Green Island, New Zealand

Green Island, New Zealand

Location map
New Zealand
label=Green Island
lat_dir=S | lat_deg=45 | lat_min=57
lon_dir=E | lon_deg=170 | lon_min=23
position=right
width= 150
float=right
caption=

Green Island is an island off the coast of Dunedin, New Zealand, also the name of one of the city's suburbs. The suburb is not on the sea — formerly a borough, it took its name from the Green Island bush, uncleared native forest extending from the valley where the town is centred over the hills towards the coast. The offshore island's name was used to identify the bush.

The island

Green Island is a small uninhabited island located at coord|-45.952955|170.387113|display=inline|format=dms, 13 km southwest of Dunedin, close to the mouth of the Kaikorai Lagoon. The island's Māori name is Okaihae.

It may be the 'Isle of Wight' where the Sydney sealer "Brothers", chartered by Robert Campbell and sailing under Robert Mason dropped eight men of a gang of eleven in November 1809. William Tucker who later settled at Whareakeake (Murdering Beach) near Otago Heads was in the gang. Alternatively the 'Isle of Wight' may be Taieri Island a few kilometres to the south. It has been suggested in that case Green Island may be 'Ragged Rock' where the other three men of the Brothers' gang were landed. Some of the men claimed to have stayed on these two islands from 9 November 1809 until 20 December 1810. [Peter Entwisle, "Taka: a Vignette Life of William Tucker 1784-1817", Dunedin, NZ: Port Daniel Press, 2005, p.54 & pp.110-115.]

Green Island used to be called St Michael's Mount, suggesting it had been named after the island of that name off the Cornish coast. It is more likely it was so named after Tommy Chaseland's mother ship the St. Michael when he was sealing here in the 1820s. He told Edward Shortland he lost a boat and all its hands when it was dashed on the island while trying to land. He stayed alone overnight and was picked up by another boat the following day. [Edward Shortland," The Southern Districts of New Zealand; a Journal", London, UK: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1851 reprinted by Capper Press, Christchurch, 1974, pp.153-4.]

In the 1880s the island was mined for guano, bird dung used as fertiliser.

Green Island suburb

Green Island, since 1989 officially an outer suburb of Dunedin, is on State Highway 1 8 km west of the Dunedin CBD, at coord|-45.90306|170.434384|display=inline|format=dms. It has a population (2001) of 2,430. Green Island's main economy is based on light and small scale heavy industry.

Abbotsford

Immediately to the north of Green Island, and only separated from it by the State Highway and South Island Main Trunk Railway, is Abbotsford, Abbotsford is an entirely residential suburb with virtually no retail or service sector of its own - for these it relies on Green Island which lies only some 300 metres to the south. Abbotsford has a population of 1,677.

The Abbotsford landslide

On the night of August 8 1979, a major landslide occurred in Abbotsford, resulting in the destruction or relocation of some 69 houses, and requiring the evacuation of over 600 people. No-one was killed. This remains the largest landslip to have occurred in an urban area of New Zealand.

unnyvale

At the southern end of the Abbotsford is the smaller suburb of Sunnyvale. This was until the 1990s the site of the main road routh south out of Dunedin, but it and Fairfield immediately to the south were bypassed by a motorway extension in 2000.

References

External links

* [http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Childrens/NZDisasters/Abbotsford.asp Abbotsford landslide]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Green Lake, New Zealand — Green Lake is the name of four lakes in New Zealand. Two are named in comparison with neighbouring lakes called Blue Lake, while a third, similarly, is near Black Lake.Green Lake, Southern Bay of PlentyGreen Lake is an alternative name for Lake… …   Wikipedia

  • Green Bay, New Zealand — Suburb:Green BayCity:WaitakereIsland:North IslandSurrounded by to the north to the north east to the east to the south to the south west to the west to the north west New Lynn Blockhouse Bay Manukau Harbour Manukau Harbour Wood Bay Titirangi… …   Wikipedia

  • Green Island — or Greene Island can refer to:GeographicIn Africa* Green Island (Egypt), in the Gulf of Suez * Green Island (Eritrea), in the Red Sea (Gulf of Zula)In Asia* Green Island, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, People s Republic of China * Ilha Verde ( lit.… …   Wikipedia

  • Mana Island, New Zealand — Mana Island Māori: Te Mana o Kupe Mana Island seen from Porirua …   Wikipedia

  • Rabbit Island, New Zealand — Rabbit Island is the name of several different islands off the New Zealand coast.The largest and best known Rabbit Island lies across the southernmost part of Tasman Bay, at the top of New Zealand s South Island. The long narrow island runs east… …   Wikipedia

  • New Zealand — New Zealander. /zee leuhnd/ a country in the S Pacific, SE of Australia, consisting of North Island, South Island, and adjacent small islands: a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 3,587,275; 103,416 sq. mi. (267,845 sq. km). Cap.: Wellington …   Universalium

  • New Zealand Robin — South Island Robin (Petroica australis australis) Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • New Zealand Pigeon — On Kapiti Island, New Zealand Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • New Zealand dollar — Tāra o Aotearoa (Māori) ISO 4217 code NZD User(s)  New Zealand …   Wikipedia

  • New Lynn, New Zealand — New Lynn Basic information Local authority Auckland Electoral ward Whau Population 15,510 (2006) Facilities Train station(s) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”