Island Bay

for the electorate see Island Bay (NZ electorate)

Suburb:	Island Bay
City:	Wellington
Island:	North Island
Surrounded by:
to the north	Berhampore
to the east	Houghton Bay
to the south	Cook Strait
to the west	Owhiro Bay, Happy Valley

Island Bay is one of the southernmost suburbs of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. It lies on the Cook Strait and is situated 7km south of the city centre.

Island Bay is settled on the bay which shares its name, one of numerous small bays that lie to the west of the large indentation of Lyall Bay. Some 500m offshore in Island Bay lies the small Tapu Te Ranga Motu (or Rats) Island, a recreational reserve for which the bay is named. The caves of the island were once a hiding place for local Māori, when attacked by other tribes. This island forms a natural breakwater, giving the suburb a sheltered anchorage.

Noted current residents include Bruce Stewart, writer and dramatist, at Tapu Te Ranga Marae.

Noted former residents include artists Rita Angus and John Drawbridge and writer Robin Hyde. Rock frontmen Andrew Fagan of the Mockers and Jon Toogood of Shihad grew up in Island Bay. Samuel Flynn Scott, Conrad Wedde and Richie Singleton of New Zealand group Phoenix Foundation - also live in the suburb.

"In the early days of the settlement Geo. Hunter II was the chief proprietor of the Island Bay estate and on his stud farm at the bay bred stock and exhibited successfully ... The Island Bay portion was subdivided by the partners and offered for sale by auction by Messrs. Bethune & Co., in March, 1879 ..." (Irvine-Smith page 260-261).

"The Island Bay Racecourse, of which no trace now remains, was approached from the north by the Parade, with Clyde Street as its eastern boundary and Ribble Street as its west. Many of the streets of Island Bay are called after the rivers of the United Kingdom and Europe (see appendix), and a few after British seaports." (Irvine-Smith page 261).

Notable features

Tapu Te Ranga Motu (the island)
Tapu Te Ranga Marae

Erskine

Erskine College. (1906) closed in 1985.

Erskine Chapel of the Sacred Heart. (26 Oct. 1930) 21 Avon Street. Built by J.H Meyer, designed by John Sydney Swan. French Gothic Style. One of the finest chapel interiors in NZ. Used for weddings, and the TLC, see below.

Rotunda

One of the most recognisable features of Island Bay is its Band Rotunda, which stands today in the Island Bay park on the waterfront. The rotunda was built in 1930 and later was covered with plaques remembering the 106 local soldiers who were lost in World War I after being recruited from the area. Further plaques were added after World War II for 46 local soldiers who had died and for the loss of 52 American submarines, 374 officers and 3131 of their men. In the 1930's, local brass bands and the Salvation Army frequently played in the rotunda. However, after the Second World War and the increasing popularity of radio, fewer bands played at the site.

Festival

The rotunda is now empty and only used by children in the surrounding playground, and the occasional concert (usually during Island Bay's annual festival).

HMNZS Wellington

To the east of Taputeranga Island lies the final resting place of HMNZS Wellington (the F69), a decommissioned Royal New Zealand Navy frigate sunk off the coast of Island Bay to provide the starting point for an artificial reef and diving destination. However, a violent storm in early 2006 broke the ship in two and both pieces now reside close to where the ship was sunk.

Monastery

A Buddhist monastery is located on the western hills, with the golden Stupa being visible from all around.

Walkways

Island Bay is also the starting point for two recreational walkways that cross the city. They cross through the surrounding bushland and connect to numerous sites in Wellington.

Marine Laboratory

Victoria University of Wellington maintains an active research and teaching presence on Wellington's south coast at the Island Bay Marine Lab (IBML). IBML is located approximately 8km south of the Kelburn campus, and overlooks spectacular exposed rocky reef systems typical of Cook Strait, with prominent views to the South Island.

Kupe Marine Reserve

The waters surrounding Island Bay are to be placed under the proection of the Department of Conservation with the creation of the Kupe Marine Reserve, aprroved in December 2006 by Conservation Minister Chris Carter.

Gallery

Aurora Australis from the South Coast	Island Bay	Island Bay	Island Bay
Island Bay	Island Bay	Island Bay	South Coast Summer Storm
Tapu Te Ranga Motu	Tapu Te Ranga Motu	Tapu Te Ranga Motu	South Coast Summer Storm