109-582: Evans Bay ( Māori : Ākau Tangi ) is a large bay at the southern end of Wellington Harbour , New Zealand. Located between the Miramar Peninsula and Hataitai , it was the site of New Zealand's first patent slip and served as Wellington's international flying-boat terminal from 1938 until 1956. It is named after George Samuel Evans , an early Wellington settler. Evans Bay is a large U-shaped bay within Wellington Harbour. Within
218-609: A paleochannel to the east of Matiu / Somes Island as far as the present-day Miramar Peninsula . Much of the water in the Waiwhetu aquifer moves under the sea bed from the direction of the Hutt River to the Falcon Shoals area (between Karaka Bay and Worser Bay ) at the harbour mouth via the paleochannel. The characteristics of the aquifer between Matiu / Somes Island and the harbour mouth are not as well studied as
327-642: A ' Braby pontoon ', was winched on to land, dismantled and transported in pieces to Auckland by road and rail, to be reused by the Air Force's flying boats at Hobsonville Air Base. Services to the Chatham Islands also operated from Evans Bay, using aircraft from TEAL and Ansett Airways as well as the RNZAF. A proposal for a peak-time domestic service to Auckland by National Airways Corporation in 1949 using Short Sandringham flying boats to make up for
436-520: A bar and restaurant known as the Greta Point Tavern. In 2003 it was moved in pieces in 11 trips by barge to a site on Queens Wharf in the inner city. Not much remains of the original building except the exterior. As of 2022 the relocated building houses Foxglove bar and restaurant. The land at Greta Point was then used for a 91-unit townhouse development designed by Stuart Gardyne and Allan Wright of architecture+ and built during 2001–2002. In
545-411: A bird, Te Keo, and his body formed the isthmus of land where Wellington airport is now located. It flew high above the harbour and wept for the taniwha, whose body was lifted high onto the hills close to the harbour entrance. To this day, Mount Victoria is known to Māori as Tangi Te Keo , "The weeping of Te Keo", and the suburb on the hills immediately below it is named Hataitai . Another name for
654-634: A celebration of the skill and determination of these early aviators. Before the outbreak of war on 1 September 1939, the British government had already implemented the Air Navigation (Restriction in Time of War) Order 1939. That ordered military takeover of most civilian airfields in the UK, cessation of all private flying without individual flight permits, and other emergency measures. It was administered by
763-549: A floating U-shaped pontoon made of 124 large square steel tanks connected together and ballasted with water and oil. The pontoon was built at Gracefield from ship tanks used by US forces during World War 2 to build rafts and wharves. The tanks were welded together in three sections, which were then slid down a bank into the Hutt River and towed across the harbour to Evans Bay. The pontoon was U-shaped, 110 ft long and 74 ft wide. Flying boats were winched tail-first into
872-400: A former Treasury Financial Secretary. The land operations were based at Croydon Airport to the south of London . IAL immediately discontinued its predecessors' service to points north of London, the airline being focused on international and imperial service rather than domestic. Thereafter the only IAL aircraft operating 'North of Watford' were charter flights. Industrial troubles with
981-588: A healthy marine environment, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have monitored water quality in Wellington Harbour since 2016. Water quality is affected by sediment, nutrients and pollutants from the whole catchment around the harbour, turbidity caused by rainfall and outflow from the Hutt River, and tides. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and NIWA have carried out surveillance on non-indigenous marine species which may arrive in
1090-692: A hundred tons of mail had been delivered to India and a similar amount to Africa. In the same year, construction was started on the Empire Terminal in Victoria, London , designed by A. Lakeman and with a statue by Eric Broadbent, Speed Wings Over the World gracing the portal above the main entrance. From the terminal there were train connections to Imperial's flying boats at Southampton and coaches to its landplane base at Croydon Airport . The terminal operated as recently as 1980. To help promote use of
1199-493: A joint landbase and flying-boat airport, but this did not come to fruition. The terminal building built for TEAL airways was later used by Sea Cadets . The building was badly damaged by fire on 15 December 2005 and had to be demolished. The Sea Cadet unit moved into another building on the site that had been a TEAL workshop, then into a new purpose-built building opened in 2007. Orca and dolphins visit Wellington Harbour fairly often, but whale sightings are much rarer. In July 2018
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#17327830067541308-570: A juvenile male southern right whale was seen in Evans Bay. Crowds of people came to see the whale during the week it was in the bay, causing traffic jams. Wellington City Council postponed its annual Matariki public fireworks display after taking advice about the whale from the Department of Conservation. The mid-winter timing of the whale's visit led some people to nickname it 'Matariki'. Evans Bay statistical area runs between Hataitai and
1417-422: A patent slip on the site. Equipment for the new slip was delivered in 1865 and 1866, but construction was delayed for several years because of a contractual dispute concerning the suitability of the design for the ground conditions. The original suppliers lost a court case and withdrew from the project. The Wellington Patent Slip Company was formed to take over the assets and construction began in 1871. In March 1873,
1526-518: A position on the board of the company while these negotiations were in train. The government, including the Prime Minister, regretted the decision to dismiss him, later finding that, in fact, no corruption was alleged and sought Bullock's reinstatement which he declined. The Empire Air Mail Programme started in July 1937, delivering anywhere for 1 1 / 2 d./oz. By mid-1938
