Browns, New Zealand

Browns

Browns is a locality in Central Southland in New Zealand's South Island.^[1] It is just to the east of the town of Winton in the southwestern reaches of the Hokonui Hills. State Highway 96 passes through the town on its route between Winton and Springhills.

Browns was also the terminus of a railway branch line from 1953 until 1968. In 1883, a bush tramway was built into the Browns area from a junction with the Kingston Branch in Winton. In the 1890s, it was upgraded to railway standards, extended to Hedgehope, and handed over to the New Zealand Railways Department. This line was known as the Hedgehope Branch and opened on 17 July 1899 with a station in Browns. Passenger services ceased on 9 February 1931, and due to the decline in freight from stations beyond Browns, the Browns-Hedgehope section closed on 24 December 1953. Agricultural lime was the predominant traffic from Browns, and when government subsidies for the transport of lime by rail were slashed and the railway link (the Tokanui Branch) to the primary destination for Browns lime was closed, freight tonnages fell below sustainable levels. Accordingly, the branch from Winton to Browns was closed on 1 January 1968. Very little of Browns' railway heritage is now evident in the village.^[2]

References

↑ "Place Name Detail: Browns". New Zealand Geographic Placenames Database. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
↑ David Leitch and Brian Scott, Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, revised edition (Wellington: Grantham House, 1998 [1995]), 122.

Towns and communities in the Southland District territorial authority

Five Rivers Ward	Athol Castlerock Fairlight Five Rivers Garston Josephville Lowther Lumsden Mossburn Nokomai Parawa Saint Patricks

Riverton Ward	Colac Bay Gummies Bush Orepuki Pahia Riverton/Aparima Thornbury Waipango

Stewart Island Ward	Oban

Te Anau Ward	Cascade Creek Knobs Flat Manapouri Milford Sound Te Anau The Key

Te Tipua Ward	Brydone Edendale Glencoe Morton Mains Ota Creek Seaward Downs Te Tipua Waitane

Toetoes Ward	Curio Bay Fortification Fortrose Glenham Haldane Mokoreta Niagara Otara Pine Bush Pukewao Quarry Hills Redan Slope Point Titiroa Te Peka Tokanui Waipapa Point Waikawa Waimahaka Wyndham

Tuatapere Ward	Blackmount Clifden Merrivale Monowai Papatotara Piko Piko Pukemaori Te Tua Te Waewae Tuatapere

Waihopai Ward	Ashers Dacre Gorge Road Grove Bush Kapuka Kapuka South Longbush Mabel Bush Makarewa Mokotua Oteramika Rakahouka Rimu Roslyn Bush Timpanys Woodlands

Waikaia Ward	Ardlussa Balfour Kauhoe Riversdale Waikaia Wendon Wendonside

Wallace Ward	Drummond Fairfax Isla Bank Nightcaps Ohai Otahuti Otautau Wairio Wreys Bush

Wallacetown Ward	Branxholme Lochiel Ryal Bush Spar Bush Tussock Creek Waianiwa Wallacetown Waimatuku

Winton Ward	Benmore Browns Caroline Centre Bush Dipton Dipton West Hedgehope Kauana Lady Barkly Limehills Oreti Plains Otapiri South Hillend Springhills Winton

Coordinates: 46°09′S 168°25′E / 46.150°S 168.417°E / -46.150; 168.417

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