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Springfield

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NameSpringfieldTaweraDescriptionSpringfield/Tawera, is nestled at the foot of the Southern Alps, 65km west of Christchurch. 'Springfield' became the popular name in 1880, but before then the area was known as Kowai Pass. The river that runs alongside the township is still called Kowai.

The origin of the name 'Springfield' is disputed. Some accounts report that it is named by J. Bell in 1868 after an American Civil War battlefield. Other accounts link its etymology with other Canterbury names like Darfield and Sheffield, suggesting a wider connection.

Water from the Kowai River nearby was pumped to feed a stock water race in the 1870s.

Springfield is the last township before the railway line to the West Coast veers through the Waimakariri Gorge and the main road west makes its way through Porters Pass. Springfield is still an important stop on the TranzAlpine train journey on the Midland Line.

Springfield is home to a large pink doughnut that was erected in 2007 as a publicity stunt to advertise a new movie about the Simpsons fictional television family. The sculpture was destroyed in 2009 by fire, and was replaced by a more permanent new concrete version in 2012.

Springfield is the birthplace of Rewi Alley (1897 - 1987), a pioneer of Chinese and New Zealand political relations. A memorial honouring Rewi Alley's life is a feature of the town.

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