Southshore () is an eastern coastal suburb within Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located on a narrow long sandspit that runs along the eastern side of the Avon Heathcote Estuary and west of the Pacific Ocean. The suburb is east of the city centre and south of New Brighton's main retail area.
Before urbanisation, the area was largely swampland bordered by large coastal dunes which had some Māori presence. The area holds strong historical and cultural importance to the local Māori hapū, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, because the land and estuary provided a large amount of resources and seafood. Prehistoric evidence of middens in the area combined with Māori occupation on the sandspit indicates a high potential for the presence of archaeology in the area.
In its early years, the area was known locally to early European settlers as Sandhills Run. They constructed baches (holiday homes) and established a dairy station in the suburb. Southshore initially had very few permanent residents due to the absence of facilities and insufficient transportation; it was later urbanised in the late 1940s. The area was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and 198 properties were red-zoned. Southshore is prone to coastal-related hazards such as tsunamis and sea level rise. Nationally, Southshore is part of the Christchurch East parliamentary electorate. It is located within the Coastal Ward for local body elections.
Southshore's population predominantly consists of European New Zealanders; its above-average housing costs and coastal setting attracts an older demographic to the area. Notable people with connections to the suburb include the motorcycle speedway rider Ivan Mauger, the former deputy-mayor of Christchurch Peter Skellerup, and the former chairman of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Tipene O'Regan.
Toponymy The Māori name for the sandspits are , meaning 'the chattering of the seagulls' or 'the meeting place of the seagulls', and , literally meaning 'the nose of the tides'.
Prior to the 20th century the area was known locally to early European settlers as Sandhills Run, a name no longer in common usage. The name Southshore was officially adopted in 1955. At the time, the Canterbury Museum advocated for the Māori name ; however, many locals disliked this proposal because they thought the name was too long and names of Māori origin were generally unpopular on the South Island. The name "Southend" was suggested by the Christchurch City Council, but many residents preferred Southshore, which had been in use for over a decade and was also the name of an early residential subdivision in the suburb.
History Māori settlement Like the rest of Christchurch, the Māori were the first settlers to the area. Southshore was considered an important food-gathering place by local Māori. The area and the estuary were home to a wide range of birds and plants. There were many (the Māori term for a type of communal house) around the estuary, which were mainly built from raupō and other native trees. Southshore holds historical and cultural importance to local Māori because it has an abundance of pipi and flounder in the estuary. Archaeological evidence of middens in the area combined with the Māori history in the area indicates a high potential for the presence of archaeology in the area.
In the eighteenth century, Māori predominantly grew aruhe and kūmara in the sandy soil around the area of the Avon River / Ōtākaro. Early European settlers discovered Māori fishing equipment, eel traps and hāngī pits, which were used by the Māori primarily to cook seafood. In Southshore's early years, a local jogger presumably discovered a totem in the sand dunes near Tern Street, but others dispute this, as there is no documentation. Later, a skull was discovered which dated to Māori occupation of the area.
Southshore holds cultural significance for Ngāi Tūāhuriri, who are the kaitiaki (caretakers) of the area, and have special food-gathering rights in the estuary and the area. There was a walking track from the fortified settlement of Kaiapoi Pā towards South New Brighton, and onwards further to the area now known as Southshore and beyond across the Avon Heathcote Estuary to the Banks Peninsula. There was also a sand dune walking track called , between the settlement to New Brighton and onwards to .
European settlement Prior to the 20th century the area was known locally to early European settlers as "Sandhills Run". As more settlers arrived, they constructed baches and established a dairy station in the suburb. In 1916, most of the suburb was subdivided into residential sections. There was sparse transportation and lack of facilities in the area in the early twentieth century and Southshore had very few permanent residents. The spit was used as a gun range for volunteers to practise during World War I and following. A local resident between 1940 and 1945 reported that the New Zealand Army bulldozed the sandhills and removed the vegetation around Caspian Street to set up a position for defence. This work possibly lowered the land surface here, and the area is prone to extensive flooding by estuary and sea waters. In 1958, another local resident filled a marshy area in use of six sections before building at the Caspian Street and Estuary Road intersection. Development in the suburb was slow because of the absence of facilities; the residents only received a water supply in 1954., cited in . In 1953, Southshore residents received electricity. Southshore grew rapidly and was heavily urbanised after World War II in the late 1940s. Southshore later received a sewerage system in 1967. Channelling and kerbs were also installed to the suburb's main road, Rocking Horse Road, which often flooded.
