Entrance at Basin Reserve Wellington New Zealand
In the days of early European settlement, there was a channel linking the harbor with a lagoon known as Basin Lake. The locals were keen to turn the lagoon into a dock, until the 1855 earthquake saw that plan left high and rather dry!
The earthquake raised Te Aro flats by two metres, leaving the lagoon resembling a swamp and the locals at a loss, until they seized upon the idea of an area for recreational activities – in particular, popular English pursuits like cricket and rugby.
The local governing body (which would eventually become Wellington City Council) backed the proposal and, with the help of inmates from Mt Cook Prison, the area was drained and leveled. By 1866, the Basin Reserve was officially recognized as the new capital’s main cricket ground.