1635-588: A range of activities, with five water ski lanes, an area for personal water craft and areas for windsurfing . Several rowing , waka ama and yachting clubs operate from the harbour. Small boat craft can anchor at Mākaro / Ward Island and Mokopuna Island and can also visit the Matiu / Somes Island reserve during daylight hours. Harbour cruises also travel regularly between the main Wellington waterfront, Matiu / Somes Island, Days Bay and Petone. In 1974,
1744-411: A region where wind velocities may exceed 160 km/h. The depth of water over most of the harbour exceeds 20 metres or 10 fathoms. There are two main bays within the harbour, Evans Bay and Lambton Harbour. The small Oriental Bay to the north of Mount Victoria features beaches and cafes. The suburbs of Wellington city are spread around the low lying terrain immediately surrounding the harbour, and
1853-454: A sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. The median age was 34.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 150 people (13.4%) aged under 15 years, 309 (27.5%) aged 15 to 29, 561 (50.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 99 (8.8%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 81.3% European/ Pākehā , 10.7% Māori , 4.0% Pacific peoples , 11.0% Asian , and 5.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
1962-440: A taɾa] ), officially called Wellington Harbour / Port Nicholson , is a large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island . The harbour entrance is from Cook Strait . Central Wellington is located on parts of the western and southern sides of the harbour, and the suburban area of Lower Hutt is to the north and east. The harbour area bounded by a line between Pencarrow Head to Petone foreshore,
2071-533: Is Eastbourne , directly to the east of the northern tip of the Miramar Peninsula. The Hutt River enters the harbour at Waiwhetū. In Wellngton city, many small creeks or streams including the Kumutoto, Waitangi and Waipapa streams formerly reached the harbour but were culverted many years ago. The small islands Matiu / Somes Island , Mākaro / Ward Island and Mokopuna Island are located within
2180-563: Is likely that Captain John Rodolphus Kent of the cutter Mermaid had entered the harbour in 1824, and named it after the harbourmaster, his superior officer. A further Māori name for Wellington, Pōneke , is said to be a transliteration of Port Nick (Port Nicholson). An alternative suggested etymology for the name Pōneke states that it derives from a shortening of the Māori phrase pō nekeneke , meaning "the journey into
2289-478: Is located on this plain. Māori oral history recounts that there used to be two channels at the entrance to the harbour. The present entrance was called Te Au-a-Tane and a western channel (now the Rongotai isthmus) was called Te-Awa-a-Taia. Between the two channels lay the island of Motu-Kairangi (present day Miramar Peninsula ). Then a violent earthquake known as Haowhenua ( Māori for 'land swallower') uplifted
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#17327830067542398-534: Is managed by Wellington City Council. Wellington Volunteer Coastguard operates from a base at the marina. Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club has premises next to the marina on the western side of the bay, including a hall that can be hired by the public. The club was founded in 1919. Cog Park is a grassy park situated between the patent slip site and the Evans Bay Yacht Club. The park is in two parts, separated by Evans Bay Parade. The seaward side of
2507-645: The Lambton , a cutter commanded by Captain Barnett, who in 1826 had produced one of the earliest charts of the harbour. According to oral history, Wellington Harbour was first discovered by the Polynesian explorer Kupe , who visited in the 10th century. A number of place names in the area commemorate Kupe, such as Te Tangihanga o Kupe or Te Raranga o Kupe ( Barrett Reef ), and Te Aroaro o Kupe or Te Ure o Kupe ( Steeple Rock ). Kupe also named two islands in
2616-716: The Atlantic and to New Zealand . By mid-1937 Imperial had completed its thousandth service to the Empire. Starting in 1938 Empire flying boats also flew between Britain and Australia via India and the Middle East. In March 1939 three Shorts a week left Southampton for Australia, reaching Sydney after ten days of flying and nine overnight stops. Three more left for South Africa, taking six flying days to Durban. Imperial's aircraft were small, most seating fewer than twenty passengers; about 50,000 passengers used Imperial Airways in
2725-540: The British Empire routes to South Africa , India , Australia and the Far East , including Malaya and Hong Kong . Passengers were typically businessmen or colonial administrators, and most flights carried about 20 passengers or fewer. Accidents were frequent: in the first six years, 32 people died in seven incidents. Imperial Airways never achieved the levels of technological innovation of its competitors and
2834-424: The 1930s. Most passengers on intercontinental routes or on services within and between British colonies were men in colonial administration, business or research. To begin with only the wealthy could afford to fly, but passenger lists gradually diversified. Travel experiences related to flying low and slow, and were reported enthusiastically in newspapers, magazines and books. There was opportunity for sightseeing from
2943-576: The 1947 closure of Rongotai Airport was turned down as uneconomic compared to DC-3 operations 56 kilometres (35 mi) away at the present-day Kapiti Coast airport. Nearby Rongotai airfield provided air-traffic control for the alighting area. As advances in aviation overtook the flying-boat concept, TEAL switched to landplane operations and the Evans Bay terminal closed in 1956. Also at the time, Rongotai airfield started undergoing total redevelopment into today's Wellington International Airport , which opened in 1959. An original concept involved developing
