateoceanic climate. The mean daily temperature ranges from 5.2 °C (41.4 °F) in July to 14 °C (57 °F) in January. The yearly mean temperature is 9.8 °C (49.6 °F). Rainfall averages 1,112 millimetres (43.8 in) annually, and measurable snowfall is occasionally seen during the winter months of June to September. It narrowly beats neighbouringDunedin as the cloudiest city in New Zealand, with only 1,764 hours of sunshine per annum. Despite its cloudiness, and a relatively high frequency of rainy days, Invercargill receives less rain than either Auckland or Wellington. Invercargill is also New Zealand's second-windiest city, after Wellington.The average temperature high ranges from 18.7 °C (65.7 °F) in January to 9.5 °C (49.1 °F) in July, but temperatures do occasionally exceed 25 °C (77 °F) in summer. Invercargill's hottest temperature on record was 33.8 °C (92.8 °F), recorded on 2 January 1948.[22]
Extended periods of heat are rare; however, January 2018 was notable for the city recording three consecutive days above 30 for the first time in its recorded history, peaking with the city's second-highest temperature on record of 32.3 °C (90.1 °F) on 14 January 2018.[23] Like other urban areas in New Zealand, Invercargill sometimes experiences anurban heat island effect; temperatures are slightly higher within the inner-city regions compared to the surrounding countryside. This is typically between 1-2°C and depends on factors like wind speed and cloud cover.[24]
In September 2010, Invercargill's heaviest snowfall in living memory heralded a run of unseasonably cold weather. A few buildings were damaged, notablyStadium Southland, the roof of which collapsed under the weight of the snow; and a decorating store. Many other stores were shut, andInvercargill Airport was closed for a day.[25] Invercargill is one of four places in New Zealand whereweather balloons are regularly launched forMetService.[26]
| Climate data for Invercargill (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1905–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 33.8 (92.8) | 32.1 (89.8) | 30.4 (86.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 20.6 (69.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.3 (73.9) | 25.9 (78.6) | 28.3 (82.9) | 31.1 (88.0) | 33.8 (92.8) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.6 (79.9) | 24.9 (76.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 14.8 (58.6) | 14.7 (58.5) | 16.4 (61.5) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.5 (74.3) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.6 (83.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.7 (65.7) | 17.5 (63.5) | 15.0 (59.0) | 12.5 (54.5) | 10.0 (50.0) | 9.6 (49.3) | 11.1 (52.0) | 13.0 (55.4) | 14.4 (57.9) | 15.8 (60.4) | 17.9 (64.2) | 14.5 (58.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 14.2 (57.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 12.7 (54.9) | 10.5 (50.9) | 8.3 (46.9) | 6.0 (42.8) | 5.4 (41.7) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.5 (47.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 11.3 (52.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 10.1 (50.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.5 (49.1) | 9.4 (48.9) | 7.8 (46.0) | 6.0 (42.8) | 4.1 (39.4) | 2.0 (35.6) | 1.1 (34.0) | 2.2 (36.0) | 3.9 (39.0) | 5.5 (41.9) | 6.9 (44.4) | 8.6 (47.5) | 5.6 (42.1) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) | 3.2 (37.8) | 1.7 (35.1) | −0.4 (31.3) | −1.6 (29.1) | −3.4 (25.9) | −4.6 (23.7) | −3.4 (25.9) | −1.4 (29.5) | 0.1 (32.2) | 1.4 (34.5) | 3.0 (37.4) | −4.9 (23.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −0.9 (30.4) | −2.4 (27.7) | −2.4 (27.7) | −4.9 (23.2) | −6.9 (19.6) | −7.4 (18.7) | −9.1 (15.6) | −8.0 (17.6) | −4.5 (23.9) | −3.2 (26.2) | −2.0 (28.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | −9.1 (15.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 88.7 (3.49) | 74.2 (2.92) | 91.8 (3.61) | 89.5 (3.52) | 108.4 (4.27) | 95.1 (3.74) | 88.0 (3.46) | 70.4 (2.77) | 90.4 (3.56) | 106.2 (4.18) | 101.7 (4.00) | 92.9 (3.66) | 1,097.3 (43.18) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.6 | 10.6 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 14.4 | 12.3 | 13.5 | 15.4 | 14.4 | 13.3 | 160.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 81.6 | 85.4 | 86.7 | 86.2 | 88.1 | 88.4 | 88.6 | 88.1 | 82.5 | 81.8 | 79.4 | 78.9 | 84.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 200.1 | 175.7 | 152.2 | 123.4 | 94.6 | 82.9 | 101.3 | 125.5 | 145.7 | 175.4 | 186.2 | 201.6 | 1,764.6 |
| Mean dailydaylight hours | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.7 | 9.4 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 12.1 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 42 | 44 | 40 | 38 | 32 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 39 |
