Shiel Hill
Encyclopedia
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 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.
The suburb is almost entirely residential, though there are some retail premises on the suburb's main road, Highcliff Road. These include a small nexus of shops at the southwestern edge of Shiel Hill, at the point where the suburb joins the neighbouring suburb of Andersons Bay
. At this point, there is a road junction, with the western end of Highciff Road meeting four other roads, notably Silverton Street (which leads down into Andersons Bay and is the main route from Shiel Hill to central Dunedin) and Tomahawk Road (which leads to Dunedin's Pacific
coastal suburbs of Tahuna and Ocean Grove
).
Notable features of Shiel hill include Rotary Park, a small public reserve surrounding reservoirs which serve the Peninsula hill suburbs. This park is located above steep slopes which drop 166 metres (544.6 ft) to the waters of the Otago Harbour close to The Cove, half a kilometre to the north of the park. From Rotary Park, views can be obtained across and along the harbour to central Dunedin to the northwest, Signal Hill
to the north, and Port Chalmers
to the northeast.
The suburb of Shiel Hill hit the news headlines in Dunedin in 1995 after one of Dunedin's most notorious crimes was committed in Every Street, close to the boundary of Shiel Hill and Andersons Bay
. The case, in which five of the six members of the Bain family were slain led to one of New Zealand's most prominent causes celebres
after the remaining member of the family, David Bain
was arrested for the murders despite evidence indicating that the slayings may well have been a murder-suicide by his father Robin. David Bain was found guilty and served 13 years of a life sentence before succeeding in having the case reopened. His retrial, in 2009, resulted in a verdict of not guilty.
, before continuing along the spine of the peninsula, eventually descending at Portobello
. Most parts of the peninsula between central Dunedin and Portobello which do not lie on the Otago Harbour
coast are primarily accessible from this road. These places include Sandfly Bay
, Pukehiki
, Boulder Beach
, and Hoopers Inlet. A second road to Ocean Grove, Centre Road, meets Highcliff Road 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) east of Shiel Hill. Though winding and often narrow, Highcliff Road is a popular route with tourists, as its location allows for spectacular views across the peninsula and harbour.
Prominent features of Highcliff Road which lie near Shiel Hill include the Otago Peninsula Fallen Soldiers' Memorial, a war memorial atop a 225 metres (738.2 ft) peak known as Arthur's Seat (after the similarly named prominence
in Edinburgh
, Scotland
). This 10 metres (32.8 ft) tall monument was designed by E. H. Walden and R.A. Hosie, and stands on a rocky promontory known as Cadzow Rock. It was unveiled in March 1923. Owing to its location, at the top of the peninsula's westernmost promontory, it is visible from much of central Dunedin.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
city of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. It is located at the southeastern edge of the city's urban area, 3.2 kilometres (2 mi) southeast of the city's centre at the western end of the Otago Peninsula
Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for...
, close to the isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
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
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast of the peninsula 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Shiel Hill.
The suburb is almost entirely residential, though there are some retail premises on the suburb's main road, Highcliff Road. These include a small nexus of shops at the southwestern edge of Shiel Hill, at the point where the suburb joins the neighbouring suburb of Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the southeast of the city's urban area, southeast of the city's centre...
. At this point, there is a road junction, with the western end of Highciff Road meeting four other roads, notably Silverton Street (which leads down into Andersons Bay and is the main route from Shiel Hill to central Dunedin) and Tomahawk Road (which leads to Dunedin's Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coastal suburbs of Tahuna and Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove, New Zealand
Ocean Grove, also known as Tomahawk, is a suburb in the southeast of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. A semi-rural residential suburb on the Pacific coast at the southwestern end of the Otago Peninsula, Ocean Grove is located southeast of Dunedin city centre.The suburb is isolated from much of the...
).
