Wakanui

the former electorate

When Kermode and Moore sold their holdings, the land was subdivided (this process finished by 1877) and more people moved into the area. Around that time, an extensive irrigation system was implemented, which was extended across all of Ashburton County, and that opened the dry but fertile land for wheat growing. Some 3000 mile (4828 km) of irrigation races were built throughout the county. An electoral redistribution was carried out just prior to the and the electorate was formed (by splitting off areas from the and electorates). The Wakanui electorate was in existence for two electoral cycles and was dis established in 1887. In 1879, a large flour mill was erected in Wakanui. The five storey building was a landmark for the rural location. In 1906, the mill building was hauled over 6 mile (10 km) to Ashburton. It was deemed advisable that none of the machinery be removed and in all the building weighed an estimated The building survived the relocation without damage.

Wakanui School opened in 1876 with an initial roll of 35 pupils. In the early decades, the roll peaked in 1890 but at the fiftieth jubilee, the roll was back where it started as more schools had opened throughout the county. it had students as of

These days, the name Wakanui is known best for New Zealand's largest feedlot. Owned by ANZCO Foods, beef is produced here; the meat is sold under the brand name Wakanui Beef. The feedlot is consented for 19,000 cattle and it held 14,000 in 2018. While the feedlot has been in operation since 1991, it only became widely known when animal rights group SAFE published drone footage of it in 2018 and called for feedlots to be banned. Damien O'Connor, as Minister of Agriculture, weighed in on the debate in support of the feedlot. He called it "innovative" and said it was, in general, "very well managed"; he added, "the image of pastoral farming is the one New Zealand promotes and it is the mainstay of our industry".