3052-433: The 21st century sightings are rarer. Humpback whales are also seen occasionally. There is a fur seal colony at Pariwhero / Red Rocks on the south coast facing Cook Strait, and seals sometimes appear in and around the harbour. Vagrant and rare marine mammal visitors include leopard seals (reclassified from vagrant to resident in 2019), crabeater seals , and an elephant seal nicknamed 'Blossom' that hung around
3161-587: The Air Mail service, in June and July 1939, Imperial Airways participated with Pan American Airways in providing a special "around the world" service; Imperial carried the souvenir mail from Foynes , Ireland , to Hong Kong , out of the eastbound New York to New York route. Pan American provided service from New York to Foynes (departing 24 June, via the first flight of Northern FAM 18) and Hong Kong to San Francisco (via FAM 14), and United Airlines carried it on
3270-613: The British Empire. In 1934 the government began negotiations with Imperial Airways to establish a service ( Empire Air Mail Scheme ) to carry mail by air on routes served by the airline. Indirectly these negotiations led to the dismissal in 1936 of Sir Christopher Bullock , the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Air Ministry , who was found by a Board of Inquiry to have abused his position in seeking
3379-607: The C.A.T Subsidies Committee) under Sir Herbert Hambling . The committee, set up on 2 January 1923, produced a report on 15 February 1923 recommending that four of the largest existing airlines, the Instone Air Line Company , owned by shipping magnate Samuel Instone , Noel Pemberton Billing 's British Marine Air Navigation (part of the Supermarine flying-boat company), the Daimler Airway , under
Evans Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-684: The Evans Bay Marina around the 1950s. The boatsheds are privately owned, with tenure through a coastal permit for a licence to occupy issued by the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Miramar Wharf and Burnham Wharf are situated on the Miramar peninsula at the eastern head of Evans Bay. Miramar Wharf was funded by the Crawford family and built in 1901. In 1909–1910 the wharf was altered and extended and at
3597-618: The Hataitai Amateur Swimming Club) was formed in 1908 and for many years ran swimming lessons and competitions from Hataitai Beach. The club built a private clubhouse in 1912, which was opened to the public around 1967 and then demolished in the 1970s, after which Wellington City Council built the current facilities. The club still offers children's swimming lessons, which now take place at the Aquadome at Wellington East Girls' College. Fifteen boatsheds are located on
3706-770: The London to Cape Town route. On 9 February 1936 the trans-Africa route was opened by Imperial Airways between Khartoum and Kano in Nigeria. This route was extended to Lagos on 15 October 1936. In 1937 with the introduction of Short Empire flying boats built at Short Brothers, Imperial Airways could offer a through-service from Southampton to the Empire. The journey to the Cape was via Marseille , Rome , Brindisi , Athens , Alexandria , Khartoum , Port Bell , Kisumu and onwards by land-based craft to Nairobi , Mbeya and eventually Cape Town . Survey flights were also made across
3815-480: The New Zealand author Denis Glover published the anthology Wellington Harbour , containing poems about or inspired by views of the harbour. Big weather is an anthology of 100 poems about Wellington's harbour, hills, and environment. It was published in 2009 and in later editions. The Wellington Writers Walk is a series of 23 quotations from New Zealand poets, novelists, and playwrights, installed along
3924-469: The Patent Slip was officially opened. A second slipway was constructed at the site in 1922. The original slip operated until 1969, and the second was closed on 31 July 1980. Most equipment has been removed from the site, and a residential development now occupies some of the original land. However, the site has been listed as a Category 2 Historic Place, and the area is classified as a heritage zone by
4033-557: The Persian authorities regarding overflight rights, a London to Karachi service started on 30 March 1929, taking seven days and consisting of a flight from London to Basel , a train to Genoa and a Short S.8 Calcutta flying boats to Alexandria, a train to Cairo and finally a DH.66 flight to Karachi. The route was extended as far as Delhi on 29 December 1929. The route across Europe and the Mediterranean changed many times over
4142-579: The Polynesian explorer Whātonga, who was sent down from the Māhia Peninsula by his father to explore southern lands for their people to settle. Captain James Herd is said to have named the harbour "Port Nicholson" after Sydney 's harbourmaster Captain John Nicholson. However, while Herd is attributed as the creator of the first charts describing Te Whanganui a Tara as "Port Nicholson" it
4251-455: The Strait. Barrett Reef is said to be the debris left from Ngake's escape. This was seen by Whataitai, who tried to follow Ngake out of the new entrance. The water was now running out of the lake, however, and Whataitai became stranded in the shallows. He stayed there for many generations before being lifted high onto the land by a great earthquake. The soul of Whataitai left him in the form of
4360-533: The Thames at Westminster on 1 October 1926. Cobham was met by the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Samuel Hoare , and was subsequently knighted by HM King George V . On 27 December 1926, Imperial Airways de Havilland DH.66 Hercules G-EBMX City of Delhi left Croydon for a survey flight to India. The flight reached Karachi on 6 January 1927 and Delhi on 8 January 1927. The aircraft was named by Lady Irwin, wife of
4469-487: The U so that passengers could step straight onto the pontoon dock. The dock also allowed light maintenance of the Short Solent flying boats that TEAL used at the time. Evans Bay could become quite rough in unfavourable weather conditions and at least one Solent was damaged during alighting, needing substantial repairs. The trans-Tasman flying boat service ended in 1954, and in 1957 the 400-ton pontoon structure, known as
