Oriental Bay

Oriental Bay
Suburb
Oriental Bay, the Tararuas in the far distance
Oriental Bay, the Tararuas in the far distance
Map
Coordinates: 41°17′30″S 174°47′40″E / 41.29167°S 174.79444°E / -41.29167; 174.79444
CountryNew Zealand
CityWellington City
Local authorityWellington City Council
Electoral ward
  • Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward
  • Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward
Area
[1]
 • Land30 ha (70 acres)
Population
 (June 2023)[2]
 • Total1,450
Wellington Harbour
Mount Victoria and Te Aro
Oriental Bay
 Roseneath
Wellington Town Belt

Oriental Bay is a bay and suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Known for being both a popular beach and an opulent centre of affluence in the city,[3] it is located close to the central business district on Wellington Harbour.

It has the closest beach to the central city and is thus a popular destination for locals, who swarm here especially in the warmer months (December to March).[3][4] Painted ladies and other historic houses, such as those in distinctly Wellingtonian streamline moderne style, are prominent alongside and up into the hills that face the bay. Situated against the northern slope of Mount Victoria, the suburb lies 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) southeast of the city centre, at the start of a coastal route which continues around into Evans Bay. Oriental Bay was originally named Duppa Bay, after its sole original resident George Duppa, but in 1843 he renamed it after the Oriental, one of the first ships to bring settlers to Wellington. Originally described as a remote "dreary-looking spot" of rocks lying between cliffs and the sea used primarily for quarantining foreigners,[5] it has undergone considerable renovation since colonisation's early stages.

Many landmarks were built during the 20th century, including grand streamlined moderne houses like the Olympus Building and the Anscombe Apartments, and the modernist Freyberg Pool built in the 1960s. However, the beach's greatest renovation came in 2004, when 22,000 tonnes of sand was shipped from Golden Bay to rebuild the beach, which had become worn down over many years.[5]

The Carter Fountain is a distinctive feature in the bay, as is the wooden pontoon which is often covered in swimmers. A small section of the bay that lies beside Freyberg Pool is known as Freyberg Beach, after Lord Freyberg.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b Singer, Michelle. "Oriental Bay: A Wellington Neighborhood Near the City Center That Feels Like a Holiday Destination". www.mansionglobal.com. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  4. ^ McLean, Gavin; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Wellington's Riviera". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Life's a beach in Oriental Bay". Wellington City Council. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Freyberg Beach". Wellington City Council. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.