Eastbourne, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eastbourne
Rimu Street, the main street of Eastbourne
Country	New Zealand
Region	Wellington Region
City	Lower Hutt
Ward	Harbour
Area
• Total	1.93 km2 (0.75 sq mi)
Population  (June 2022)
• Total	2,810
• Density	1,456/km2 (3,771/sq mi)

Eastbourne is a suburb of Lower Hutt, a part of Wellington, New Zealand. Lying beside the sea, it is a popular local tourist destination via car from Petone or from ferry crossings from central Wellington. An outer suburb, it lies on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour, five kilometres south of the main Lower Hutt urban area and directly across the harbour from the Miramar Peninsula in Wellington city. A narrow exposed coastal road connects it with the rest of Lower Hutt via the Eastern Bays and the industrial suburb of Seaview. It is named for Eastbourne in England, another seaside town known as a destination for day-trips.

In the hills bordering Eastbourne there is mainly native bush and trees. With a locally administered possum-eradication programme, much of the native bush has regenerated, including red-flowering northern rātā trees. The bush has numerous tracks running to and from them, including a track along the entire bays hills ridge. With many settlers originating from Stromboli, an island near Sicily, the suburb has an Italian heritage similar to several other suburbs in Wellington; this is expressed particularly in its architecture.

Location

Rimu Street is the main street of Eastbourne.

An outer suburb, it is situated on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour, five 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 programme 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.

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 three local primary schools: Muritai School, San Antonio School and Wellesley College.

At the end of Eastbourne beyond Burdan's gate there is a pedestrian-only coastal road (unsealed) which extends out to the Wellington Harbour entrance heads. There are three lighthouses at the heads.

Biodiversity

The hills surrounding Eastbourne provide important habitat for indigenous biodiversity and contain some of New Zealand's rarest and most endangered plant species.

Demographics

Eastbourne statistical area covers 1.93 km² (0.75 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 2,810 as of June 2022, with a population density of 1456 people per km².

Eastbourne had a population of 2,709 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 12 people (-0.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 9 people (0.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,089 households. There were 1,308 males and 1,401 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.93 males per female. The median age was 46.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 534 people (19.7%) aged under 15 years, 324 (12.0%) aged 15 to 29, 1,317 (48.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 531 (19.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 95.3% European/Pākehā, 5.4% Māori, 1.6% Pacific peoples, 2.8% Asian, and 2.1% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 26.0%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 54.5% had no religion, 36.8% were Christian, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.6% were Buddhist and 2.8% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 990 (45.5%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 153 (7.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $45,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,074 (49.4%) people were employed full-time, 375 (17.2%) were part-time, and 69 (3.2%) were unemployed.

Education

Muritai School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 376 as of April 2023.

San Antonio School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of .

Notable residents

• Margaret Magill (1888–1962), teacher and school principal; served as deputy mayor of Eastbourne
• Mimie Wood (1888–1979), secretary, accountant and librarian for the Royal Society of New Zealand; lived in Eastbourne from 1920

Images for kids

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  Ballinger Gardens, Eastbourne, demonstrating pleasant garden scenes and older architecture in the suburb.

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  Eastbourne Borough Council Omnibus Service Garage 1939

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  Football Field, Eastbourne

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  Rata Street. Classic cars such as these were often built nearby, at Seaview.

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  Muritai Street.

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  Golden Palace Takeaway, Rimu Street

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  Rimu Street, Eastbourne. Note the prominent Norfolk Pines.

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  The local Four Square.

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  Bus Stop with colourful murals, typical in New Zealand

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  Fire Station