Evans Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-527: The UK to Cape Town and back in the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar –powered de Havilland DH.50J floatplane G-EBFO . The outward route was London – Paris – Marseille – Pisa – Taranto – Athens – Sollum – Cairo – Luxor – Aswan – Wadi Halfa – Atbara – Khartoum – Malakal – Mongalla – Jinja – Kisumu – Tabora – Abercorn – Ndola – Broken Hill – Livingstone – Bulawayo – Pretoria – Johannesburg – Kimberley – Bloemfontein – Cape Town . On his return Cobham
4687-525: The Viceroy, on 10 January 1927. The return flight left on 1 February 1927 and arrived at Heliopolis, Cairo on 7 February 1927. The flying time from Croydon to Delhi was 62 hours 27 minutes and Delhi to Heliopolis 32 hours 50 minutes. Regular services on the Cairo to Basra route began on 12 January 1927 using DH.66 aircraft, replacing the previous RAF mail flight . Following two years of negotiations with
4796-561: The Wellington City Council. During 1910 – 1911 the Union Steam Ship Company reclaimed land at Greta Point next to the Patent Slip and constructed a large complex of buildings, including a laundry, workshops, a sawmill and upholstery department. All of the company's laundry in New Zealand was handled by the site at Evans Bay. By 1981 all but one building had been demolished, and the former store became
4905-448: The Wellington waterfront in the form of contemporary concrete plaques or inlaid metal text on wooden 'benchmarks'. The plaques celebrate the lives and works of these well-known writers, all of whom had (or have) some connection to Wellington . Many of the quotations reference the harbour. Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline , operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving
5014-442: The air and at stops. Imperial Airways stationed its all-male flight deck crew, cabin crew and ground crew along the length of its routes. Specialist engineers and inspectors – and ground crew on rotation or leave – travelled on the airline without generating any seat revenue. Several air crew lost their lives in accidents. At the end of the 1930s crew numbers approximated 3,000. All crew were expected to be ambassadors for Britain and
5123-494: The airline followed a burst of air route surveying in the British Empire after the First World War , and after some experimental (and often dangerous) long-distance flying to the margins of Empire. Imperial Airways was created against a background of stiff competition from French and German airlines that enjoyed heavy government subsidies and following the advice of the government's Hambling Committee (formally known as
5232-466: The barque Rosanna , along with Captain Barnett of the cutter Lambton . Both subsequently made charts of the harbour. The New Zealand Company established settlements in Petone and Wellington from 1840. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake uplifted the north-western side of the harbour. This led to reclamation in the harbour , which increased the availability of flat land for Wellington City . In 1968,
5341-601: The bay are smaller features such as Balaena Bay, Hataitai Beach and Shelly Bay . Prior to the Haowhenua earthquake in about 1460 AD, Miramar was an island and Evans Bay would have been open to Lyall Bay. Today it is bounded by the Miramar peninsula to the east, the Rongotai isthmus to the south, and a hilly ridge forming part of Hataitai to the west. Formerly the Waipapa Stream flowed from the valley in Hataitai into
5450-426: The bay. It covers 0.35 km (0.14 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,160 as of June 2024, with a population density of 3,314 people per km. Evans Bay had a population of 1,122 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 84 people (8.1%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 192 people (20.6%) since the 2006 census . There were 432 households, comprising 558 males and 564 females, giving
5559-447: The city. Fish species commonly caught in the harbour by recreational fishers include red cod , kahawai , gurnard , tarakihi , snapper, trevally , elephant fish and kingfish. Children enjoy catching spotties . Eagle rays and stingrays can both be found in the harbour: eagle rays are often seen in the shallow water around Whairepo Lagoon , which was named after the Māori name for the species. Several species of octopus live in
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#17327830067545668-430: The coastlines of the south coast and the western side of Wellington Harbour. Thirty-four native or endemic species and 14 naturalised introduced species were observed, though some of these were only seen on the south coast and not within the harbour. The surveys showed that stretches of the coastline "hardened" by reclamation or seawall construction have lower densities of birds and less diversity of species, probably due to
5777-547: The early 1920s a coal-fired power station was built at Shag Point in Evans Bay (approximately near the roundabout at the intersection of Calabar Road and Cobham Drive). It began full operation in May 1924 and was shut down in 1968. Coke breeze ( a coal by-product) from the power station was used as infill for reclamation at the Evans Bay Yacht Club site. While the power station was unpopular due to its unsightliness and emissions, its outlet pipes discharged warm water into Evans Bay, which
5886-648: The end of the 19th century and regular crossings from central Wellington to Days Bay continue today. The harbour is also used by inter-island ferries linking Wellington to Picton . A project to develop a walking and cycling route around the harbour, the Great Harbour Way, is gathering momentum. Te Ara Tupua is a cycling and walking path being built from Melling in the Hutt Valley to central Wellington. As of 2024, there are 20 wharves situated around Wellington Harbour. This includes large wharves in
