Hornby, New Zealand 5.17

Hornby is a major residential and retail suburb at the western edge of Christchurch, New Zealand.Naming and historyHornby was apparently named by Frederick William Delamain, who came to Christchurch from England in 1852. The name reportedly refers to Hornby-with-Farleton in Lancashire. The second possible explanation of the name is that it refers to Geoffrey Hornby, who was the Admiral of the British flying squadron and who visited Christchurch in 1870. The post office was originally called Southbridge Junction, which was renamed to Hornby on 2 September 1878.Location and servicesHornby is located on an important road junction on New Zealand State Highway 1 where southbound traffic turns sharply west, continuing towards to Dunedin and other points south. Northbound connects to Picton via the Christchurch International Airport.Hornby contains a large retail mall named 'The Hub Hornby', which is the westernmost within the Christchurch urban area. The suburb, which could almost be considered a town in its own right, is separated from the heart of the city by Wigram Aerodrome and the industrial estates of Sockburn to the east. Hornby is home to a velodrome and a BMX track. It has annually hosted the "Westside Party in the Park" for the last several years.