SUNSHINE SUBURB WITH LAUNCH ACCESS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29982, 17 November 1962, Page 8

SUNSHINE SUBURB WITH LAUNCH ACCESS

Diamond Harbour's Progress

[Specially written for "The Press" by JOHN LESLIE] CUNSHINE is the dominant feature of the tree-studded promontory called Diamond Harbour which spreads in pleasant undulation from Purau Bay in the east to Church Bay in the west. Diamond Harbour is indeed the favoured garden “suburb” of Christchurch, for its green slopes, pleasant homes and lush gardens are perpetually sundrenched.

Lyttelton residents, a mile away, have much less sunshine than the 300 or more inhabitants of Diamond Harbour, but of course they have their compensations.

Diamond Harbour residents come from many parts of New Zealand. Quite a few are from overseas including some Who have experienced the rigours of wartime Britain. Others have gone there from Christcthiundh, and from Lyttelton. Christchurch workers consider Diamond Harbour residence more than worth while, and do not grudge their brief 10-mtoute harbour crossing by launch. Only in the roughest weather imaginable is the timetable of the sturdy Ngatiki or the smaller Onaiwe upset. The first launch leaves Diamond Harbour wharf at 7 a.m. on week days, the next 7.30 am., and another at 8 a.m. Office workers, factory employees and secondary schoolchildren can connect with the train and be in Christchurch in less than half an hour from leaving the promontory. Whale it is true, that some special effort must be made for a night out in the city. Diamond Harbour has so much to offer that one resident said he could be out every night to his own locality if he wished. Incidentally, there are no licensed hotels to Diamond Harbour, but I have sampled some excellent home brew on my visits, and have even been given the recipe. Magnificent View Sunbaked sections with magnificent panoramic harbour and landscape views are still for sale, at a price, although many of these are being fast snapped up by city dwellers, who, after week-ending over the water, have cast their eyes shrewdly to the future. Local residents believe that their "suburb” which may one day out-rank the city’s exclusive Fendalton, as the garden suburb, could support nearly 5000 people in the future. The retired businessman who is only 30 minutes from Christchurch by train and launch, and distant only 20 miles by pleasant drive round the head of the harbour, through Governor's Bay and over by Takahe, has food for thought when choosing a place to settle down. Sunshine, safe yachting anchorage, swimming and good fishing—and yes—television If it must be, is already well entrenched across the harbour as witnessed by several TV aerials dotted about the landscape. Causeway Via Quail Island Men with vision, and there are quite a few on the promontory. believe that Diamond Harbour is nearer to Christchurch to the minds of city dwellers now that the uncompleted road tunnel has been finally pierced from Heathcote to Lyttelton. One of these men has made strong representations for a causeway via Quafl Istnd, over the harbour, Unking the sunshine suburb with the road tunnel portal at Lyttelton. This would bring Christchurch within 20 minutes by bus or car from Diamond Harbour. In addition to this, a large reclamation scheme for the upper harbour, beyond the projected causeway, has been mooted by forward looking citizens. » to thought that such • reclamation wauM bait «• wet istwx ggnafi otl

the city and provide industrial space locally, not only nearer to shipping, but nearer Diamond Harbour. The North Shore, Milford, Takapuna foreshore, has been considered a pattern for the future trend of Diamond Harbour, by the locals, more especially by those Who know Auckland and believe to sunshine. An Active Community There is a primary school, an interdenominational church, a sea scout troop, cub and brownie packs. Indoor bowls, badminton and other recreations are much patronAssociation has a local group, ised. The Returned Services’ sociation has a local group. There is also a cricket club. Both men and women, moreover, belong to the gardening group. A popular flower show is held every summer. Excellent drama productions are produced in the modern seven-year-old community hall, which was built for £lO,OOO by the efforts of Diamond Harbour people who provided half the funds for construction. The balance was a Government subsidy. Apart from all this, the whole area, including Purau Bay and the fast-developing Church Bay and Charteris Bay act as a magnet for city dwellers, not only to summer, but also to Winter. In summertime, water ski-tog and speed-boat racing are popular offshore, although this got out of hand a little at one stage until curbed when bathers had become alarmed by the speedboats’ antics. Fresh water Is piped across the harbour by underwater pipeline and a further amenity is an automatic dialling telephone, direct service to Christchurch. There is also a local taxi service to operation, not to mention a keen volunteer fire brigade. Shopping Services Shopping services, milk, paper and breed deliveries are much as they are to the city. Vegetables? Well the fertile volcanic soil of the peninsula, supplemented by the phenomenal sunshine to the area, gives al! growth a spurt that is probably unknown anywhere else to Canterbury. This applies to flowers and vegetables. Both these grow all the year round. Diamond Harbour was Included to the Lyttelton Borough about 1913. with a view to its being developed as a garden suburb. A bold landmark, Godley House, a handsome if weatherbeaten dwelling, built by Harvey Hawkins to 1880, is probably the best-known landmark in Diamond Harbour, as it peeks through the tall trees on Stoddart Point. Hawkins, a prosperous Lyttelton merchant of the time, used some of the profits he had made doing contract work on the Lyttelton breakwater, to build the dwelling as a guest house. Godley House, however, is a gentle reminder of a graceful past Today, the active, progressive Diamond Harbour Burgesses Association looks confidently to the future, as witnessed by fine streets, graceful homes, ranging from tidy neat baches to large. even magnificent sun-taap-designed homes surrounded by ptessant green floral dtapisy and

Altogether, and finally, Diamond Harbour has a great deal to offer. There is the magnificent down-harbour view across Ripa Island (once Von Luckner’s abode), and beyond the fat white stump of Godley Head Lighthouse, then seaward or alternatively an up-harbour view to Governor's Bay which embraces a vista of soft green bills. The great rugged and jagged volcanic heights above Lyttelton have a majesty too. When viewed from here. Then finally, there are great liners, freighters, tankers, coasters, fishing vessels, yachts, launches and small craft to keep one in touch with the greater world outside.