5995-558: The final leg from San Francisco to New York, arriving on 28 July. Captain H. W. C. Alger was the pilot for the inaugural air mail flight carrying mail from England to Australia for the first time on the Short Empire flyingboat Castor for Imperial Airways' Empires Air Routes, in 1937. In November 2016, 80 years later, the Crete2Cape Vintage Air Rally flew this old route with fifteen vintage aeroplanes –
6104-436: The former Patent slip that operated in this location. The first slipway on the site was commissioned in May 1863 to enable maintenance of the hulls of small vessels. The Wellington Provincial Council was keen to encourage shipping trade by improving facilities in Wellington harbour, and began planning later in 1863 for the construction of a larger patent slip. A concession was granted for the supply, construction and operation of
6213-420: The gravel layer holding the water in, meaning that if a bore is sunk into the aquifer, water will rise up the pipe. Water from the aquifer also reaches the surface through natural springs at various places around the harbour. Pressure within the aquifer stops sea water from getting into the aquifer. The water level in Wellington Harbour was much lower 20,000 years ago, and the ancient Hutt River used to flow down
6322-419: The gravel, creating an artesian aquifer . There are several aquifers in the area in different layers underground, but the Waiwhetu aquifer is the largest and most productive one. Water flows down into the aquifer from a five-kilometre stretch of the Hutt River south of Taita Gorge, and rainwater also contributes to the aquifer. South of Melling the aquifer becomes pressurized by the layer of mud and silt above
6431-603: The harbour entrance and also straight over the isthmus between Lyall Bay and Kilbirnie . In August 1868, the Arica earthquake in South America causes unusual changes in water levels in the harbour. A gravel bar appeared at Ngauranga, and water almost reached the street at Te Aro. In May 1877, the Iquique earthquake in South America caused water to rush into the harbour, and water levels rose and fell dramatically around
6540-434: The harbour entrance lies between Barrett Reef on the western side, and Pencarrow Head to the east. Barrett Reef is a cluster of rocks that is partly exposed even at high tide. It has been the site of a large number of shipwrecks. The most serious loss caused by impact with Barrett Reef is the sinking of the inter-island ferry TEV Wahine in 1968, with the loss of 53 lives. Wellington Harbour provides sheltered anchorage in
6649-451: The harbour for hours. The Waiwhetu aquifer is a pressurized zone of water-retaining sand, gravel and boulders beneath the Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour, which provides around 40 percent of the Wellington region's annual water supply. The harbour basin contains massive quantities of gravel washed down from the Hutt River, in some places hundreds of metres deep. Above the gravel is a layer of mud and silt which seals fresh water within
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#17327830067546758-404: The harbour for several years in the 1960s. Over 100 species of seaweed are found in Wellington Harbour. Rocky shores around the harbour support kelp forests , for example at Kau Bay, but rising sea temperatures may be affecting the health of these areas. Sponge beds are found in deeper parts of the harbour. Between 2018 and 2022, annual surveys were made of indigenous coastal birdlife along
6867-504: The harbour in water ballast or attached to hulls of ships. Examples of marine pests found in the harbour include the Northern Pacific sea star and wakame , a seaweed native to the north-west Pacific Ocean, which was first found in Wellington Harbour in 1987. It grows rapidly and can displace native species of seaweed. Volunteers from the group Ghost Diving organise regular harbour clean-ups, collecting tonnes of rubbish from
6976-405: The harbour now is, and was gentle. Ngake, who lived further south, was more violent. Ngake could hear the waters of Raukawa Moana ( Cook Strait ) pounding to the south, and decided to escape the lake to get to it. He went to the north of the lake to build up his speed for the attempt, then headed off rapidly towards the south. Ngake crashed into and through the rocks at Seatoun and headed out into
7085-406: The harbour on 2 November 1773, and then put about, in an attempt to see what lay within the entrance. He anchored a mile from Barrett Reef, and made some brief observations noting that it appeared to be a sheltered harbour. A wind change led him to leave the area, and there were no further observations from European explorers for the next 50 years. In 1826, Captain James Herd entered the harbour on
7194-402: The harbour until its disestablishment in 1989 . At that time a commercial company, Port of Wellington (now called CentrePort Wellington ) took over management of most industrial wharves, while Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council gained control of most suburban wharves. Wharves were built for various purposes – moving fuel, primary products such as timber, wool and meat coming from
7303-407: The harbour, Mākaro ( Ward Island ) and Matiu ( Somes Island ), after his daughters or nieces. Kupe was followed to the area by Tara and Tautoki, sons of the explorer Whātonga, who settled there. Tara is remembered in the names of both the harbour and the first iwi (tribe) to settle there permanently, Ngāi Tara . During his voyage on HMS Resolution , James Cook passed by the entrance to
7412-558: The harbour. The harbour is of seismic origin, and a major earthquake fault line (the Wellington Fault ) lies along its western shore. In 2014 another fault line (the Aotea Fault) was discovered extending from Oriental Bay into the harbour. At the northern end of the harbour lies the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River , which largely follows the line of the earthquake fault to the north-east. The city of Lower Hutt
