Miramar Peninsula
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The Miramar Peninsula is at the southeastern end of the city of Wellington, New Zealand. It contains the suburbs of Miramar, Maupuia, Seatoun, Strathmore and The Heights. The isthmus connecting the peninsula to the rest of Wellington separates Evans Bay to the north from Lyall Bay to the south, and is the location of Wellington International Airport.
To the east of the peninsula lies the mouth of Wellington Harbour, which opens into Cook Strait at its southern end. The notorious rocks of Barrett Reef lie close to the shore of the peninsula.
The peninsula was originally called Watt's Peninsula. In 1872 the first settler in the area, James Coutts Crawford, changed the name to Miramar—which means "Behold the sea" or "Wonderful sea".
The original Maori name was Whataitai.
Miramar Borough was formed on 18 November 1904.
Film director Peter Jackson has built a multi-million dollar series of studios, sound stages, pre- and post-production facilities in Miramar. The famous "Weta Workshop" that is also involved in many movies directed by Peter Jackson such as The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and King Kong can also be found in Miramar.
[edit] References
- Wellington Local History: Miramar/Seatoun — A Wellington City Libraries page on the history of the area
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