Ross, New Zealand

Ross is a small town located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It lies 30 kilometres southwest of Hokitika. The town's chief industries are farming and forestry. Ross was an important centre during the West Coast goldrush of the 1860s and still has a large operating open cast mine adjacent to the town. State Highway 6 passes through Ross on its route from Ruatapu south to Pukekura, Harihari, and further south, the Franz Josef Glacier. A branch line railway known as the Ross Branch was opened to Ross on 1 April 1909, and this was the southern terminus of the line owned by the New Zealand Railways Department. However, a lengthy privately owned bush tramway ran south from the railway station to serve logging interests near Lake Ianthe^[1] and a railway extension from Ross through the Haast Pass to connect with the Otago Central Railway was proposed in the early 20th century.^[2] From the 1940s until 9 October 1962, a Vulcan railcar service operated directly from Christchurch to Ross twice a day. A lack of traffic and expensive maintenance costs meant the line was closed beyond Hokitika on 24 November 1980. Much of the old track bed between Ruatapu and Hokitika can be driven as it serves as an access road for local farmers, and a disused truss bridge still stands north of Ross.^[3]

References