7521-457: The harbour. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, large octopuses would occasionally grab people at the water's edge. Rig sharks visit the harbour each year to mate and give birth. Other species seen less often include basking sharks , blue sharks and seven-gilled sharks . Common dolphins and orca visit the harbour quite often. In the nineteenth century, southern right whales bred within Wellington Harbour, but in
7630-400: The head of Evans Bay near the bluff at Wellington Road, creating a large swampy delta. The shoreline of the bay in this area was known by Māori as Te Akau-tangi ("the crying shore", or "the murmuring shore"). An 1890 map names the beach at the head of the bay as Tangahakau Beach. Another Māori name suggested for Evans Bay is Kokotahi te Taniwha. Considerable reclamation has been undertaken at
7739-493: The hills overlooking the west and south-west of the harbour. Lambton Harbour is surrounded by the reclaimed land of Wellington's central business district and contains the majority of the city's port facilities. Evans Bay lies between Mt Victoria and the Miramar Peninsula, and is below the flight path to low-lying Wellington Airport . To the east of the harbour lie several small bays, most of which are populated by small coastal communities. The largest of these suburban settlements
7848-424: The hinterland, other goods and passengers. Wharves for passenger ferries included ferries taking commuters and day trippers to and from the city and suburbs, and larger inter-island ferries going to Picton and Lyttelton . The wharves also serviced passenger liners from overseas, and TEAL flying boats . Over time Wellington's wharves have been altered, upgraded, extended, truncated or buried in reclamation along
7957-506: The inner harbour and port area, smaller wharves in seaside suburbs and the fuel wharves at Point Howard and Evans Bay . The first wharves were built from 1840 by newly-arrived European settlers, to enable them to move goods from ship to shore. The first publicly-owned wharf built in Wellington Harbour was Queens Wharf, completed in 1862. In 1880 the Wellington Harbour Board was created and took control of most wharves in
8066-405: The inter-island passenger ferry Wahine grounded at Barrett Reef, near the harbour entrance, during a storm. Fifty-one people died at the time and two more died much later from injuries suffered that day. According to legend, the harbour of Te Whanganui-a-Tara was created by two taniwha (nature guardian spirits), Whātaitai (or Hataitai) and Ngake. Whataitai lived in the north of the lake where
8175-466: The land so that the Te-Awa-a-Taia channel dried up and the island of Motu-Kairangi became joined to the mainland. Researchers have concluded that the earthquake happened around 1460AD. Although the harbour is almost entirely surrounded by land, several tsunami have been recorded within it. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake caused a tsunami 3-4-metres high which entered Wellington harbour through
8284-406: The management of George Edward Woods, and Handley Page Transport Co Ltd. , should be merged. It was hoped that this would create a company which could compete against French and German competition and would be strong enough to develop Britain's external air services while minimizing government subsidies for duplicated services. With this in view, a £1m subsidy over ten years was offered to encourage
8393-628: The merger. Agreement was made between the President of the Air Council and the British, Foreign and Colonial Corporation on 3 December 1923 for the company, under the title of the 'Imperial Air Transport Company' to acquire existing air transport services in the UK. The agreement set out the government subsidies for the new company: £137,000 in the first year diminishing to £32,000 in the tenth year as well as minimum mileages to be achieved and penalties if these weren't met. Imperial Airways Limited
8502-478: The nearby New Zealand Centennial Exhibition located at Rongotai . Although RNZAF Short Sunderland and Consolidated Catalina flying-boat operations flew intermittently through the 1940s from their seaplane base at Shelly Bay located on the western side of the Miramar Peninsula , it was not until 1950 that TEAL (the forerunner to the national airline Air New Zealand ), operated a permanent overseas service to Australia from Evans Bay. A temporary terminal
8611-643: The next few years but almost always involved a rail journey. In April 1931 an experimental London- Australia air mail flight took place; the mail was transferred at the Dutch East Indies , after the DH66 City of Cairo crashed landed in Timor, on the 19th April, having run out of fuel, and took 26 days in total to reach Sydney . For the passenger flight leaving London on 1 October 1932, the Eastern route
8720-503: The night", in reference to the exodus of Te Āti Awa after they were displaced from the Wellington area by the first Europeans. However, the name Pōneke was already in use by February 1842, earlier than the displacement is said to have happened. William Wakefield is thought to have named the harbour Lambton Harbour in 1839 in honour of the Earl of Durham , who had the family name of "Lambton". Alternatively, it could have been named for
8829-413: The park is on land that was reclaimed in two stages, firstly for the flying boat base in 1951 and then for port purposes in 1967. Buildings on the site associated with the flying boat base were demolished in the early 2000s. The park gets its name from a large cog wheel that was once part of the patent slip winding gear. The cog wheel used to sit on the grass on the seaward side but was later installed across
8938-505: The pilots delayed the start of services until 26 April 1924, when a daily London–Paris route was opened with a de Havilland DH.34 . Thereafter the task of expanding the routes between England and the Continent began, with Southampton–Guernsey on 1 May 1924, London-Brussels–Cologne on 3 May, London–Amsterdam on 2 June 1924, and a summer service from London–Paris–Basel–Zürich on 17 June 1924. The first new airliner ordered by Imperial Airways,
