Thorndon
See also Thorndon, Suffolk| Suburb: | Thorndon |
| City: | Wellington |
| Island: | North Island |
Surrounded by
- to the north
- to the east
- to the south
- to the west |
Wadestown
Wellington Harbour
CBD
Northland |
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.
Thorndon gave its name to the title of Sir Robin Cooke,
Lord Cooke of Thorndon, although he now lives in
Karori.
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 suburb is dominated by transportation links, government offices, and schools, and is also the location of one of the country's main sports venues.
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 and the Hutt Valley.
Schools
Several large schools are located in Thorndon, notably
Wellington Girls' College, St Mary's College and Queen Margaret College.
Churches
Thorndon is home to two Cathedrals:
Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul (Anglican) and Sacred Heart Cathedral (Roman Catholic). One of Thorndon's most popular tourist attractions is
Old St Paul's [
1].
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.
Every December is the Thorndon Fair, a comunity event with many stalls of crafts and second-hand goods. Parts of Tinakori Road and Hill Street are closed during the fair.
