Date established 1889 Ferry terminal(s) Seatoun Ferryterminal Year established 1889 Northwest Miramar, New Zealand Souths Breaker Bay, Cook Strait | Population 2,130 (2006) North Worser Bay Southwest Strath Park | |
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East Wellington Harbour heads | ||
Seatoun, an eastern suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, lies on the east coast of the Miramar Peninsula, close to the entrance to Wellington Harbour (Port Nicholson), some seven kilometres southeast of the CBD. The suburb sits on an exposed promontory close to Barrett Reef, a dangerous area of rocky shallows upon which many ships have foundered, most notably the inter-island ferry TEV Wahine in 1968.
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Map of Seatoun, Wellington 6022, New Zealand
Europeans first settled the suburb in 1889. The name Seatoun comes from a locality in Forfarshire, Scotland linked with the family history of James Coutts Crawford, the suburb's founder.
Education
The town is the site of Seatoun School, a highly established primary school founded in 1916. In 2002 Seatoun School was re-established in an award winning new facility on the old Fort Dorset army base. Seatoun School is a decile 10 school, catering towards children from Year 1 to Year 8.
The school is built within metres of the entrance to Wellington Harbour. It is a glorious site with an extensive grass playing field complete with a number of exciting fitness stations around its perimeter.
Notable Sites
Seatoun as a suburb looks out on to Steeple Rock, which is the largest rock of Barrett Reef at the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, rising 7m above sea level. Its Māori name is Te Aroaro-o-Kupe (The front of Kupe), after being officially changed on 3 September 2009 from Te Ure-o-Kupe (The penis of Kupe). Kupe, the legendary discoverer of Aotearoa, is said to have injured himself on the rock while swimming.