9047-483: The portion to the north of the island. Reclamation of Wellington Harbour started in the 1850s, in order to increase the amount of usable land for the then new City of Wellington . Land plots in the early city were scarce, with little room for public buildings and parks, as well as inadequate dockside areas for shipping. Reclamation progressively advanced into the harbour throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, providing room for public, commercial and industrial areas for
9156-492: The region around the harbour is Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui , which means "the head of Māui’s fish". According to Māori legend, a giant fish was hooked and pulled to the surface by Polynesian navigator Māui and the fish turned into land which became the North Island . The older name is still used in some circumstances for the city or the region, such as the former Māori name of Victoria University of Wellington , which
9265-542: The result of a partnership between the Wellington Sculpture Trust , Wellington City Council and Meridian Energy . The area gets a lot of wind and the kinetic sculptures celebrate this. The five sculptures are Zephyrometer , Urban Forest , Akau Tangi , Tower of Light , and Pacific Grass. Evans Bay Marina is situated at the southern end of Evans Bay. It has four piers with walk-on access to 141 berths for boats between 6 and 20m long. The marina
9374-420: The road at the patent slip heritage site. The park is used by joggers and walkers and includes a fenced dog exercise area on the landward side. Balaena Bay and Hataitai Beach, two small sheltered bays on the western side of Evans Bay, have been popular sunbathing and swimming locations for many years. Both areas have changing rooms and toilets, and Balaena Bay has a carpark. The Hataitai Bathing Club (now known as
9483-478: The same time a concrete seawall was built to the south and land reclaimed behind it. Tram tracks were laid from the wharf through the newly created Miramar Cutting to the Miramar Gas Works so that coal could be unloaded more efficiently. The wharf was further lengthened in 1921. In November 2015 the wharf, then owned by CentrePort Wellington , was closed due to deterioration of the piles. Burnham Wharf
9592-534: The shoreline of Wellington Harbour . Many wharves have been repurposed in response to changing domestic and international conditions and requirements for maritime transport of passengers and cargo. Wellington's south coast and harbour entrance are exposed to open sea, providing places to dive and fish. There are also fishing spots at the rocks and reclamations within the harbour. Harbour beaches like Oriental Bay , Petone , Days Bay and Hataitai Beach are suited to swimming and sunbathing. The harbour accommodates
9701-433: The southern end of the bay. Kilbirnie Park and Cobham Drive sit on reclaimed land. Evans Bay as an unofficial Wellington suburb nestles at the western side of the bay between Hataitai, Kilbirnie and Rongotai . According to the 2018 census, the population of Evans Bay was 1122 people living in 435 dwellings. Evans Bay Intermediate School is to the south at the head of the bay. A heritage site near Greta Point commemorates
9810-501: The steepness of the shoreline and lack of intertidal foraging habitats. Changes to average sea level and temperature may affect some species in the future. Black-backed gulls , red-billed gulls and several species of shags are found all around the harbour. A breeding population of fluttering shearwaters has been established on Matiu / Somes Island. Little blue penguins are found in many locations, with nesting boxes provided in some places to encourage them. As part of maintaining
9919-691: The water around the inner-city waterfront and bringing attention to the problem of littering. Wellington Harbour is a significant port serving the lower North Island, with the Regional Council -owned company CentrePort recording around 14,000 commercial shipping movements each year. Wellington Harbour, the region's third largest container port, is located in Wellington City. There is a tanker terminal at Seaview in Lower Hutt . Wellington harbour ferries first began operating at
10028-561: The western side of the bay between Hataitai Beach and the Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat club. A larger shed purpose-built for the Britannia Sea Scouts has a lean-to on each side of the main shed. The sheds sit above the water on wooden or concrete piles. They were built to store small boats and equipment, probably between the mid-1920s and the early 1930s. Another group of nine boatsheds were demolished to make way for
10137-448: Was $ 54,300, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 372 people (38.3%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 651 (67.0%) people were employed full-time, 120 (12.3%) were part-time, and 33 (3.4%) were unemployed. The Wind Sculpture Walk consists of five wind-activated sculptures installed along Cobham Drive at the head of Evans Bay between 2001 and 2010. The sculptures and walkway were
10246-465: Was 32.9, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.3% had no religion, 29.1% were Christian , 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs , 2.4% were Hindu , 0.5% were Muslim , 1.1% were Buddhist and 2.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 486 (50.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 51 (5.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
10355-463: Was Te Whare Wānanga o te Ūpoko o te Ika a Māui until 2018. Wellington Harbour is a natural harbour with an area of around 76 km², with an entrance from Cook Strait at its southern end between Pencarrow Head and Palmer Head on the southern tip of Miramar Peninsula . The harbour has a maximum length of over 11 kilometres and a width of 9.25 kilometres, and the entrance is over 1.6 kilometres wide from shore to shore. The shipping channel through
10464-591: Was awarded the Air Force Cross for his services to aviation. On 30 June 1926, Cobham took off from the River Medway at Rochester in G-EBFO to make an Imperial Airways route survey for a service to Melbourne, arriving on 15 August 1926. He left Melbourne on 29 August 1926, and, after completing 28,000 nautical miles (32,000 mi; 52,000 km) in 320 hours flying time over 78 days, he alighted on
