Swannanoa, New Zealand


Swannanoa is a small, originally farming village 35 kilometres northwest of Christchurch, New Zealand. The area has an estimated population of 1,000 with pupils enrolled in the primary school, established in 1871. The population is slowly increasing due to new subdivisions being developed there and in neighbouring Mandeville North.

Education

Swannanoa School is a state co-educational full primary school with a decile rating of 10 and a roll of students (as of The principal is Brian Price. The school's country fair is held every March.

World land speed record

New Zealand motorcycle speed record holder Russell Wright gained the Motorcycle land-speed record, reaching 184.83 miles per hour on a Vincent-HRD Black Lightning motorcycle loaned by David Topliss, of Nelson on 2 July 1955, on Tram Road. A plaque commemorates the achievement.
Tram Road, the main road through Swannanoa, is an almost dead straight, ten-mile-long two-lane road. It is a popular location for speed trial events. This World Record is unusual as most that were officially recognised were achieved in the United States on open expanses of salt flat while this world record was achieved on a narrow, public road "still drying out from rain the night before".
After he had set one world record, Wright dismounted, and a Scottish immigrant, Bob Burns, attached a light sidecar to the Lightning. Burns then set another world record for sidecars. His two runs averaged

Naming

The name Swannanoa originated from American John Evans Brown, who named the land he settled after a Native American settlement. The Swannanoa Homestead has for many years been farmed by the Petrie Family.