Saddle Hill (New Zealand)

Last updated

Saddle Hill
Saddlehill-nz.jpg
Saddle Hill rises over the town of Green Island, as seen from Lookout Point, Dunedin.
Highest point
Elevation 473 m (1,552 ft)
Parent peak Silver Peak
Isolation
to  Flagstaff)
Coordinates 45°54′39″S170°21′20″E / 45.91083°S 170.35556°E / -45.91083; 170.35556
Naming
Native namePukemakamaka (Māori)
Geography
Saddle Hill (New Zealand)
Country New Zealand
Region Otago
District Dunedin
Geology
Volcanic regionDunedin Volcano complex

Saddle Hill is a prominent landmark overlooking the northeastern end of the Taieri Plains in Otago, New Zealand. Within the limits of Dunedin city, it is located 18 kilometres to the west of the city centre, between Mosgiel and Green Island, and is clearly visible from many of the city's southern hill suburbs. A lookout on the northern slopes of the hill commands a good view across the plains, with Lake Waihola visible 25 kilometres to the west in clear weather.

Contents

The hill has two peaks with the eastern peak rising to 473 metres, and the western peak – Jeffray's Hill – rising to 431 metres.

Of largely volcanic origin, the hill is part of the extinct Dunedin Volcano complex, with a base of Cretaceous breccia overlaid with Miocene igneous rocks, these in turn overlaid with Cenozoic sediments. [1] Erosion has revealed a volcanic plug on the western peak, giving the hill its distinct breast-like shape.

The hill was – along with Cape Saunders on the Otago Peninsula – one of just two places in Otago to have been named by Captain James Cook on his 1769 voyage of discovery. Cook described the hill in his journal as "a remarkable saddle". According to pre-European Māori tradition, the hill is the remains of a taniwha called Meremere [2] and the northern and southern peaks of hill were known by Māori by the names Makamaka and Pikiwara respectively. Early settlers' maps occasionally record the hill as "Saddleback Hill". [3]

A small coal seam on the hill was exploited by early European settlers, and was mined from as early as 1849, the first coal mine in the country. [4] Jaffray's Hill (often wrongly called Jeffrey's Hill, and named for the Jaffray family who owned the land from 1849 until 1937), [3] was extensively mined for basalt gravel until the mid-1980s. A DCC landscape architect reviewed the visual effects of quarrying in 2008 after concerns from local residents, and found the hill to be "relatively unchanged". [5] This finding, however, has been successfully challenged in court [6] with much public opinion against [7] the continued quarrying.

Demographics

The statistical area of Saddle Hill-Chain Hills covers 47.61 km2 (18.38 sq mi) [8] and had an estimated population of 1,320 as of June 2023, [9] with a population density of 28 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20061,071    
20131,191+1.53%
20181,224+0.55%
Source: [10]
Saddle Hill from the Taieri Plains, showing the shape which gives the hill its name. East to the left. Saddle Hill, Dunedin, NZ.JPG
Saddle Hill from the Taieri Plains, showing the shape which gives the hill its name. East to the left.
Saddle Hill from the main street of Mosgiel. Mosgiel saddle hill.jpg
Saddle Hill from the main street of Mosgiel.

Saddle Hill-Chain Hills had a population of 1,224 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 33 people (2.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 153 people (14.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 432 households, comprising 609 males and 612 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female. The median age was 46.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 192 people (15.7%) aged under 15 years, 216 (17.6%) aged 15 to 29, 657 (53.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 156 (12.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 94.1% European/Pākehā, 4.7% Māori, 0.7% Pasifika, 1.7% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 16.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.6% had no religion, 37.0% were Christian, 0.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 267 (25.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 150 (14.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $37,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 252 people (24.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 561 (54.4%) people were employed full-time, 171 (16.6%) were part-time, and 18 (1.7%) were unemployed. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosgiel</span> Town in Otago, New Zealand

Mosgiel is an urban satellite of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand, fifteen kilometres west of the city's centre. Since the re-organisation of New Zealand local government in 1989 it has been inside the Dunedin City Council area. Mosgiel has a population of approximately 14,800 as of June 2023. A nickname for Mosgiel is "The pearl of the plain". Its low-lying nature does pose problems, making it prone to flooding after heavy rains. Mosgiel takes its name from Mossgiel Farm, Ayrshire, the farm of the poet Robert Burns, the uncle of the co-founder in 1848 of the Otago settlement, the Reverend Thomas Burns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton, New Zealand</span> Settlement in New Zealand

Brighton is a small seaside town within the city limits of Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island. It is located 20 kilometres southwest from the city centre on the Southern Scenic Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otakou</span> Place in Otago, New Zealand

Otakou is a settlement within the boundaries of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located 25 kilometres from the city centre at the eastern end of Otago Peninsula, close to the entrance of Otago Harbour. Though a small fishing village, Otakou is important in the history of Otago for several reasons. The settlement is the modern centre and traditional home of the Ōtākou rūnanga (assembly) of Ngāi Tahu. In 1946 Otakou Fisheries was founded in the township; this was later to become a major part of the Otago fishing industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macandrew Bay</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Macandrew Bay is located on the Otago Peninsula in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Otago Harbour, and is named for pioneer Scottish settler James Macandrew who lived here during his later life. The Te Reo Māori name for the bay, Te Roto Pāteke, refers to the Brown teal formerly prevalent in the area. Early European residents of the area called the bay "The Hundreds", due to the large number of boulders which covered the foreshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Cargill</span> Mountain in New Zealand

Mount Cargill, known in Māori as Kapukataumahaka, is a volcanic outcrop which dominates the skyline of northern Dunedin, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield, Otago</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Fairfield is a suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand.

