Eastbourne, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt
city in the southern North Island
of New Zealand
. Its population is about 4,600.
An outer suburb, it is situated on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour
, 5 kilometres south of the main Lower Hutt urban area, and directly across the harbour from the Miramar Peninsula
in Wellington
city. It is reached from Lower Hutt by a narrow exposed coastal road via the industrial suburb of Seaview. It comprises some 2000 residential homes spread over the seven main small bays of Point Howard, Lowry Bay, York Bay, Mahina Bay, Days Bay, Rona Bay and Robinsons Bay, although only the last two are commonly considered part of Eastbourne itself. There are also two smaller bays; Sunshine Bay and Sorrento Bay.
Close to the sea and catching afternoon sun, the bays are quite steep with the lower reaches having homes, many with spectacular harbour views. Higher up there is mainly native bush and trees. With a locally administered possum
eradication program much of the native bush has regenerated including some magnificent red flowering northern rātā
trees. The bush has numerous tracks running to and from them including a track along the entire bays hills ridge. It also has sheltered swimming beaches that are a major attraction. Eastbourne is also a popular windsurfing
and kitesurfing
location due to Wellington
’s frequently windy weather.
There is a regular trans-harbour ferry service
between Wellington and Eastbourne, which docks at the Days Bay wharf in Eastbourne and at Queen's Wharf close to down-town Wellington. The ferry is an alternative to (and is normally faster than) the bus link run by Valley Flyer around the harbour. A one-way ferry journey takes about 25 minutes, while a bus or car from Wellington can take 30 minutes, and closer to 60 minutes during rush hour.
Prior to its amalgamation into Lower Hutt, the Borough of Eastbourne was a separate town, with its own council and civic administration. The Eastbourne Community Board is a remnant of the town council and remains vocal on local issues. After much unhappiness with the council and community board an independent group calling itself "Eastbourne Rights" was set up and one of its first issues was to promote the secession from Lower Hutt and amalgamation with Wellington City Council.
Eastbourne has one volunteer fire brigade which is located in Makaro Street, near one of the three local primary schools, Muritai School
. The other schools are San Antonio School and Wellesley College
.
The main township has cafes, a delicatessen, a book shop, restaurants, a small supermarket, several takeaways, a fresh fruit & vegetable shop, a dairy, a pharmacy, an antique shop, pub (tavern), beauty salons, gift shops, a butcher, a computer shop, and a woman's fashion boutique.
At the end of Eastbourne beyond Burdan's gate there is a long pedestrian-only coastal road (unsealed) which extends out to the Wellington Harbour
entrance heads. The backdrop terrain is steep, exposed and beautifully natural. There are three lighthouses at the heads. The coastal road is a popular weekend walk for locals and tourists.
Days Bay was originally called Hawtrey Bay. It was settled by George and Anne Day and their family, who had emigrated in 1841 from Kent
aboard the Arab. William Tod appears to have employed George Day to look after his interests in the area while he went south. They had permission to cut and sell firewood and timber. The Days built their house in the bay and operated a schooner that ferried early settlers between the Hutt Valley
and Wellington. After their house was severely damaged by an earthquake, the Day family left the bay in November 1849 aboard the schooner Flirt, which was captained by their eldest son George Fredrick Day, and sailed to Lyttelton
in Canterbury
, where the settlement of Christchurch
took place. By December 1849 the family had settled in Sumner
and George Day had become a road construction overseer, while the rest of the family appears to have continued their firewood, timber and shipping activities.
Days Bay has particular associations with the young Katherine Mansfield
, as her parents owned a holiday house in the bay. The story "At the Bay
" was based on her experiences of staying in Days Bay as a child.
The wharf in Days Bay was built by brothers Maurice (aka Morris) and John Kleinjan, who immigrated from the Netherlands and set up a successful construction company. The first step onto the wharf has Kleinjan Brothers carved into the concrete.
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
city in the southern North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Its population is about 4,600.
Location
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...
, 5 kilometres south of the main Lower Hutt urban area, and directly across the harbour from the Miramar Peninsula
Miramar Peninsula
The Miramar Peninsula is a peninsula at the southeastern end of the city of Wellington, New Zealand.The peninsula is 800 hectares and contains the suburbs of Miramar, Maupuia, Strathmore and Seatoun...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
city. It is reached from Lower Hutt by a narrow exposed coastal road via the industrial suburb of Seaview. It comprises some 2000 residential homes spread over the seven main small bays of Point Howard, Lowry Bay, York Bay, Mahina Bay, Days Bay, Rona Bay and Robinsons Bay, although only the last two are commonly considered part of Eastbourne itself. There are also two smaller bays; Sunshine Bay and Sorrento Bay.