There is a large public reserve at the southern end of the suburb, which is the location of most of the suburb's recreational activities. Southshore has no primary or secondary schools, the nearest primary school is South New Brighton School (established in 1922), to the north. A few decades ago, the only residential buildings in Southshore were baches. Today, Southshore is home to a range of residences, from large modern homes with all the early homes that have been mostly renovated. Not much land in the suburb is left undeveloped. Its housing type is mid-20th century to contemporary homes.
Geography
Southshore is sited on a narrow sandspit which is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Avon Heathcote Estuary. The Avon-Heathcote Estuary was formed between 1000 and 2000 years ago by longshore drift. Sand from the mouth of the Waimakariri River was carried southward the east coast of the South Island, and built up along the coastline of what is now Christchurch, progressively forming what is known as the Southshore Spit.Harris, A sense of place and time, p.5, cited in . The spit is a long sandspit with a minimum width of about at the suburb's boundary with South New Brighton and a maximum width of at its southern end.
To the north of Southshore is South New Brighton's main retail area; to the south of the suburb across the estuary lies the suburb of Sumner and Rapanui Rock, also known as "Shag Rock". The Sumner bar forms a natural barrier between the suburbs. Other suburbs across the estuary include Redcliffs, Mount Pleasant, and Ferrymead.
Prior to European settlement, the area now occupied by Rockinghorse Road from Heron Street to Torea Street was largely swampland, bordered by large coastal sand dunes, that were prone to flooding at high tide. In Christchurch's early years, the Brighton spit generally referred to all the land south of Bridge Street. Today, the Southshore's boundary with South New Brighton is considered to be Caspian Street. The western side of the Southshore spit commands views of the estuary, other eastern suburbs of Christchurch, and parts of the Hillsborough spur.
Christchurch's coastline is characterised by intermediate-type sandy beaches. Historically, coastal dunes provided important resources for local Māori, including weaving materials from made the natural sand binder pīngao. In the 19th century, naitive vegetation were removed or burned by early European settlers. Introduced plants such as marram grass were rebuilt and stabilised when the settlers realised the dunes were a useful coastal protection resource.
As a coastal suburb, Southshore is exposed to complex sea-level rise scenarios, flooding and coastal erosion risks. , the Christchurch City Council has approved in funding to address issues related to erosion and flooding in Southsore and South New Brighton. The council rejected a request to restore collapsed walls along the red-zoned estuary edge, and have proposed a cobble beach along the eastern edge of the estuary. Challenges to the proposed plan are the local archaeological sites and coastal bird populations. Southshore is also prone to other sea-related hazards such as tsunamis and storms.
Gallery
Governance
The Christchurch City Council administers Southshore. It is part of the Coastal ward for city council elections. , the elected councillor is Celeste Donovan. Nationally, Southshore is part of the Christchurch East parliamentary electorate. , the elected member of parliament is Reuben Davidson of the Labour Party. Historically, Christchurch East has supported the Labour Party in general elections and is considered one of Labour's safest seats.
Demographics Southshore is part of the South New Brighton SA2 statistical area. It covers .
Southshore had a population of 1,095 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 51 people (4.9%) since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 42 people (−3.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 558 males, 540 females, and 6 people of other genders in 453 dwellings. 4.9% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. There were 183 people (16.7%) aged under 15 years, 162 (14.8%) aged 15 to 29, 528 (48.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 237 (21.6%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 93.2% European (Pākehā); 11.5% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 3.0% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 0.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.6%, Māori by 2.5%, and other languages by 7.7%. No language could be spoken by 0.8% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.8%. The percentage of people born overseas was 22.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 26.0% Christian, 0.5% Hindu, 0.3% Islam, 0.8% New Age, 0.3% Jewish, and 1.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 62.7%, and 7.4% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 231 (25.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 531 (58.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 168 (18.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 96 people (10.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 435 (47.7%) full-time, 135 (14.8%) part-time, and 30 (3.3%) unemployed.
Compared to Canterbury region more broadly, Southshore's has higher proportions of European New Zealanders, women and home-owners. Southshore's above-average housing costs, and the coastal setting of the suburb, attracted an older demographic to the area.
Canterbury earthquakes
Southshore was hit hard by the 4 September 2010 Canterbury and 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. Damage was caused to houses and land. Southshore was initially put into the orange zone before the beach side was zoned green on 29 October 2011. The estuary side remained in the orange zone awaiting a decision whether it was financially worth repairing and rebuilding on that land due to the extensive damage caused by the two main shakes and aftershocks.