Walton, New Zealand

Walton
Walton Community Church
Coordinates: 37°43′52″S 175°41′56″E / 37.731°S 175.699°E / -37.731; 175.699
Country	New Zealand
Region	Waikato Region
District	Matamata-Piako District
Ward	Matamata Ward
Electorates	Waikato Hauraki-Waikato
Government
• Territorial Authority	Matamata-Piako District Council
• Regional council	Waikato Regional Council
Area [1]
• Total	15.86 km2 (6.12 sq mi)
Population  (2018 Census)[2]
• Total	192
• Density	12/km2 (31/sq mi)

Walton is a settlement in New Zealand. It is sited at the junction of Walton Road and Morrinsville Walton Road, in the Central Waikato Region.

The Walton Golf Club is 2 kilometres from the centre of the village.

The area is predominantly dairying with some maize growing and meat chicken farming. A large thoroughbred horse stud also has its base there.

Industry is small consisting mainly of small service industries but there is a large grain drying plant sited next to the railway line.

Walton had a flag station on the East Coast Main Trunk,^[3] opened from Morrinsville to Tīrau (then called Oxford) on Monday 8 March 1886^[4] by the Thames Valley & Rotorua Railway Co. New Zealand Railways Department took over the line on 1 April 1886.^[5] There was a 14 ft (4.3 m) by 8 ft (2.4 m) shelter shed, a 40 ft (12 m) by 30 ft (9.1 m) shed, cattle yards and a cottage. By 1896 a platform, cart approach, loading bank, sheep yards and a passing loop for 21 wagons had been added. The loop had been extended to 38 by 1911 and 65 by 1964.

Walton station closed to passengers on 2 February 1981 and to goods on 29 March 1981, except private siding traffic and was closed completely on Monday 3 November 1986.^[4] There is now only a single track through the station site.^[6] There are passing loops at Kereone,^[7] 5.73 km (3.56 mi) to the north and at Hemopo^[8] 13.26 km (8.24 mi) to the east.^[9]

To the east of Walton is the community of Wardville.

Walton is in an SA1 statistical area, which also includes Richmond Downs and covers 15.86 km² (6.12 sq mi).^[1] The SA1 area is part of the larger Richmond Downs-Wardville statistical area.

The SA1 area had a population of 192 at the 2018 New Zealand census, unchanged since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 21 people (−9.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 75 households, comprising 105 males and 84 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.25 males per female. The median age was 35.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 42 people (21.9%) aged under 15 years, 36 (18.8%) aged 15 to 29, 93 (48.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 18 (9.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.6% European/Pākehā, 9.4% Māori, and 6.2% Asian. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 59.4% had no religion, 35.9% were Christian and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (16.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 30 (20.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $48,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 39 people (26.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 96 (64.0%) people were employed full-time, 21 (14.0%) were part-time, and 6 (4.0%) were unemployed.^[2]

In 1916, Walton had a population of 320^[11]

In 2013, the population was 129, and this is expected to be stable through to 2045.^[12]

Richmond Downs-Wardville statistical area covers 206.73 km² (79.82 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 1,390 as of June 2024,^[13] with a population density of 6.7 people per km².

Richmond Downs-Wardville had a population of 1,278 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 57 people (4.7%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 33 people (−2.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 468 households, comprising 663 males and 615 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age was 34.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 273 people (21.4%) aged under 15 years, 273 (21.4%) aged 15 to 29, 585 (45.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 147 (11.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 83.8% European/Pākehā, 15.7% Māori, 1.2% Pacific peoples, 4.5% Asian, and 0.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 13.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 49.3% had no religion, 39.7% were Christian, 0.2% were Hindu, 0.2% were Buddhist and 0.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 156 (15.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 207 (20.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $40,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 204 people (20.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 558 (55.5%) people were employed full-time, 201 (20.0%) were part-time, and 39 (3.9%) were unemployed.^[14]

Walton School is a co-educational state primary school for students Year 1 to 6,^[15] with a roll of 131 as of August 2024.^[16]

The school has existed since 1896.^[17]

• Judith Collins National Party politician
• Sue Moroney Labour Party politician