Southshore | |
|---|---|
 Southshore and South New Brighton | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 43°33′0″S 172°44′51″E / 43.55000°S 172.74750°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Christchurch |
| Local authority | Christchurch City Council |
| Electoral ward | Coastal |
| Community board | Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood |
| Area | |
| • Land | 124 ha (306 acres) |
| Population (2018 Census)[2] | |
| • Total | 1,041 |
| South New Brighton | ||
| (Avon Heathcote Estuary) |
  Southshore  |
(Pegasus Bay) |
| Sumner |
Southshore (Māori: Te Kōrero Karoro) is an eastern coastal suburb within Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located on a narrow 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long sandspit that runs along the eastern side of the Avon Heathcote Estuary and west of the Pacific Ocean. The suburb is 8 km (5.0 mi) east of the city centre and 5 km (3.1 mi) south of New Brighton's main retail area.
Before urbanisation, the area was largely swampland bordered by large coastal dunes which had some Māori presence. The area holds strong historical and cultural importance to the local Māori hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, because the land and estuary provided a large amount of resources and seafood. Prehistoric evidence of middens in the area combined with Māori occupation on the sandspit indicates a high potential for the presence of archaeology in the area.
In its early years, the area was known locally to early European settlers as Sandhills Run. They constructed baches and established a dairy station in the suburb. Southshore initially had very few permanent residents due to the absence of facilities and insufficient transportation; it was later urbanised in the late 1940s. The area was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and 198 properties were red-zoned. Southshore is prone to coastal-related hazards such as tsunamis and sea level rise. Nationally, Southshore is part of the Christchurch East parliamentary electorate. It is within the coastal ward for local elections.
Southshore's population predominantly consists of European New Zealanders; its above-average housing costs and coastal setting attracts an older demographic to the area. Notable people with connections to the suburb include the motorcycle speedway rider Ivan Mauger, the former deputy-mayor of Christchurch Peter Skellerup, and the former chairman of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Tipene O'Regan.