| Source 1: NIWA Climate Data[27][28] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Météo Climat[29] Weather Spark[30] | |||||||||||||
Neighbouring cities, towns and places | ||||||||||||||||
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The Invercargill City territorial authority covers 389.92 km2 (150.55 sq mi)[31] and had an estimated population of 58,000 as of June 2025,[3] with a population density of 149 people per km2. This comprises 51,200 people in the Invercargill urban area, 1,840 people in theBluff urban area, and 4,960 people in the surrounding settlements and rural area.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 50,325 | — |
| 2013 | 51,696 | +0.38% |
| 2018 | 54,204 | +0.95% |
| 2023 | 55,599 | +0.51% |
| Source:[32][33] | ||
Invercargill City had a population of 55,599 in the2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,395 people (2.6%) since the2018 census, and an increase of 3,903 people (7.5%) since the2013 census. There were 27,255 males, 28,137 females and 210 people ofother genders in 22,326 dwellings.[34] 3.1% of people identified asLGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 10,233 people (18.4%) aged under 15 years, 10,035 (18.0%) aged 15 to 29, 25,083 (45.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 10,251 (18.4%) aged 65 or older.[33]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 82.2%European (Pākehā); 19.4%Māori; 4.7%Pasifika; 7.6%Asian; 1.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.1%, Māori language by 3.7%, Samoan by 0.8% and other languages by 7.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk).New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 33.0%Christian, 1.1%Hindu, 0.6%Islam, 0.6%Māori religious beliefs, 0.6%Buddhist, 0.4%New Age, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they hadno religion were 54.6%, and 8.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 5,988 (13.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 25,002 (55.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 12,597 (27.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $39,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 3,627 people (8.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 23,430 (51.6%) people were employed full-time, 6,246 (13.8%) were part-time, and 1,167 (2.6%) were unemployed.[33]
The Invercargill urban area covers 62.95 km2 (24.31 sq mi)[31] and had an estimated population of 51,200 as of June 2025,[3] with a population density of 813 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 45,531 | — |
| 2018 | 47,844 | +1.00% |
| 2023 | 48,987 | +0.47% |
| Source:[35] | ||
Invercargill had a population of 48,987 in the2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,143 people (2.4%) since the2018 census, and an increase of 3,456 people (7.6%) since the2013 census. There were 23,877 males, 24,930 females and 183 people ofother genders in 19,752 dwellings.[36] 3.2% of people identified asLGBTIQ+. The median age was 39.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 9,048 people (18.5%) aged under 15 years, 9,120 (18.6%) aged 15 to 29, 21,783 (44.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 9,036 (18.4%) aged 65 or older.[35]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 81.4%European (Pākehā); 18.8%Māori; 4.9%Pasifika; 8.3%Asian; 1.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.9%, Māori language by 3.8%, Samoan by 0.8% and other languages by 8.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.0% (e.g. too young to talk).New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.6%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 33.4%Christian, 1.2%Hindu, 0.7%Islam, 0.6%Māori religious beliefs, 0.6%Buddhist, 0.4%New Age, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they hadno religion were 54.1%, and 7.9% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 5,388 (13.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 21,870 (54.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 11,079 (27.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $39,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 3,042 people (7.6%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 20,550 (51.5%) people were employed full-time, 5,400 (13.5%) were part-time, and 1,053 (2.6%) were unemployed.[35]
TheInvercargill City Council governs the territorial authority of Invercargill. It is made up of an elected mayor and 12 additional councillors. They are elected under theFirst Past the Post system in triennial elections, with the last election being held in2022. The current mayor isTom Campbell[37].