Waverley is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It was named after Sir Walter Scott's novel Waverley, first novel in a series known as the Waverley Novels, among the most popular and widely read English-language novels of the 19th century. Waverley is located at the start of the Otago Peninsula, 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) southeast of the city centre, on a rise overlooking the Otago Harbour to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunedin North</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) northeast of the city centre. It contains many of the city's major institutions, including the city's university, polytechnic, main hospital, and largest museum. Dunedin North's 2001 population was 7,047, including the university area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad Bay, New Zealand</span> Settlement in New Zealand

The settlement of Broad Bay is located on the Otago Harbour coast of Otago Peninsula, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is administered as part of the city of Dunedin, and is technically a suburb of that city, though its isolation and semi-rural nature make it appear as a settlement in its own right.

Waldronville is a coastal settlement on the Pacific Ocean coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Established in the 1950s as a commuter settlement, it is located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the southwest of Dunedin city centre, and lies within the city's limits. Waldronville was developed by Bill Waldron, when he purchased the McCraws farm in the early 1950s, initially for 200 houses. In the mid-1970s, two other streets were added to the southwest of the settlement. In the mid-1990s, Friendship Drive and Wavy Knowes developments were added to the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawyers Bay</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Sawyers Bay is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) to the southwest of Port Chalmers in a wide valley on the shore of Mussel Bay, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the northeast of Dunedin city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mornington, Dunedin</span> Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand

Mornington is a suburb of the city of Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated on hilly slopes 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the west of the city centre, the slopes forming part of a ridge which surrounds the heart of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opoho</span> Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand

Ōpoho is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It sits on the western flank of Signal Hill, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the northeast of the city centre, overlooking North East Valley and the Dunedin Botanic Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maori Hill</span> Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand

Māori Hill is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located at the northern end of the ridge which runs in a crescent around the central city's western edge, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the northwest of the city centre, immediately above and within the Town Belt. It is connected to Dunedin North, which lies to the east, via Drivers Road, the suburbs of Roslyn and Kaikorai to the southwest via Highgate, and the suburb of Wakari to the northwest via Balmacewen Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Dunedin</span> Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand

South Dunedin is a major inner city suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located, as its name suggests, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the south of the city centre, on part of a large plain known locally simply as "The Flat". The suburb is a mix of industrial, retail, and predominantly lower-quality residential properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calton Hill, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Calton Hill is an elevated southern residential suburb of the City of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island. The suburb is named after Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, and some of its street names carry similar etymological roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravensbourne, New Zealand</span> Suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand

Ravensbourne is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located on Otago Harbour on the steep southeastern slopes of Signal Hill. It lies on the harbour's northern shore, 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) east-northeast of the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Challis, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Challis is a settlement on the Otago Harbour coast of Otago Peninsula, within the city limits of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Though officially regarded as a suburb, the isolated nature of Challis means that most locals regard it as a separate settlement within the city limits.

Shiel Hill is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located at the southeastern edge of the city's urban area, 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) southeast of the city's centre at the western end of the Otago Peninsula, close to the isthmus joining the peninsula to the mainland. As the name suggests, it is situated on the slopes of a hill at the start of the ridge which runs along the spine of the peninsula. The slopes rise to a series of crests generally known collectively as Highcliff, a name also often applied to the last suburban vestiges which remain as Dunedin's urban area becomes the rural land of the peninsula. More accurately, the name is that of a cliff which lies on the Pacific coast of the peninsula 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Shiel Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Island, New Zealand</span> Suburb in Dunedin, New Zealand

Green Island is a suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand. Not an actual island, this former borough takes its name from the Green Island bush, uncleared native forest extending from the valley where the community is centred over the hills towards the coast. The name of the nearby offshore island — Green Island (Okaihe) — was used to identify the bush and, thus, also lent its name to the mainland suburb.

References

  1. Bishop, D.G. and Turnbull, I.M. (1996). Geology of the Dunedin area. Lower Hutt: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences. ISBN   0-478-09521-X
  2. Dann, C. and Peat, N. (1989) Dunedin, North and South Otago. Wellington: GP Books. p. 64. ISBN   0-477-01438-0
  3. 1 2 Herd, J. and Griffiths, G.J. (1980) Discovering Dunedin. Dunedin: John McIndoe. p. 103. ISBN   0-86868-030-3
  4. Dunmore, Patricia, ed. (1977). The Dunmore Book of New Zealand Records. p. 22. ISBN   0-908564-08-2.
  5. Schofield, Edith (16 September 2008). "Saddle Hill 'relatively unchanged', says DCC". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
  6. RadioNZ (17 October 2016). "Environment court decides in Council's favour".
  7. "Save Saddle Hill".
  8. "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  9. "Population estimate tables - NZ.Stat". Statistics New Zealand . Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Saddle Hill-Chain Hills (350200). 2018 Census place summary: Saddle Hill-Chain Hills

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Saddle Hill, New Zealand at Wikimedia Commons