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Fairlie, New Zealand
Fairlie is a Mackenzie District service town (or township) located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The estimated population was 970 as of June 2025. Being on state highway 8 between Christchurch (182 km, 2 hours 20 minutes drive) and Queenstown (300 km 3.5 hours drive), tourism is fast becoming a major industry within the town. Kimbell is 8 km west of Fairlie via state highway 8. Geraldine is 45 km east via state highway 79 and Timaru is 58 km southeast of Fairlie via state highway 8. Fairlie sits at an altitude of 301 metres above sea level.
From 1884 to 1968, the town was served by the Fairlie Branch railway, though until 1934, this branch line actually terminated a kilometre beyond Fairlie in Eversley.
Fairlie is commonly known as the gateway to the Mackenzie Basin. The town was initially called Fairlie's Creek, a name purportedly chosen by David Hamilton, the brother-in-law of James Lister (or Lizter), who had built a boarding house near the creek. The name Hamilton had been suggested, but was rejected due to similarity to the City of Hamilton in the North Island. David Hamilton suggested the town be named Fairlie after Fairlie, Scotland, which he had visited as part of his honeymoon. After 1892, the town's name was shortened to Fairlie.
The Ōpihi River runs past Fairlie.
Fairlie is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 4.95 km2 (1.91 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 970 as of June 2025, with a population density of 196 people per km2.
Fairlie had a population of 885 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 24 people (2.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 18 people (2.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 378 households, comprising 435 males and 447 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 47.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 138 people (15.6%) aged under 15 years, 141 (15.9%) aged 15 to 29, 369 (41.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 234 (26.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.5% European/Pākehā, 7.8% Māori, 0.3% Pasifika, 5.8% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 20.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.
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Fairlie, New Zealand
Fairlie is a Mackenzie District service town (or township) located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The estimated population was 970 as of June 2025. Being on state highway 8 between Christchurch (182 km, 2 hours 20 minutes drive) and Queenstown (300 km 3.5 hours drive), tourism is fast becoming a major industry within the town. Kimbell is 8 km west of Fairlie via state highway 8. Geraldine is 45 km east via state highway 79 and Timaru is 58 km southeast of Fairlie via state highway 8. Fairlie sits at an altitude of 301 metres above sea level.
From 1884 to 1968, the town was served by the Fairlie Branch railway, though until 1934, this branch line actually terminated a kilometre beyond Fairlie in Eversley.
Fairlie is commonly known as the gateway to the Mackenzie Basin. The town was initially called Fairlie's Creek, a name purportedly chosen by David Hamilton, the brother-in-law of James Lister (or Lizter), who had built a boarding house near the creek. The name Hamilton had been suggested, but was rejected due to similarity to the City of Hamilton in the North Island. David Hamilton suggested the town be named Fairlie after Fairlie, Scotland, which he had visited as part of his honeymoon. After 1892, the town's name was shortened to Fairlie.
The Ōpihi River runs past Fairlie.
Fairlie is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 4.95 km2 (1.91 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 970 as of June 2025, with a population density of 196 people per km2.
Fairlie had a population of 885 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 24 people (2.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 18 people (2.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 378 households, comprising 435 males and 447 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 47.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 138 people (15.6%) aged under 15 years, 141 (15.9%) aged 15 to 29, 369 (41.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 234 (26.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.5% European/Pākehā, 7.8% Māori, 0.3% Pasifika, 5.8% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 20.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.