Wingatui
Wingatui | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
Wingatui Railway Station and Signal Box | |
| Coordinates: 45°52′37″S 170°23′06″E / 45.877°S 170.385°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Island | South Island |
| Region | Otago |
| District | Dunedin |
| Community board | Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board |
| Electorates |
|
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Dunedin City Council |
| • Regional council | Otago Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Dunedin | Jules Radich |
| • Taieri MP | Ingrid Leary |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.84 km2 (2.64 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2024) | |
• Total | 1,030 |
| • Density | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Area code | 03 |
| Local iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Wingatui is a small settlement almost 15 kilometres west of Dunedin, and two kilometres east of Mosgiel. It has become a suburb of Mosgiel, but continues to maintain its own unique identity and heritage.
Known primarily for the historic Wingatui railway station and for the Wingatui Racecourse, Wingatui is home to a population of 1,030 as of June 2024.
Wingatui is one of the principal stops on the Taieri Gorge Railway, and is also the entrance point to the currently defunct Chain Hills Tunnel single track rail tunnel, which links Wingatui with the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford to the east. Construction of the railway at Wingatui began in 1879. Local action groups are working with the Dunedin City Council in assessing the possibility of refurbishing and re-opening the disused tunnel to cycle and pedestrian traffic.
Wingatui is home to several lifestyle blocks, the owners of many of which keep horses and are associated with the horse racing industry. On race days, trains from Dunedin are known to carry several hundred racegoers through to Wingatui railway station for races.