Discover Edievale: Railway History and Road Routes

Edievale combines an early settler name with a distinctive railway history: the place name comes from John Edie, and the Tapanui Branch reached the town in 1905 and eventually ended here. A small conservation area and the Dunrobin-Edievale War Memorial add to this local picture. For your travel planning, this provides a specific focus on local history, the historic railway and the road routes described here.

The History of the Tapanui Branch

The railway reached Edievale in February 1905. The town was one of its nine stopping points and later its terminus; the Tapanui Branch was 42.3 kilometres long in total. Two different dates mark the end of rail services: passenger services ceased in January 1934, while the section between Heriot and Edievale was not closed until January 1968.

The former terminus included a passenger platform, a small shelter, a 40 × 30-foot goods shed, a loading and an engine shed, a water tank and cattle yards. There was no turntable. The planned extension of the Tapanui Branch to the Clutha River and on to Roxburgh was never built; instead, the line ended at Edievale.

Conservation Area and War Memorial

Edievale is home to the 0.39-hectare area known as “Conservation Area – Edievale”. It is classified as a Stewardship Area under Section 25 of the Conservation Act 1987. The town is also home to a war memorial called “Dunrobin-Edievale”. These names add further specific points of reference to the town’s history alongside its railway history.

Road Routes to Edievale

Two sets of driving directions are available. One road route follows Mathesons Corner Road to its junction with SH90. From there, continue for 5.5 kilometres to a Y-junction that leads downhill to Edievale. The alternative route from Heriot follows Dunrobin Road and McHutchon Road and also ends in Edievale.

For the last approximately 10 kilometres to Edievale, neither of the two road routes described offers a view of the former railway line. A description published in 2025 also notes that no remains of the former station buildings and facilities can be seen from the road; visibility may change. Check current road conditions before driving.

Edievale in the Wider Clutha District

The Clutha District stretches along the coast between Dunedin and Invercargill and is a highlight of the Southern Scenic Route. For multi-day trip planning, the Clutha Gold Trail offers a different scale: it is 135 kilometres long, rated as an easy Grade 1–2 trail, and takes two to four days. A 62-kilometre extension between Lawrence and Waihola opened on 25 August 2023. It connects the existing trail network in Central Otago and Clutha and continues as a cycling route towards the east coast. Check route details before your trip.

The coast and agritourism also shape the Clutha District as a wider travel destination. It has more than 200 kilometres of coastline and a range of surfable wave types, including beach breaks, river breaks and reef breaks; conditions depend on the weather and swell. Agritourism in the Clutha District includes farm tours and hands-on encounters with animals. Individual operators’ offerings and dates may change.

Discover more destinations: Tarara, Kaka Point, Balclutha, Larnachs Castle, Clinton, Kaitangata, Lawrence, Tapanui.

For the wider travel overview: Clutha District.