Members Stories

THE TRUE BEACH HAVEN.

For many there is confusion over the name Beach Haven, where the area starts and where the area ends.

Originally the area of land from Balmain Road around the coast to the Hellyers Creek was known as Parkview. In 1889 the Birkenhead Borough Council decided to call the land from Bagot’s Hill [Verrans Cnr] to Hellyers Creek “BIRKDALE”. The name came about, because Birkdale actually is an adjoining suburb of Birkenhead in England.

The name Beach Haven first appears in 1923 when the Birkdale Land Co, bought and subdivided the land on either side of Puriri Road from Hilder’s Cnr to the Birkdale Wharf, plus several sections along Puriri Ave.

When the Birkenhead Borough Council renamed a few roads in the district, about 1967, confusion arose and for some reason Estate agents started to undervalue properties in Birkdale, so landowners then started saying that they lived in Beach Haven

Some years ago when selling our house in Salisbury Road the agent advertised the house as being in Verrans Corner. My ears still ring when I recall Glady Durham’s reaction, and there is no dought in our minds that my wife and I presently live in True Beach Haven, although the Real Estate agents would say that we are in Coastal Beach Haven which appears to go from the Hellyers Creek to Island Bay Road, and all the land to the west of Rangatira Road, also on the eastern slopes as well, at times.

Call it what you like Birkdale or Beach Haven but since we moved here in 1957 when there were still many orchard growers around, it has been a great place to live, work, and bring up our family who all attended not only the local primary school but Birkdale College (renamed).

Now, how do we now get a Birkenhead College in the Middle of ‘BIRKDALE.’?

Ray Johanson