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Broad Bay School is at the hub of a thriving and close community. The school playground and facilities – including tennis net, basketball hoops and court – are used widely among the community and provide a much-needed place for young people to meet and play.
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Before and After School Care is available at the Methodist Church, and from 2006, a pre-school group will meet at the school, taking advantage of the new pre-school play equipment now installed.
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The Dunedin Public Library Book Bus stops outside the school on Roebuck Rise between 11.15am and noon on Wednesdays and is a popular meeting place for people in the community.
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Broad Bay is lucky to have an extremely active artistic community which has made its mark in the wider Dunedin community. Open Arts is a peninsula-wide organisation which has held a biennial arts exhibition for some years now and has always been well supported, by both locals, as well as Dunedin people. The number of practising artists in this area is not surprising, given the unique setting of the peninsula, and the opportunity to see artists at work in their own space is another Open Arts initiative. Painters, print-makers, potters, sculptors – they’re all here – as well as a number of writers.
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In terms of its unique setting, Broad Bay has much to offer. The beach is where families gravitate in summer for safe swimming, barbeques and a place to launch the kayaks. Next door is the boating club – another long-standing feature of this waterside community. Regular regattas and races take place throughout the season and new members are welcome.
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The Community Centre in Clearwater Street is an important venue for a number of classes and events. As well as school concerts and assemblies, the hall is used for community events like the Biennial Art exhibition, and indoor bowls, yoga, and CeRoc dance classes.
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A number of small businesses now operate out of Broad Bay and are enjoying remarkable success: the Broad Bay China Shop has become famous for its comprehensive collection of china and antiques; Vintage Books for its collection of rare or hard to find books; and the Boatshed Art Workshops, held right on the water’s edge, are bringing Dunedin people out in droves.
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The Fletcher House – open to the public since 1992 – continues to be a regular stop-off point for tourists and visitors to Broad Bay. Built by Hugh Fletcher ’s family in 1909, it is a fine example of Edwardian architecture, faithfully restored and a delight to wander through.
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The vegetable co-op, operating for many years, is still in existence and provides cheap, accessible fruit and veges to locals. The plant fair – a joint venture between Broad Bay and Portobello Schools, is also a long-standing and significant fundraising event held in October each year, and is still drawing the crowds.
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(text by Dianne Pettis from Broad Bay) |
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