The electorate ofInvercargill in theNew Zealand Parliament is held byPenny Simmonds, a Member of Parliament and Minister from the government partyNational Party. Under theMāori electorates system, Invercargill is part of the largeTe Tai Tonga electorate, which covers the entire South Island and the surrounding islands, and is currently held by theTe Pāti Māori MPTākuta Ferris.
Invercargill is home to theSouthern Institute of Technology,[38] which has introduced a zero-fees scheme.[39] The scheme was partly responsible for rejuvenating the city when it was in a steady state of population decline. However the major factor in Invercargill's regrowth is the dairy industrial boom of the 2000s (decade) due to an increased demand for New Zealand milk, cheese and butter. New dairy factories have opened around the Southland Region, as well as more efficientmeat processing works and research and development facilities.[40]
TheInvercargill Licensing Trust is one of several trusts in the city of Invercargill. The Invercargill Licensing Trust and the ILT Foundation are major funders of community projects in Invercargill. The ILT Foundation provides donations and grants totalling around $10 million a year to over 500 organisations. The trust has also been influential in the development of city facilities such as theILT Stadium Southland andInvercargill Velodrome. The trust are also backers of local sporting franchises theSouthern Steel,Southland Sharks andSouthland Stags.
The Community Trust of Southland was established afterWestpac bought out the Trust Bank Southland in the late 1990s. It was sold for approximately $150 million, with those funds now being set aside for the people of the Southland regions, includingQueenstown,Arrowtown and Tapanui. It is widely recognised as one of New Zealand's leading community trusts, with the benefit of a large capital base for a relatively small population. Consequently, the Trust provides significant funding to a wide range of projects and programmes. Each year, it distributes between $7 and $10 million in the region, not including the large sums given to sports franchises and building projects and since its inception has distributed close to $140 million in grants.[citation needed]
Invercargill was home toInvercargill Brewery, the southernmost manufacturer ofbeer in New Zealand. Established in 1999, it was an internationally award-winning production brewery which also contract brews for other iconic New Zealand breweries, includingYeastie Boys. The company went into receivership in 2018.[41]
Invercargill is on theSouthern Scenic Route (tourist road), allowing day trips toQueenstown,Stewart Island,Dunedin,Te Anau andFiordland,[42] and has a growing tourism sector in the city itself. Transport-themed attractions include theE Hayes and Sons hardware store that featuresBurt Munro's original motorcycle, theBill Richardson Transport World,Classic Motorcycle Mecca, and Dig This.[43][44][45]
SBS Bank, or the Southland Building Society, is a New Zealand-based financial institution that traces its roots back to 1869. Originally established as a building society in Invercargill byJames Walker Bain to help local communities achieve their financial goals, SBS Bank has evolved into a full-service bank offering a wide range of banking and financial products. With its headquarters in Invercargill.
Murihiku Marae is located in Invercargill. It is amarae (meeting ground) of the Waihōpai Rūnanga branch ofNgāi Tahu, and includes Te Rakitaunekewharenui (meeting house).[46][47]
During the late 1880s a small periodical calledLiterary Southland contained stories as well as memoirs of the pioneering days of the region.[48] The publication was distributed from a store in the northern end of Invercargill. While largely forgotten today, it was considered relatively popular at the time, if at times controversial.[49]
TheSouthern Sting (Netball- Now Southern Steel) won seven National titles from 1999 to 2004, 2007, while the local rugby team the Southland Stags held theRanfurly Shield from 22 October 2009 to 9 October 2010 and have made the NPC Semi-finals for the past three years. Southland also has one of the highest percentages of sports participants in the country, with codes such asrugby union,netball, basketball,cricket, andhockey being popular. Many professional sportsmen too, have come out of Southland as well. Invercargill also has some high quality sporting facilities, including anindoor velodrome, an Olympic sized swimming centre, a20,000 capacity rugby stadium and also international playing arenas for both hockey and cricket. The city's4500 capacity indoor stadium was severely damaged in 2010, its roof collapsing following a heavy snowfall.[50] Southland also has four professional sporting sides that are based in Invercargill:
Invercargill is home to the only indoor cyclingvelodrome in the South Island. The indoor 250 metres wooden velodrome is home toTrack Cycling in Southland. TheInvercargill Licensing Trust supports the velodrome which is situated atStadium Southland, a large indoor sports complex located atSurrey Park.