Notable features of Shiel hill include Rotary Park, a small public reserve surrounding reservoirs which serve the Peninsula hill suburbs. This park is located above steep slopes which drop 166 metres (544.6 ft) to the waters of the Otago Harbour close to The Cove, half a kilometre to the north of the park. From Rotary Park, views can be obtained across and along the harbour to central Dunedin to the northwest, Signal Hill
Signal Hill, New Zealand
Signal Hill is a prominent landform in the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is located close to, and due north of, the head of the Otago Harbour and reaches an elevation of 393 m . The suburbs Ravensbourne, St. Leonards, and Opoho lie on its southern, eastern, and northwestern flanks, respectively...
to the north, and Port Chalmers
Port Chalmers
Port Chalmers is a suburb and the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, with a population of 3,000. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast from Dunedin's city centre....
to the northeast.
The suburb of Shiel Hill hit the news headlines in Dunedin in 1995 after one of Dunedin's most notorious crimes was committed in Every Street, close to the boundary of Shiel Hill and Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the southeast of the city's urban area, southeast of the city's centre...
. The case, in which five of the six members of the Bain family were slain led to one of New Zealand's most prominent causes celebres
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
after the remaining member of the family, David Bain
David Bain
David Cullen Bain is a New Zealander who featured in one of the country's most notable murder cases. He was convicted in May 1995 of the murders of his parents and siblings in Dunedin on 20 June 1994...
was arrested for the murders despite evidence indicating that the slayings may well have been a murder-suicide by his father Robin. David Bain was found guilty and served 13 years of a life sentence before succeeding in having the case reopened. His retrial, in 2009, resulted in a verdict of not guilty.
Highcliff
East from Shiel Hill, Highcliff Road meets with McKerrow Street (which connects Shiel Hill with the neighbouring suburb of WaverleyWaverley, Otago
Waverley is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located at the start of the Otago Peninsula, southeast of the city centre, on a rise overlooking the Otago Harbour to the north....
, before continuing along the spine of the peninsula, eventually descending at Portobello
Portobello, New Zealand
Portobello is a village beside the Otago Harbour halfway along the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin City, New Zealand. It lies at the foot of a small peninsula between Portobello Bay and Latham Bay....
. Most parts of the peninsula between central Dunedin and Portobello which do not lie on the Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour
Otago Harbour is the natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour mouth...
coast are primarily accessible from this road. These places include Sandfly Bay
Sandfly Bay
Sandfly Bay is a sandy bay with large dunes, located on the eastern side of the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand, 15 km east of central Dunedin...
, Pukehiki
Pukehiki
Pukehiki is a small locality on Otago Peninsula, within the city of Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on the ridge which runs along the centre of the peninsula, from Dunedin city centre, at a junction between Highcliff Road, which runs along the peninsula's ridge, and...
, Boulder Beach
Boulder Beach
Boulder Beach is a rocky beach which is located on the Pacific side of the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. Boulder Beach can be accessed by a number of walking tracks. These tracks begin at Braidwood Road, Paradise Road, Buskin Road, Seal Point Road, and Karetai Road. All these tracks are linked and...
, and Hoopers Inlet. A second road to Ocean Grove, Centre Road, meets Highcliff Road 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) east of Shiel Hill. Though winding and often narrow, Highcliff Road is a popular route with tourists, as its location allows for spectacular views across the peninsula and harbour.
Prominent features of Highcliff Road which lie near Shiel Hill include the Otago Peninsula Fallen Soldiers' Memorial, a war memorial atop a 225 metres (738.2 ft) peak known as Arthur's Seat (after the similarly named prominence
Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh
Arthur's Seat is the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtue of its bold design". It is situated in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, about a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
). This 10 metres (32.8 ft) tall monument was designed by E. H. Walden and R.A. Hosie, and stands on a rocky promontory known as Cadzow Rock. It was unveiled in March 1923. Owing to its location, at the top of the peninsula's westernmost promontory, it is visible from much of central Dunedin.