10573-540: Was built for the British Imperial Oil Company and opened in 1927. As of 2021 the wharf is operated by CentrePort. Aviation fuel for Wellington Airport arrives via Burnham Wharf. In 2012 Wellington Airport Company erected a large sign spelling out "WELLINGTON", with the last few letters looking like they are blowing away in the wind, on a hill between the airport and the Cutting . The original plan
10682-616: Was enjoyed by bathers. Evans Bay functioned as the preferred flying-boat alighting area in Wellington Harbour during the 1930s, and local officials promoted it through the decade as such. However a 1938 report concluded that although Evans Bay was the best site for flying boats in Wellington Harbour, it was subject to strong winds that would make a regular service unviable. Visits from Imperial Airways aircraft took place in 1938 as well as from Pan American types. In 1940 Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) flew one of their two Short Empire flying boats to Evans Bay with dignitaries who attended
10791-565: Was extended experimentally to Cape Town for the carriage of Christmas mail. The aircraft used on the last sector, DH66 G-AARY City of Karachi arrived in Cape Town on 21 December 1931. On 20 January 1932 a mail-only route to London to Cape Town was opened. On 27 April this route was opened to passengers and took 10 days. In early 1933 Atalantas replaced the DH.66s on the Kisumu to Cape Town sector of
10900-557: Was for mail; passenger flights to Brisbane began the following April.) The first London to Hong Kong passengers departed London on 14 March 1936 following the establishment of a branch from Penang to Hong Kong. On 28 February 1931 a weekly service began between London and Mwanza on Lake Victoria in Tanganyika as part of the proposed route to Cape Town . On 9 December 1931 the Imperial Airways' service for Central Africa
11009-631: Was formed on 31 March 1924 with equipment from each contributing concern: British Marine Air Navigation Company Ltd, the Daimler Airway, Handley Page Transport Ltd and the Instone Air Line Ltd. Sir Eric Geddes was appointed the chairman of the board with one director from each of the merged companies. The government had appointed two directors, Hambling (who was also President of the Institute of Bankers ) and Major John Hills ,
11118-476: Was in charge of the flight. Astraea flew Croydon - Paris - Lyon - Rome - Brindisi - Athens - Alexandria - Cairo where it followed the normal route to Karachi then onwards to Jodhpur - Delhi - Calcutta - Akyab - Rangoon - Bangkok - Prachuab - Alor Setar - Singapore - Palembang - Batavia - Sourabaya - Bima - Koepang - Bathurst Island - Darwin - Newcastle Waters - Camooweal - Cloncurry - Longreach - Roma - Toowoomba reaching Eagle Farm, Brisbane on 23 June. Sydney
11227-586: Was merged into the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in 1939. BOAC in turn merged with the British European Airways (BEA) in 1974 to form British Airways . The establishment of Imperial Airways occurred in the context of facilitating British colonialism by making travel to and from the colonies quicker than travel by ship. Air travel would speed up both colonial government and trade. The launch of
11336-401: Was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current dual name in 1984. The earliest known Māori name for the area, Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui , is derived from Māori legend and translates literally as "the head of Māui 's fish". Te Whanganui a Tara , another Māori name for the area, translates literally as "the great harbour of Tara". It is believed to refer to Tara, a son of
11445-410: Was provided by using roadside parking-garages along Evans Bay Parade at the sheltered western end of the bay next to the patent slip , until a more substantial terminal facility was constructed for TEAL on reclaimed land at what is now Cog Park in 1951. At first passengers were transported by launch between the shore and the flying boats, but in 1951 a small jetty was built and connected via a gangway to
11554-812: Was switched from the Persian to the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf, and Handley Page HP 42 airliners were introduced on the Cairo to Karachi sector. The move saw the establishment of an airport and rest house, Mahatta Fort , in the Trucial State of Sharjah now part of the United Arab Emirates . On 29 May 1933 an England to Australia survey flight took off, operated by Imperial Airways Armstrong Whitworth Atalanta G-ABTL Astraea . Major H. G. Brackley, Imperial Airways' Air Superintendent,
11663-586: Was the Handley Page W8f City of Washington , delivered on 3 November 1924. In the first year of operation the company carried 11,395 passengers and 212,380 letters. In April 1925, the film The Lost World became the first film to be screened for passengers on a scheduled airliner flight when it was shown on the London-Paris route. Between 16 November 1925 and 13 March 1926, Alan Cobham made an Imperial Airways' route survey flight from
11772-628: Was to spell out WELLYWOOD, but this met with massive public opposition. The sign can be seen from Cobham Drive and across Evans Bay. Shelly Bay is a bay on the eastern side of Evans Bay. For many years it was used by the Defence Force. It was the proposed site of a major residential development, but the project was cancelled in September 2023, and the land sold to Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh . Wellington Harbour Wellington Harbour ( Māori : Te Whanganui-a-Tara [tɛ ˈfaŋanʉi
11881-498: Was visited on 26 June, Canberra on 28 June and Melbourne on 29 June. There followed a rapid eastern extension. The first London to Calcutta service departed on 1 July 1933, the first London to Rangoon service on 23 September 1933, the first London to Singapore service on 9 December 1933, and the first London to Brisbane service on 8 December 1934, with Qantas responsible for the Singapore to Brisbane sector. (The 1934 start
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