Burnham Military Camp

(Redirected from Burnham, New Zealand) Largest army base in New Zealand's South Island

Burnham Camp
Burnham, New Zealand
All Saints' Garrison Church

Coordinates	43°36′52″S 172°18′12″E / 43.6145°S 172.3033°E / -43.6145; 172.3033
Type	Army Camp
Area	1.49 km (0.58 sq mi)
Site information
Owner	New Zealand Defence Force
Controlled by	New Zealand Army
Site history
In use	1921–present
Garrison information
Garrison	New Zealand Army

Burnham, also known as Burnham Camp, is the largest army base in New Zealand's South Island. It is located 28 kilometres south of Christchurch on the Canterbury Plains in the Selwyn District, close to the town of Dunsandel. Burnham was named after Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire.

The senior headquarters at the camp has seen many changes. Previously Headquarters 3 Task Force, 3 Task Force Region, HQ Ready Reaction Force, and 3 Land Force Group have been based here. Most recently 3 Land Force Group was disbanded in 2011, and Headquarters Deployable Joint Task Force Headquarters - Land (DJTFHQ-L) was formed.

Demographics

Burnham Camp is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area, and covers 1.49 km (0.58 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 1,360 as of June 2024, with a population density of 913 people per km.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,206	—
2013	1,089	−1.45%
2018	1,146	+1.03%
Source:

Burnham Camp had a population of 1,146 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 57 people (5.2%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 60 people (−5.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 249 households, comprising 750 males and 393 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.91 males per female. The median age was 24.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 201 people (17.5%) aged under 15 years, 681 (59.4%) aged 15 to 29, 255 (22.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 6 (0.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 75.7% European/Pākehā, 25.7% Māori, 9.9% Pasifika, 4.7% Asian, and 7.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 11.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 65.4% had no religion, 23.6% were Christian, 1.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim and 3.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 120 (12.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (5.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $47,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 102 people (10.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 750 (79.4%) people were employed full-time, 81 (8.6%) were part-time, and 21 (2.2%) were unemployed.

Units at the camp

1st (New Zealand) Brigade

Combat Units

2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
- Alpha Company
- Bravo Company
- Charlie Company
- Delta Company
- Support Company
- Depot Company
- Combat Service Support Company

Combat Support Units

2nd Engineer Regiment,
- 3rd Field Squadron
- 3 Emergency Response Troop
1st New Zealand Signal Regiment,
- 3rd Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
- 4th Signal Squadron
- 25 Cypher Section

Combat Service Support Units

3rd Combat Service Support Battalion (Burnham Military Camp)
- 3rd Transport Company
- 3rd Catering & Supply Company
- 3rd Workshop Company

Joint Support Group

Deployable Health Organisation

Southern Health Support Squadron
Logistics Support Squadron

Force Health Organisation

Defence Health Centre
Burnham Gymnasium

New Zealand Defence College

Defence Health School (NZ)
Defence Learning Centre

Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command

Army Adventure Training Centre
3 Regional Training wing

Lockheed Martin New Zealand

Lockheed Martin New Zealand provides logistics services for the NZDF including Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, Managed Fleet Utilisation and warehousing.

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul team
Managed Fleet Utilisation team

Other Units

New Zealand Army Band
Youth Development Unit (YDU)
Services Correctional Establishment (SCE)
Joint Military Police Unit
Joint Logistic Support Agency service centre
Human Resources service centre

Medical training

Medical training for the entire NZDF is conducted in Burnham at the New Zealand Defence Force Health School and all medics enlisted in the Army, Navy or Air Force are sent here for training. Practical training and clinical placements are completed throughout the two and a half year program. Medics are then posted to their respective camps or bases.

Cadet force

Burnham is also home to the Southern HQ of the New Zealand Cadet Forces (NZCF). They are the Air Training Corps (Air Force), Cadet Corps (Army), and Sea Cadet Corps (Navy).

Barracks

The barracks in Burnham Camp are named after a miscellany of battles, campaigns, locations and overseas barracks in which New Zealand troops have been stationed.

Borneo Barracks

Borneo Barracks Commemorates what is now known as the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation of 1963–1966), the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and the New Zealand Special Air Service both saw service in this conflict.

Cambrai Barracks

Named after the Battle of Cambrai of Nov -Dec 1917 which saw the first mass use of tanks in battle.

Chunuk Bair Barracks

Chunuk Bair Barracks are named after the August 1915 battle in which the Wellington Infantry Regiment (NZEF) occupied one of the highest points on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Dieppe Barracks

Dieppe Barracks are named after the Singapore garrison of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment from 1971 to 1980.

Faenza Barracks

Faenza Barracks are named after the Italian city of Faenza which New Zealand Division liberated over the period of 14–20 December 1944, during operations to break the German Gothic Line.

Gallipoli Barracks

Gallipoli Barracks are named after the New Zealand's Army's first major campaign of the First World War.

Ipoh Barracks

Ipoh Barracks are named after the town in Malaysia that the 1st Battalion of the New Zealand Regiment were garrisoned in from March 1958 to early 1959 during the Malayan Emergency.

Nee Soon Barracks

Nee Soon Barracks are named after the Singapore garrison of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment from 1969 to 1971.

Nui Dat Barracks

Nui Dat Barracks are named after the operational base of the 1st Australian Task Force form 1965 to 1971, to which New Zealand contributed;

One to two rifle companies (W and V Company, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment);
One artillery battery (161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery); and
One New Zealand SAS troop.

Quinns Post Barracks

Quinn's Post Barracks are named after one of the strongholds on the ANZAC line during the Gallipoli campaign.

Sangro Barracks

Sangro Barracks are named after the 27/28 November 1943 crossing of the Sangro Rver which was a harsh introduction to the Italian Campaign for the 2nd New Zealand Division.

Sari Bair Barracks

Sari Bair Barracks are named after a tangled mass of hills and watercourses inland from ANZAC Cove and Suvla Bay.

Suvla Barracks

Suvla Barracks are named after the bay which lies at the north-western end of ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula and was essentially the left flank of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

Taiping Barracks

Taiping Barracks are named after the town in Malaysia that in the late 1950s two New Zealand Battalions were garrisoned in during the Malayan emergency.

Terendak Barracks

Terendak Barracks are named after the purpose built brigade camp in Malaysia that was occupied by the New Zealand Army form 1960 to 1969

Tobruk Barracks

Tobruk Barracks are named after besieged Garrison of Tobruk in Libya which the 2nd New Zealand Division and 7th Armored Division helped relieve on 27 November 1941 during Operation Crusader.

Tui Barracks

Tui Barracks were named after the New Zealand Women's War Service Auxiliary. Raised by Lady Freyberg to support New Zealand troops in Egypt, the ladies of the Women's War Service Auxiliary were unofficially called the Tuis.

Education

Burnham School is a full primary school catering for years 1 to 8. It had a roll of 161 as of August 2024. The school appears to have been operating in 1891.

Burnham Industrial School was a reform school set up in the mid 19th century. The school was still operating in 1909.

References

Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4.
"ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
"Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Burnham Camp (334700). 2018 Census place summary: Burnham Camp
Education Counts: Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori
"New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
"Education Boards". The Press. 5 June 1891.
Maxwell, Gabrielle (1 August 2017). "Youth offenders - Treatment of young offenders, 1840 to 1980s - Burnham Industrial School, about 1874". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
"Industrial School — The Burnham Industrial School". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Vol. Canterbury Provincial District. 1903.
"Supreme Court". Taranaki Daily News. 17 November 1909.

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