Northland, Wellington: Suburb Guide to Hillside Living by the Botanic Garden

Last updated October 2026

Northland is a compact hillside suburb in west-central Wellington, sitting high on the south-western slopes of Te Ahumairangi close to the city centre. It offers a mix of villa housing, quiet residential streets and ready access to the Wellington Botanic Garden and nearby green spaces.

The suburb developed from early twentieth-century subdivision of former farmland and retains a village feel around its small local shops.

Residents and visitors find it convenient for walking, bus travel through the Karori Tunnel area, and everyday life near Kelburn and Karori. Its character blends student and professional households with longer-term families in a setting shaped by steep gullies and Town Belt bush.

Practical Information

Ward or local board

Wharangi/Onslow-Western General Ward

Getting there

Main access via Northland Road, Garden Road, Harbour View Road and links through the Karori Tunnel / Chaytor Street corridor; Metlink bus routes serving Northland and the Karori Tunnel (including services such as 13, 21 and 22) connect to the central city, Victoria University and Karori

Main shopping

Creswick Shops cluster at the top of Garden Road and below Creswick Terrace (local shops and takeaways)

Schools

Northland School (state full primary, years 1–8, Harbour View Road)

Nearby landmarks

Wellington Botanic Garden, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, Te Ahumairangi Hill / Town Belt, Ian Galloway Park, Northland Memorial Community Centre

About Northland

Northland occupies elevated ground west of Kelburn, separated by a steep gully, and lies east of Karori with Wilton and Wadestown nearby across Town Belt land.

The suburb sits on the south-western flanks of Te Ahumairangi (formerly Tinakori Hill), overlooking parts of the Botanic Garden and with Zealandia and Ian Galloway Park close at hand. Housing is predominantly early twentieth-century villas and later infill on winding hillside streets, giving many properties outlooks across the city or into bush-clad valleys.

Part of the area was known as Creswick until landowner C. J. Pharazyn developed new roads and building sites and marketed the wider district as Northland. Sections were put up for sale in March 1900. Pharazyn named the suburb in honour of Thomas Uchter Caulfield, Viscount Northland, eldest son of the Earl of Ranfurly, then Governor of New Zealand.

Contemporary newspaper coverage described it as Wellington’s “best suburb.” Earlier, part of the land had been a cultivation site known as Orangi-kaupapa, associated with Te Matehou hapū. The wider Wellington area has long associations with mana whenua including Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

Today Northland is home to a mix of university students, young professionals and families. Its proximity to Victoria University of Wellington, the Botanic Garden and the central city makes it practical for those who prefer hillside living without long commuting distances.

Local facilities centre on the small Creswick shopping cluster and the Northland Memorial Community Centre on Woburn Road. The suburb feels residential and relatively quiet, with steep topography and Town Belt bush shaping daily movement and recreation.

Heritage fabric includes early villas such as the Category 2 listed house at 13 Farm Road, a bay villa with Queen Anne Eastlake influences linked to the Platt family of plasterers and builders who developed several properties in the new subdivision.

The Northland Tunnel (opened to trams in 1929) improved links toward Karori and helped end earlier isolation. The overall impression is of a settled inner-western suburb that balances convenience with green surroundings.

Getting Around

Northland is only a short distance from the central city and is well served by Metlink buses that run via the Karori Tunnel corridor and local roads such as Northland Road.

Routes connecting the city, Victoria University, Northland and Karori (including services numbered in the teens and twenties that list Northland or the tunnel) provide regular options for commuting and study.

Walking and cycling are common on quieter streets, though gradients are often steep. Drivers use the tunnel and Chaytor Street links toward Karori or descend toward Kelburn and the city. On-street parking is typical around the community centre and residential streets; check local restrictions.

History and Heritage

Before European subdivision the slopes formed part of a wider landscape of cultivation and later grazing. Charles Pharazyn’s estate was broken into sections sold from 1900, after which the Platt family and others built villas that still define parts of Farm Road and nearby streets. The name Northland commemorates Viscount Northland rather than the northern region of the North Island.

Tram access arrived later via the Northland Tunnel (approximately 225 feet long), opened to trams in 1929 after earthworks, remedial work and legal disputes; buses had operated in the interim. Northland School opened in 1906 and remains the local state primary.

A former state-integrated Catholic primary, Cardinal McKeefry, operated in the area after relocating from Thorndon but has closed. Notable past residents include Prime Ministers Michael Joseph Savage and Peter Fraser, who lived for a time on Harbour View Road.

Getting Outdoors and Community Facilities

The suburb’s hillside position places the Wellington Botanic Garden, Town Belt tracks on Te Ahumairangi, and the edge of Zealandia within easy reach for walks and birdlife.

Ian Galloway Park, built on fill over the piped Kaiwharawhara Stream, offers rugby fields and a dog exercise area. These green spaces give Northland a strong outdoor character without the need to travel far.

The Northland Memorial Community Centre at 5 Woburn Road provides a main hall (capacity around 300), lower hall and memorial room with kitchens, hosting activities from badminton and Scouts to dancing and Mah Jong.

On-street parking is available outside; the main and lower halls have good access while the memorial room has stairs. Local shops at Creswick supply everyday needs, with larger retail in Karori or the central city a short bus or drive away.

Where to Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Northland in Wellington?
Northland is a west-central hillside suburb of Wellington City, close to the city centre, west of Kelburn and east of Karori, on the slopes of Te Ahumairangi near the Botanic Garden.

Which council ward is Northland in?
Northland is in the Wharangi/Onslow-Western General Ward of Wellington City Council.

How do I get to Northland by public transport?
Metlink buses serving the Karori Tunnel corridor and Northland (including routes that run via the tunnel toward Karori, Victoria University and the city) provide regular connections. Check current Metlink timetables for route numbers and times.

What schools are in Northland?
Northland School is the local state full primary school (years 1–8) on Harbour View Road.

Is there local shopping in Northland?
Yes. A small cluster known as the Creswick Shops at the top of Garden Road and below Creswick Terrace offers local shops and takeaways. Larger centres are nearby in Karori and the central city.

What outdoor spaces are near Northland?
The Wellington Botanic Garden, Town Belt tracks on Te Ahumairangi, the edge of Zealandia, and Ian Galloway Park (sports fields and dog exercise area) are all close by.

What is the Northland Memorial Community Centre?
It is the local community hub at 5 Woburn Road with halls for hire and regular activities. The main and lower halls have good accessibility; the memorial room has stairs. On-street parking is available outside.

Why is the suburb called Northland?
It was named by developer C. J. Pharazyn after Thomas Uchter Caulfield, Viscount Northland, son of Governor the Earl of Ranfurly, when the area was subdivided for housing around 1900. Part of it had earlier been known as Creswick.

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