Balaena Bay, Evans Bay, Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealandi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Balaena Bay | Bay |
| Evans Bay | - not defined - |
| Wellington | City |
| Wellington Region | Region |
| New Zealand | Country |
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Key
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
41° 17' 31'' South , 174° 48' 9'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Locality type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington | 381,900 (2011) | 2.4km |
| Kelburn | 3,642 (2011) | 3.2km |
| Brooklyn | 3,855 (2017) | 3.7km |
| Khandallah | 8,500 (2018) | 5.3km |
| Petone | 6,609 (2010) | 9.1km |
Local collectors have found English flint on the beach. Balaena Bay is 2 kilometres east of the Wellington city centre, along the western shoreline of Evans Bay. It is a small bay backed by houses and a coastal road.
Flint has been found from English sailing ships dumping ballast historically as they entered Wellington Harbour. The flint most likely comes from the southern coastline of England. (Thornton, 1985) mentions the Pamir sailing ship during World War Two, which was probably one of the last vessels the material may have come from.
Around the turn of the Twentieth Century this small bay was a hive of activity for local boat builders. Brigins and Bailey, John Jukes, and Rex Rix are mentioned as having yards. This had ceased by the early 1950's, and all the buildings apart from one boatshed, still seen at the location were removed. From the late 1950's, the pebble and cobble beach remaining was covered by sand brought in. The last activity found was 1982, when sand was brought in from Breaker Bay Beach at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. Wellington has few sandy swimming beaches, and the dumping of sand here was to provide a beach location for local residents.
Flint is a chert which formed silica nodules in chalk. The flint found on the beach include greys, browns, and orange, the latter translucent and looking superficially like amber. Occasional fossils are found in the flint.
The original beach consisted of pebbles and cobbles, and has been altered significantly since, consisting formally of boat yards, a reclaimed section at the northern end for a car park, and sand covering now the former shoreline. Any flint is likely washed up by tides and storms from the last beach nourishment episode. There is every likelihood that flint could be found on other shorelines around Wellington Harbour, but the stony shoreline would make it difficult to identify, whereas the sand at Balaena Bay makes the material easier to see.
List of minerals for each chemical element
References
Sort by
Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)Thornton, J. (1985) Gemstones, Mobil New Zealand Nature Series.
Carter, L., Mitchell, J.S. (1985) Stability of an artificially nourished beach Balaena Bay Wellington Harbour New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 19:4, 535-552.
Dodd, A. (2013) Coast and underwater archaeological sites of the Wellington region. Survey for the Coastal Plan Review, for Greater Wellington Regional Council, Subsurface Ltd, 30 June 2013.
External Links
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
New Zealand
- North IslandIsland
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