Close to the sea and catching afternoon sun, the bays are quite steep with the lower reaches having homes, many with spectacular harbour views. Higher up there is mainly native bush and trees. With a locally administered possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
eradication program much of the native bush has regenerated including some magnificent red flowering northern rātā
Metrosideros robusta
Northern rātā , is a huge forest tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 25 m or taller, and usually begins its life as a hemiepiphyte high in the branches of a mature forest tree; over centuries the young tree sends descending and girdling roots down and around the trunk of its host,...
trees. The bush has numerous tracks running to and from them including a track along the entire bays hills ridge. It also has sheltered swimming beaches that are a major attraction. Eastbourne is also a popular windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
location due to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
’s frequently windy weather.
There is a regular trans-harbour ferry service
Ferries in Wellington
Ferries in Wellington form a part of the Wellington public transport system, carrying commuters and tourists on Wellington Harbour. Ferries operate between central Wellington and Days Bay , Petone, Seatoun, and Matiu/Somes Island. They have previously served Miramar, Karaka Bay, and Eastbourne proper...
between Wellington and Eastbourne, which docks at the Days Bay wharf in Eastbourne and at Queen's Wharf close to down-town Wellington. The ferry is an alternative to (and is normally faster than) the bus link run by Valley Flyer around the harbour. A one-way ferry journey takes about 25 minutes, while a bus or car from Wellington can take 30 minutes, and closer to 60 minutes during rush hour.
Prior to its amalgamation into Lower Hutt, the Borough of Eastbourne was a separate town, with its own council and civic administration. The Eastbourne Community Board is a remnant of the town council and remains vocal on local issues. After much unhappiness with the council and community board an independent group calling itself "Eastbourne Rights" was set up and one of its first issues was to promote the secession from Lower Hutt and amalgamation with Wellington City Council.
Eastbourne has one volunteer fire brigade which is located in Makaro Street, near one of the three local primary schools, Muritai School
Muritai School
Established in 1897, Muritai School is state primary in Eastbourne, Lower Hutt, New Zealand....
. The other schools are San Antonio School and Wellesley College
Wellesley College (New Zealand)
Wellesley College is a boys-only independent primary school in Day's Bay, Eastbourne, New Zealand.-History:Day's Bay House was built in 1903 for the Wellington Steam Ferry Company Limited which had made the heart of Day's Bay a destination resort and sports complex...
.
The main township has cafes, a delicatessen, a book shop, restaurants, a small supermarket, several takeaways, a fresh fruit & vegetable shop, a dairy, a pharmacy, an antique shop, pub (tavern), beauty salons, gift shops, a butcher, a computer shop, and a woman's fashion boutique.
At the end of Eastbourne beyond Burdan's gate there is a long pedestrian-only coastal road (unsealed) which extends out to the Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour at the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is on the western side of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current name in the 1980s.In Māori the harbour is...
entrance heads. The backdrop terrain is steep, exposed and beautifully natural. There are three lighthouses at the heads. The coastal road is a popular weekend walk for locals and tourists.
Days Bay
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
aboard the Arab. William Tod appears to have employed George Day to look after his interests in the area while he went south. They had permission to cut and sell firewood and timber. The Days built their house in the bay and operated a schooner that ferried early settlers between the Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley, New Zealand
The Hutt Valley is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Like the river that flows through it, it takes its name from Sir William Hutt, a director of the New Zealand Company in early colonial New Zealand.The river flows roughly along...
and Wellington. After their house was severely damaged by an earthquake, the Day family left the bay in November 1849 aboard the schooner Flirt, which was captained by their eldest son George Fredrick Day, and sailed to Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
in Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
, where the settlement of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
took place. By December 1849 the family had settled in Sumner
Sumner, New Zealand
Sumner is a coastal seaside suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand and was surveyed and named in 1849 in honour of John Bird Sumner, the then newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and president of the Canterbury Association...
and George Day had become a road construction overseer, while the rest of the family appears to have continued their firewood, timber and shipping activities.
Days Bay has particular associations with the young Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was a prominent modernist writer of short fiction who was born and brought up in colonial New Zealand and wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. Mansfield left for Great Britain in 1908 where she encountered Modernist writers such as D.H. Lawrence and...
, as her parents owned a holiday house in the bay. The story "At the Bay
At the Bay
At The Bay is a 1922 short story by Katherine Mansfield. It was first published the London Mercury in January 1922, and later reprinted in The Garden Party and Other Stories.-Plot summary:IThe shepherd is with his dog on Crescent Bay....
" was based on her experiences of staying in Days Bay as a child.
The wharf in Days Bay was built by brothers Maurice (aka Morris) and John Kleinjan, who immigrated from the Netherlands and set up a successful construction company. The first step onto the wharf has Kleinjan Brothers carved into the concrete.