Rural settlement 13 km north of Pātea off State Highway 3, established in the early 1880s. Access to the Pātea dam and Lake Rotorangi is through Alton and nearby Hurleyville.
Meaning of place name
Originally known as Woodville, it was renamed Alton when a post and telegraph office was established there in 1887, to avoid confusion with 'Woodville' in the Tararua district. It was named after the English home town of the father of early resident and county council member, James Gibb.
