| New Brighton | |
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| New Brighton Pier | |
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New Brighton
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| Coordinates: | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.7891 km2 (1.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 3,642 |
| • Density | 1,305.8/km2 (3,382/sq mi) |
New Brighton is a coastal suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the east of the city centre.
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The naming of New Brighton was apparently done on a 'spur of moment' decision by William Fee, an early settler of the area. When William Guise Brittan, the Waste Lands Commissioner, visited the area in December 1860, he was recognised and Fee chalked 'New Brighton' on a wooden plank, supposedly in reference to his fellow settler Stephen Brooker, who had come from New Brighton in England.[1] The Māori name for the area is Kaiuau (kai means food and aua is Yellow-eye mullet)[2] or O-ruapaeroa (an east wind blowing along the shore).[1]
The suburb is frequently referred to simply as Brighton, occasionally leading to confusion with Brighton near Dunedin.
The suburb is divided into three sections spread along the southern coast of Pegasus Bay: North New Brighton; New Brighton; and South New Brighton, which lies at the northern end of a narrow peninsula between the bay and the Avon Heathcote Estuary. A 300 metres (980 ft) pier was built here in the 1990s, and opened on November 1997.
New Brighton was originally a distinct coastal village, separated from the then outer suburbs of Christchurch by the swampy areas adjoining the Avon River. However, urban expansion, land reclamation and drainage have led to Brighton being swallowed by Christchurch city.
The current attractions of the area include:
For several decades, New Brighton had the distinction of being the only place in New Zealand where general retail shops were permitted to open on Saturdays[4] (remaining closed on Mondays), and the business district thrived as a result. With the introduction of nationwide Saturday trading in the 1980s and then seven-day trading, retail activity declined significantly.[5]
A variety of bus routes connect the city centre with New Brighton. The Metroinfo website[6] has further information.
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