Eastbourne, New Zealand

Eastbourne
Ōkiwi (Māori)
Rimu Street, the main street of Eastbourne
Coordinates: 41°18′S 174°54′E / 41.300°S 174.900°E / -41.300; 174.900
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWellington Region
Territorial authorityLower Hutt
WardHarbour
Community boardEastbourne Community Board
Electorates
Government
  Territorial AuthorityHutt City Council
  Regional councilGreater Wellington Regional Council
  Hutt South MPChris Bishop
  Te Tai Tonga MPTākuta Ferris
Area
  Total
1.93 km2 (0.75 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2024)
  Total
2,760
  Density1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)

Eastbourne (Māori: Ōkiwi) is a suburb of Lower Hutt, a part of Wellington, New Zealand. Lying beside the sea, it is a popular local tourist destination via car from Petone or from ferry crossings from central Wellington. An outer suburb, it lies on the eastern shore of Wellington Harbour, five kilometres south of the main Lower Hutt urban area and directly across the harbour from the Miramar Peninsula in Wellington city. A narrow exposed coastal road connects it with the rest of Lower Hutt via the Eastern Bays and the industrial suburb of Seaview. It is named for Eastbourne in England, another seaside town known as a destination for day-trips.

In the hills bordering Eastbourne there is mainly native bush and trees. With a locally administered possum-eradication programme, much of the native bush has regenerated, including red-flowering northern rātā trees. The bush has numerous tracks running to and from them, including a track along the entire bays hills ridge. With many settlers originating from Stromboli, an island near Sicily, the suburb has an Italian heritage similar to several other suburbs in Wellington; this is expressed particularly in its architecture.