For horse racing aficionados there is a racecourse in the aptly named Racecourse Road, on the east side of the city.
Twomotorcycle speedway tracks are located within 1 kilometre of each other, and 10 kilometres west from the centre of the city by Oreti Beach. TheOreti Park Speedway and the Riverside Speedway both host important events, the former has held qualifying rounds of theSpeedway World Championship in 1976 and 1983[51][52] and theNew Zealand Solo Championship six times.[53]
The "Invercargill March", an internationally famous tune, was written byAlex Lithgow, who attended Invercargill Grammar School (now Middle School). In his bookInvercargill – 150 Years,Lloyd Esler's opening sentence reads, "Invercargill was done a fine favour by Alex Lithgow who named his famous march after his boyhood home. The Invercargill March is possibly the best advertisement the town has ever had as the work is a brass-band favourite and the word 'Invercargill' is whispered amongst audiences worldwide. There is only one Invercargill in the world – this one".
When Invercargill hosted the national brass band contest in 1909, Alex's brother Tom asked for a test piece for the contest and Alex offered this piece to the city. On the music he wrote,
To Invercargill, the Southernmost City in New Zealand (End of the World), and its Citizens, I dedicate this March as a memento of the many pleasant years spent there in my boyhood.
— Alex Lithgow
TheSouthern Institute of Technology is a polytechnic based in Invercargill which provides undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. TheUniversity of Otago College of Education has its southern–most campus in the city. TheSouthern Wings Aviation College operates from Invercargill Airport and provides aviation licence training and the New Zealand Diploma in Aviation.[54]
All high schools in Invercargill are Year 7–13, following aMinistry of Education review in 2004 that made most of Invercargill's primary schools Year 1–6, while also closing the three Year 7–8 schools Rosedale Intermediate, Collingwood Intermediate and Tweedsmuir Junior High.James Hargest College is in northern Invercargill with about 1,800 pupils.[55]Aurora College was established in 2005, after Mount Anglem College was closed in 2004. In 2005Southland Girls' High School became the first state Year 7–13 single-sex female school in New Zealand, andSouthland Boys' High School became the first state Year 7–13 single-sex male school.Verdon College is a co-educational Catholic school with about 700 pupils.[56]Te Wharekura o Arowhenua is aMāori language school that teaches years from 1–15.[57][58]
Most primary schools are Year 1–6.
Invercargill has six bus routes operated by BusSmart INVERCARGILL: Clifton 1, Kingswell 2, Newfield 3, Hargest 4, Waverley 5 and Waikiwi 6. The bus routes depart the BusSmart Hub outsideCotton On Group Invercargill on Tay Street. BusSmart uses theBee Card used in most regions of New Zealand. There are no buses on Sundays or public holidays.[citation needed]
The Southerner passenger train previously operated between Christchurch and Invercargill daily, but this ceased operations in 2002 due to low patronage. There are currently no passenger rail services.[59]
The main hospital in Invercargill is Southland Hospital, located in Kew. It is a public hospital operated by the Southern District Health Board.
The electricity distribution network in the majority of the Invercargill urban area is owned by Electricity Invercargill. The network in the suburbs of Waikiwi, Grasmere, Kew and Kingswell, as well as the surrounding rural area, is owned by The Power Company. Both networks are operated and maintained by Powernet.[60][61] Electricity is supplied fromTranspower's national grid at two substations: Invercargill (Racecourse Road) and North Makarewa.
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