Musselburgh, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Musselburgh
|
|
|---|---|
|
Suburb
|
|
Musselburgh Rise
|
|
 Musselburgh
Location in New Zealand
|
|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Dunedin |
| Area | |
| • Land | 58 ha (143 acre) |
| Population
(June 2023)
|
|
| • Total | 1,560 |
  Musselburgh, New Zealand  |
||
Musselburgh is a friendly neighbourhood in Dunedin, a city in New Zealand. It's located in the southeast part of the city, about 2.8 kilometres (1.7 miles) from the city centre. Musselburgh sits on a narrow strip of land, only about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) wide, that connects the Otago Peninsula to the rest of the South Island. The suburb is named after a town in Scotland. In 2001, about 2,835 people lived here.
Contents
Exploring Musselburgh's Landscape
Musselburgh has a special rocky hill called the Musselburgh Rise. This hill stands out from "The Flat," which is a wide, flat area of land that covers nearby suburbs like Saint Kilda and South Dunedin. The Rise is very close to the bottom end of the Otago Harbour, right next to the Andersons Bay Inlet. There's another similar rocky area nearby that has been used for getting stones.
The main street in Musselburgh is also called Musselburgh Rise. This street connects to Andersons Bay Road and goes around the southern side of the rocky hill. Along Musselburgh Rise, you'll find a small shopping area with about a dozen shops. This shopping area and the southern part of the Rise are sometimes known as Sunshine, which used to be called Goat Hill.
Another important road, Portobello Road, runs along the northern side of the Musselburgh Rise. This road joins Portsmouth Drive. Near this meeting point, there's a large memorial stone. It remembers the Taranaki Māori who were brought to Dunedin during the New Zealand Wars. Many of them helped build the causeway and some of Dunedin's roads. A train line used to run along Portobello Road from the 1870s until 1912.
Who Lives in Musselburgh?
Musselburgh covers about 0.58 square kilometres (0.22 square miles). As of June 2023 , it has an estimated population of 1,560 people. This means there are about 2690 people living in each square kilometre.
In 2018, there were 1,515 people living in Musselburgh. About 18.6% of the people were under 15 years old. Musselburgh is a diverse place, with people from many different backgrounds living there. Many people have no religion, while others are Christian or follow other faiths.
Places to See and Things to Do
Musselburgh is mainly a place where people live. It includes the top of the Musselburgh Rise and stretches towards the suburbs of Saint Kilda, Andersons Bay, Tahuna, and Tainui. On top of the Rise, you can find some larger, older homes. One famous home is Belmont, built in the 1860s for a politician and newspaper editor named William Cutten. Later, it was owned by Sidney Neill and was known for its beautiful gardens.
Learning in Musselburgh
Musselburgh is home to several schools, making it a great place for families.
Bayfield High School
Close to the eastern side of the Musselburgh Rise is Bayfield High School. This school is for students in years 9 to 13 (ages 13-18). It opened in 1961 and has a roll of 602 students.
Tahuna Normal Intermediate School
South of Musselburgh, on Victoria Road, is Tahuna Normal Intermediate School. This school is for students in years 7 to 8 (ages 11-13). It opened in 1961 and has a roll of 547 students.
Musselburgh School
Right next to Tahuna Normal Intermediate is Musselburgh School. This school is for younger students, from years 1 to 6 (ages 5-10). It opened in 1905 and has a roll of 128 students.
All three schools are coeducational, meaning both boys and girls attend. The student numbers are as of February 2024. .
