Thorndon, New Zealand: Difference between revisions
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'''Thorndon''' is an inner suburb of [[Wellington]], the capital city of [[New Zealand]]. It combines residential accommodation and the home of government, and is located at the northern end of the [[Central Business District]]. The suburb was named for [[Baron Petre|Lord Petre]] |
'''Thorndon''' is an inner suburb of [[Wellington]], the capital city of [[New Zealand]]. It combines residential accommodation and the home of government, and is located at the northern end of the [[Central Business District]]. The suburb was named for [[William Henry Francis Petre, 11th Baron Petre|Lord Petre]] who was a director of the New Zealand Company and whose family seat in [[Thorndon Hall|Thorndon, Essex]] was an important centre of [[Recusancy]] from the time of [[Elizabeth I]]. One of Lord Petre's sons, Henry, joined the first expedition of settlers to Wellington and Henry's son, [[Francis Petre]], was a leading architect who designed the [[Sacred Heart Cathedral, Wellington|Sacred Heart Cathedral]] in Thorndon amongst many other notable New Zealand buildings. |
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Thorndon gave its name to the title of Sir Robin Cooke, [[Lord Cooke of Thorndon]], although until his death on 30 August 2006 he lived in [[Karori]]. |
Thorndon gave its name to the title of Sir Robin Cooke, [[Lord Cooke of Thorndon]], although until his death on 30 August 2006 he lived in [[Karori]]. |
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Revision as of 22:07, 10 March 2009
- See also Thorndon, Suffolk
Thorndon | |
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Wellington City |
| Population (2006 [1]) | |
| • Total | 3,840 |
| Train stations | Wellington Railway Station |
| Ferry terminals | Wellington Interislander Terminal, Wellington Bluebridge Terminal |
| Wilton | Wadestown | |
  Thorndon  |
Wellington Harbour | |
| Northland | Wellington CBD, Kelburn |
Thorndon is an inner suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It combines residential accommodation and the home of government, and is located at the northern end of the Central Business District. The suburb was named for Lord Petre who was a director of the New Zealand Company and whose family seat in Thorndon, Essex was an important centre of Recusancy from the time of Elizabeth I. One of Lord Petre's sons, Henry, joined the first expedition of settlers to Wellington and Henry's son, Francis Petre, was a leading architect who designed the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Thorndon amongst many other notable New Zealand buildings.
Thorndon gave its name to the title of Sir Robin Cooke, Lord Cooke of Thorndon, although until his death on 30 August 2006 he lived in Karori.
Features of Thorndon
The suburb is dominated by transportation links, government offices, and schools, and is also the location of one of the country's main sports venues.
The Chinese Embassy is located at 2-6 Glenmore Street in Thorndon, opposite the Botanical Gardens. The American and German embassies, and the Australian High Commission are also in Thorndon.
Government buildings
New Zealand's parliament is located in Thorndon, immediately to the north of the centre of Wellington. These buildings consist of the stately old wing of Parliament Buildings, the executive offices in Basil Spence's modernistic "Beehive", and the nearby office complex of Bowen House.
Thorndon is also home to the National Library and Archives New Zealand. Both have regular exhibitions and hold valuable documents and collections. Archives houses the Treaty of Waitangi.
Transportation hub
Thorndon is surrounded by major transportation links. To the west, at the foot of the hills, is the Wellington Urban Motorway, part of State Highway 1, linking Wellington and Auckland, and leading to State Highway 2 connecting with the cities of the Hutt Valley.
To the northeast lies the North Island terminal of the Interislander Cook Strait ferries, an important road-rail link between the two main islands of New Zealand. Services run daily between Wellington and Picton in the Marlborough region of the South Island.
Between these two transport links is Wellington Railway Station, the southern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk railway, and also the base for suburban commuter lines to northern Wellington suburbs, the Kapiti Coast, and the Hutt Valley. Earlier Wellington railway terminals have also been located in Thorndon, most notably the southern terminus of New Zealand's most successful privately owned railway, the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company.
Schools
Several large schools are located in Thorndon, notably St Mary's College (founded in 1850), Wellington Girls' College (1883) and Queen Margaret College (1919) The local state primary schools are Sacred Heart School (origins from 1850) and Thorndon School (founded 1852).
Churches
Thorndon is home to two Cathedrals: Sacred Heart Cathedral (Roman Catholic) (opened in 1901, replacing an earlier building dating from 1850) and the more recent Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul (Anglican) (completed 2004). One of Thorndon's most popular tourist attractions is Old Saint Paul's [1]. The Chinese Anglican Mission Church is located at 30 Glenmore St opposite the Botanic Gardens.
Historic places
- Katherine Mansfield Birthplace is located in Thorndon, and is the house where Katherine Mansfield grew up
- The Thistle Inn is one of New Zealand's oldest public houses, originally built in 1840
Sports
The new Westpac Stadium is one of New Zealand's top sports venues. It is located on former railway land close to the edge of Wellington Harbour. The Thorndon Tennis (and Squash) Club, established in the 19th century, is one of the oldest in the world.
Thorndon events
Every December is the Thorndon Fair, a community event with many stalls of crafts and second-hand goods. Parts of Tinakori Road and Hill Street are closed during the fair.
Geographic boundaries
Thorndon occupies the northern end of the narrow coastal plain that makes up the heart of Wellington. It is flanked by the green hills of Wadestown to the west and the port facilities of Wellington Harbour to the east.
The boundaries of Thorndon form an approximate triangle. Starting from the lower south-west corner, at the intersection of Glenmore St and Collins Tce, the boundary goes up through Tinakori Hill, across through Weld St and along to Baker St. Then the boundary follows the west side of Thorndon Quay down until Hill St, where it goes across to Bowen St, Tinakori Road and Glenmore St (until Collins Tce).
External links
References
- ^ Statistics New Zealand - QuickStats about Thorndon-Tinakori Road Retrieved: 14 February 2009