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Ashburton is a town in the Canterbury region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The third largest centre in Canterbury (after Christchurch, New Zealand and Timaru), it is the main centre of Mid-Canterbury.
Ashburton is located on State Highway 1 80km south of Christchurch. The South Island Main Trunk Railway also runs through the centre of town, but passenger services ceased on 10 February 2002
According to the 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings, the population of Ashburton was 15,774, virtually unchanged since the 1996 census.
The town is the centre of a rich agricultural and pastoral farming district, part of the Canterbury Plains. It has one large suburb, Tinwald, which is south of the town.
Prominent local residents include the town's former Member of Parliament and Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley.
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