ONCE A LAKE-BED

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 127, 31 May 1928, Page 12

ONCE A LAKE-BED

NOW A CITY THE ROMANCE OF MIRAMAR A/PIONEER'S EXAMPLE The'peninsula which forms the western, shoro of. the entrance to Port Nicholson, called Watt's Peninsula, contains about ISOO acres, chiefly steep, hilly pasture land, and totally devoid of timber; and eighteen sections have been laid out and chosen upon it. In its centre, was Burnhani Water, a ■ fresh-water lake covering about 100 acres; and round the shores of this lake there were about 200 acres of level land, lying in a awamp," but available for cultivation after drainage. . . Mr.. J. O. Crawford in /the year 1847 commenced draining Burnham Water ■by means of a tunnel through tho narrow ridge of hills which separates it from Evans Bay. He has thus reclaimed a considerable tract of very fertile land, including the former site of the Lake. . . The isthmus between Lyall and Evans Bays is a sandy tract, totally unfit for cultivation of any kind. The Racecourse is on the Peninsula, closely adjoining this isthmus." The above remarks are abridged from a publication dated IS4B, tho "Handbook for New Zealand," issued- by "a late Magistrate of the Colony, wlio resided there during four years." They must have been four observant years, for his topographical description of Wellington and its environs has never been excelled to this day. It is clear •that he knew Wellington almost by heart. The present generation generally knows Watt's Peninsula as Miramar. It remembers not the lake called Burnham Water—reputed to have harboured water-fowl, even Paradise ducks —and the racecourse and its gallopers have long since passed. It is true that about, twenty-five -years ago pony-rac- ■ ing was revived at Mi^amar for a while, but even this is almost forgotten, along with Wonderland and Katszenjammer Castle and the uncomplimentary mirrors and the water-slide. After passing through a pioro or less desultory speculative stage, tho modern Miramar has at last struck oil in more senses than one. Much, however, remains to be done. Although the old lake has' gone, the ghost of it shows visibly after heavy rainfall, in the shape of -wide expanse^ of stormwatcr. Even as early as 1848 (wjien Wellington was only eight years old) the chronicler was able to report that Mr. J. C. Crawford hail already effected a considerable measure of drainage; and it is quite clear that if the Wellington City Council had made equally good use of its time since Miramar became incorporated in the city, the chronicler of 1928 would not be able to record the survival of any vestige of those conditions .which gave rise to the Burnhani Water of tho ''forties. DRAINAGE PROBLEM OF TO-DAY. In evidence of the energy and capacity of the early colonists, the '' tunnel through the narrow ridge of hills" stands to-day as a monument to its author. It issues to tho harbour near the rutting and wharves -at Miraiuar, and has been carrying off the stormwater, of a. largo part of Miramar for N eighty years. During the eight decades that have elapsed since tho tunnel was cut, much has been done for wharfage and general improvements, but little or nothing has been done for the main outlet drainage, so that the present activity of the City Council is rather belated. Notwithstanding the irreparable loss—in the days of Mayor Aitken—ofi the City Council's chance to purchase Miramar at a low figure from the Crawford family, tho popularity of both" flat and hills has gone steadily ahead, and in tho last year or two it has so accelerated — owing largely -to the utilisation of the land and credit of the State Advances Department —that the council finds itself impelled to action in the public interest. The latest form of the council's activity in the matter of Miramar drainage has been to- a,pply to the Board of Health (as recently explained in tho "Evening Post") for a requisition to borrow money (£100,000) by special order, without going through tho usual process of consulting,the ratepayers by poll. The loan would include stormwater drainage as well as sewerage, and would include districts -other than Miramar. Before dealing with the council's application to dispense with ratepayer-consultation, the Board of Health has sot up a sub-com-mittee to take evidence in public for or against tho council's application, and to report thereon to the board. GROWTH DESPITE DRAWBACKS, If all the ratepayers of Greater Wellington were to view Miramar as it is .to-day and compare it with tho Miramar of the year 1923, or even of 1925, surely they would bo so impressed with tho sense of civic achievement that they would view the question of a Miramar drainage loan in no narrow sectional spirit. The great progress that has been "made in spite of tho drainage handicap would seem to argue for a removal of such handicap as soon as possible, ,so that a'still greater harvest of improvement may be reaped, and at no risk to the health of the population that is rapidly aggregating where Burnham Water used to be. Wellington has reason to be proud of Miramar —perhaps Wellington has more reason to be proud of Miramar than Miramar lias to bo proud of Wellington. If Wellington Jiad bought Miramar a quarter of a century ago, and had subdivided on terms consistent with the low cost and the ulowly expanding' market, there would have been a handsome precedent for the Hutt-Petono subdivision seheinc. It is noteworthy that the brain of Sir Francis Bell was behind both these townplanning ideas, but the Hutt-Petone scheme was fortunate above tho other in having the support of a younger personality wifh a genius for spadework and with- persistence and perseverance in the face of criticism. Still, notwithstanding all disparities and all changes of fortune, Miramar development to-day represents so much of solid achievement that the people and the" ratepayers of Greater Wellington might well extend their sympathetic interest, and at the same time might'recognise how much of the success is clue to the State Advances Department. Building at Miramar has been proceeding at a rapid pace both on Govern-ment-owned land and on private land, and the Department's loans have been the mainspring in both spheres. It is estimated that not less than 90 per cent, of building at Miramar during the last five years has been financed with State Advances loans. And the hundreds of houses built on sections purchased from the State itself have all been financed by the Department. It is charged against the State Advances Department that buyers of Government sections often get their loans quicker than do buyers of private sections. If so ; the question arises: Is not the State justified, other things being equal, in finding a loan for a -house on land which it wishes to sell (and which was purchased for the purpose of housing) before finding a loan for a house bought from a private land owner? If a private company were subdividing land and advancing money for houses, .would it give preference to

loan applications for houses on land that it did not sell v And if it is permissible at all for a Government to be in business, should not that Government operate —other things being equal —on approved business linos? CRITICISM AND INCREMENT. The area bounded by Broadway (the street that carries the Seatoun branch of the electrical-tramway), by Hobart street (which carries tho Miramar North branch of the tramway) by Devonshire road, and by Ira street, contains approximately "0 acres, and is part of the land acquired under the post-war housing scheme. That housing scheme, it will be remembered, was a house-building scheme, and the house-building efforts of the State were adversely criticised, yet it is a fact that all these State-built houses (they lie on Broadway, ..southern side) are in continuous occupation, and tho further, fact that some of them have been converted into half a dozen shops seems to indicate a good deal of increment value for the unfortunate (?) ! owners. When tho State house-building policy gave place to a policy of private building on land sold to tho home-maker by the State, it became the duty of "the State Advances. Department to sell this land and finance the homes, with the result that in the last twelve months tho Department has disposed of 150 sections in the area, mentioned above, tho subdivision giving rise to half a dozen new streets. During that time 120 houses have been built within tho area mentioned .between Broadway and Devonshire road, and 30 more are being built or are under contract to build. A complete new quarter of superior homes has arisen on the Government area, settling a population of over 700 souls, apart from those liivng in the earlier State-built houses south of Broadway. Perhaps "Wellington, docs not realise the full extent of those Miramar developments. They will be referred to again.