We love the Basin Reserve precinct. We think it’s an iconic part of our city and we want it to stay that way. Our Community Gallery is a place to exhibit material, both old and new, that shows how important this area is (and has been) to Wellingtonians and other people from around the country and the world.
We want to know what you like about this part of our city too, so we’re inviting you to submit photos, videos, paintings, poetry and other such expressions that illustrate the value of the Basin Reserve precinct to our community.
Please send your material to gallery.savethebasin@gmail.com and we’ll post it on this page of our website. Please include the name of the person that created the work, the date it was created, the title of the work, and a brief description of the piece. As this is a community initiative, we encourage you to assign Creative Commons to your work.
Love notes – why Wellingtonians love the Basin
Wellingtonians wrote the following statements to show their love for the Basin Reserve at Save the Basin’s “Love the Basin” event held on Valentine’s Day, 14 February, 2014.
A local’s take on the proposed flyover by Johan, age 9.
I think the Basin Reserve Flyover shouldn’t be built. There are lots of hazards about it like if we have a war it could get bombed and be not just a war a revolution too. Also there are affects and price problems too like on roads in NZ a hundred or more people get killed or are critically injured. And with the flyover an extra two thousand or more people getting killed or critically injured. It will also be really low (only as high as a power pole) and homeless people will live under it.
Graffiti and street art will be messed over it. Pets will die. They also call it “The Road of Significance”. I call it “The Road of Political P Brains”. Wellington will need bigger hospitals. To build it you need $100000000 and that’s impossible. Oil and cars will be more expensive. In a flood it could give way and have to be another $100000000 to take the rubbish away. What’s more is I don’t want to [see it] when I go out the door. I always see a great big ugly bridge to nowhere…until I die. Eventually Ellice St will be a ghost street because people won’t be able to sleep. There could be lots more car crashes too AND Wellington turning into a ghost town.
A clip about the flyover
Wellington’s Basin Reserve has an international audience as the August pin-up in UK-based “Round-a-bouts of the World 2014 Calendar”
Thank you to Kevin Beresford, President of UK Roundabout Appreciation Society for sharing these images with Save the Basin. You can purchase your own copy of the calendar, featuring the Basin Reserve as the August pin-up from http://www.roundaboutsofbritain.com/go-to-shop-2/best-of-british-roundabouts-2013-calendar/roundabouts-of-the-world-2014-calendar/
Historic photographs
Alexander Steven winning a mile race at the Basin Reserve, between 1894 and 1897.
Care of: Alexander Turnbull Library PAColl-0010-1
Anzac Day at the Basin Reserve, 1930
Care of: Alexander Turnbull Library EP-0496-1/2-G
Marching at the Basin Reserve in 1935
Care of: Alexander Turnbull Library 1/2-C-016178-F
Summerset Music Festival at the Basin Reserve, 2009
“We have the Basin Reserve” by William Tawhai Dawe (also available as a PDF).
