Ravensbourne, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ravensbourne
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Suburb
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View of Ravensbourne from the railway bridge
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 Ravensbourne
Location in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Dunedin |
| Area | |
| • Land | 187 ha (462 acre) |
| Population
(2018 Census)
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| • Total | 1,209 |
  Ravensbourne, New Zealand  |
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Ravensbourne is a cool suburb in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It sits right on the edge of Otago Harbour, nestled against the steep slopes of Signal Hill. You can find it on the northern side of the harbour, about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) northeast of Dunedin's city center.
Contents
Exploring Ravensbourne's Location and Past
Ravensbourne is a special place because of its location. Both the railway and roads connecting central Dunedin to Port Chalmers pass right through it. They use the narrow strip of land between the big hill and the harbour.
A Fun Cycleway by the Harbour
There's a fantastic cycleway that runs along the harbour's edge, very close to the train tracks. This path started being built in the late 1900s. Now, it connects many towns along the western side of Otago Harbour. It begins near the Forsyth Barr Stadium in North Dunedin and goes all the way to Port Chalmers.
How Ravensbourne Got Its Name
Ravensbourne was named after the property of Thomas De Lacy. He was the first mayor of West Harbour, serving from 1877 to 1878. On his land, there were lots of weka birds. These birds were quite cheeky, which reminded De Lacy of the ravens from his home country, Scotland. The traditional Māori name for this area is Kaitaki Tamariki, but it's not used very often today.
Discovering the West Harbour Area
Ravensbourne, along with nearby places like Maia, Burkes, and Saint Leonards, are often called West Harbour together. This area used to be its own separate town from 1877 until it joined Dunedin city in 1963. Today, "West Harbour" usually refers to the West Harbour Community Board. This group represents these communities, plus Pūrākaunui, Aramoana, Port Chalmers, and Sawyers Bay.
Maia and Burkes: Small Coastal Towns
Just northeast of Ravensbourne, you'll find the smaller settlements of Maia and Burkes. Maia is almost like a part of Ravensbourne, located about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) northeast. Its name sounds like it could be Māori, but it was actually named after Maia, a daughter of Atlas from ancient Greek stories.
Burkes is further northeast from Maia. It mainly has one long, narrow road that runs above the main highway. A cool thing about Burkes is how the South Island Main Trunk railway crosses over several small bays using special bridges called causeways. Some parts of these causeways are now also used by the Otago Harbour Cycleway.
North of Burkes is a larger town called Saint Leonards. An early settler named David Carey named it after St Leonards-on-Sea in England. This was where his wife was born.
Life in Ravensbourne: Homes and Industries
Ravensbourne is mostly a place where people live. However, it also has two big industrial sites. These are the Logan Point Quarry and the Ravensdown Fertiliser factory. The factory is right by the harbour at the southern end of the suburb.
Homes and Students
Ravensbourne has many smaller homes. A lot of these are rented by students from the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic. These universities are only about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to the west. The suburb is built around the main highway (State Highway 88) that goes between Dunedin and Port Chalmers. There are also many narrow, winding roads that go up the hill to the northwest. Above the suburb is Burns Park Scenic Reserve. This park covers a large part of the upper slopes of Signal Hill.
Ravensbourne's Population and People
Ravensbourne and Maia together cover an area of 1.87 square kilometers (0.72 sq mi). In 2018, about 1,209 people lived here. This was a small decrease from earlier years. There were slightly more males than females. About 16.6% of the people were under 15 years old.
Diversity in Ravensbourne
The people living in Ravensbourne come from different backgrounds. About 89.6% are European/Pākehā. There are also Māori (10.2%), Pasifika (3.2%), Asian (4.7%), and other groups. Many people identify with more than one background.
When it comes to beliefs, about 60% of people said they had no religion. About 24.1% were Christian. Smaller numbers followed Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, or other religions.
Many adults in Ravensbourne have a good education. About 29.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Most people (51.5%) work full-time.
Education in Ravensbourne
Ravensbourne School is a primary school for students in years 1 to 6. It was started in 1877. The school helps children learn and grow in the community.
