Imagine Kupe arriving here around 1000-1300 BC. This is Seatoun. It’s an eastern suburb of Wellington. Seatoun lies on the Miramar Peninsula’s east coast. It is near the entrance to Wellington Harbour. The traditional Māori name is Te Turanga o Kupe. Legend says Kupe first set ashore here. He named the foreshore Kirikiritatangi. This name reflects the rattling waves on the beach gravel.
Seatoun sits on an exposed promontory. Barrett Reef is nearby. This reef is a dangerous area of rocky shallows. Many ships have foundered here. Seatoun looks out to Steeple Rock. Māori call it Te Aroaro-o-Kupe. This large rock rises 7 metres above sea level. It marks the harbour entrance’s west side.
Tara-Ika i Nohu led the first settlement. He gave his name to Wellington as Te Whanganui a Tara. Tara settled Matiu/Soames Island around 1100-1300 AD. About 200 people were with him. They split into two groups. One group established a pā. It was named Te Whetū Kairangi. This overlooks Worser Bay.
Much of today’s Seatoun was once underwater. Early pā sites occupied hillsides for defense. The Miramar Peninsula was once an island. It was known as Te Motu Kairangi. The Horowhenua earthquake of 1460 lifted the land. This connected the island to the mainland.
A second pā was built in the 1700s. It stood on the headland at the harbour entrance. Today, this is the Oruaiti Reserve. Tradition says Te Rerewa of the Rangitane iwi built it. Māori from Whanganui attacked it. About 500 attackers were killed at Worser Bay. A 17-metre waka sculpture marks the site today. It was constructed in 2013.
The modern name Seatoun comes from Scotland. James Coutts Crawford founded the suburb. He named it after family holdings in Forfarshire. Crawford was among the first European settlers. He arrived in 1839. He set up a farm on the Miramar Peninsula. He named his holdings Overtoun and Seatoun.
James Heberley was among the first to settle here. He lived with his family at Worser Bay. Colonel William Wakefield asked him to be a pilot. The bay was originally called Young’s Bay. This was after a whaler George Young. It became Worser Bay after Heberley’s nickname.
The first school opened in 1897. It was in the Church Hall on Beach Road. Sixteen students attended. Seatoun School was established in 1921. This separated it from Worser Bay due to growing demand.
European settlement began properly around 1899. Access was limited to boats. A tunnel was built between 1906 and 1907. This linked Seatoun to Strathmore Park and Miramar. Electric trams then connected the suburb to the city. The tunnel was 144m long. It was said to be the widest tunnel in Australasia at the time.
In 1911, Fort Dorset was built. It protected the entrance to Wellington Harbour. A two-gun battery was built on Point Dorset in 1908. The fort closed in 1991. It was largely demolished in 1998. In 1999, it became the set for Bree and The Prancing Pony Inn in The Lord of the Rings. In 2002, it became Seatoun Primary School.
In 1917, Seatoun was described as a favourite seaside resort. It had good boarding accommodation stores tearooms and a post office. It was near the Oruaiti pā famous in Māori history. Breaker Bay was a favourite picnic spot.
In 1926, Seatoun needed investment. Residents complained about open drains and unmaintained streets. A third of the houses lacked proper roads.
The first church service was in 1910. It was in a butcher’s shop on Worser Bay. A Presbyterian church was built on Ventnor Street in 1913. This building is now Seatoun Village Hall. St Christopher’s Church replaced it in 1932. The church contains the Wahine Cross. It is made from wood salvaged from the TEV Wahine wreck.
The Anglican church of St George was established in 1946. The current building was built in 1957.
Seatoun played a role in the sinking of the TEV Wahine in 1968. The ship foundered off the shoreline. Some lifeboats landed at Seatoun. Churchill Park has a memorial to the disaster. It includes an anchor and chains from the Wahine. Each chain link represents a victim. Replica ship ventilators are also there. Steeple Rock is visible. It is near where the Wahine sank.
Today Seatoun is a vibrant suburb. It offers a mix of history recreation and community. Take a moment to reflect on its rich past. Consider its bright future.