Scroll down to find out about the history of streets, houses and other sites in Mount Victoria. Information is listed alphabetically by street. Click on links to find more details about places and people.
Albany Avenue
12 Albany Ave was one of several houses built by George Baker
Armour Avenue
About the street: Originally called Brougham Avenue, it was formed in 1895. Taken over by the Wellington City Council in 1905. It was renamed Armour Avenue in 1969 after WA Armour who in 1928, became the fifth principal of Wellington College.
Armour Avenue is an historic area included in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. (See Appendix 4)
10 Armour Ave is one of 39 houses of particular interest featured in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. (See Appendix 5)
Austin Street
About the street: Named after a New Zealand Company official. One of the first streets in Mount Victoria, drawn on Mein-Smith’s 1840 map of Wellington.
Ten Austin Street properties (10, 20, 21, 26, 28, 38, 67, 83, 89, 140) are among the 39 houses of particular interest featured in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. (See Appendix 5)
13 Austin St was the residence of Charles Baeyertz the writer and critic.
Basin Reserve
The Basin Reserve is an historic cricket ground located on the edge of Mt Victoria.
Brougham Street
About the street: Named after Lord Brougham, Lord Chancellor of England, author of ‘An Enquiry into the Colonial Policy of European Powers’ (1803). He was known as a keen sympathiser of the anti-slavery movement. One of the first streets in Mount Victoria, drawn on Mein-Smith’s 1840 map of Wellington.
11, 13, 15 Brougham Street – an enclave off Brougham Street
17 Brougham Street (Owd Trafford) and Art Deco Mt Victoria
50 Brougham Street is the site of the former Crossways Community Centre.
70 Brougham Street, home of the Baker family – including property developer George Baker.
89 Brougham St – designed by Francis Penty for J C Edwards
105 Brougham Street was once one of the grandest houses in Mt Victoria. It is architecturally significant, as it was designed by Thomas Turnball, one of the most important Wellington architects of the Victorian era.
111 Brougham St was built for Alexander Gray, and designed by architect Samuel Hurst Seager.
Many Brougham Street properties (25, 31, 64, 70, 71, 77-79, 87, 89, 91, 111, 115, 134) are among the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. (See Appendix 5)
Doctors Common
About the street: Named after the Doctors’ Commons, a legal enclave in London.
Doctors Common is an historic area included in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. (See Appendix 4)
Edge Hill
22 Edge Hill is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. (See Appendix 5)
Elizabeth Street
About the street: Named after Elizabeth Woodman, nee Muir, whose family owned property in this area. It was named in 1877. It was extended from Brougham Street to Kent Terrace in 1905 to provide a more gradual slope for the new trams than lower Pirie Street.
Elizabeth Street is an historic area included in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. (See Appendix 4)
Ellice Street
About the street: Named after New Zealand Company Director, Russell Ellice. This was one of the first streets in Mount Victoria, drawn on Mein-Smith’s 1840 map of Wellington.
Ellice St is an historic area included in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. (See Appendix 4)
53 and 68 Ellice Street are among the 39 houses of particular interest featured in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. (See Appendix 5)
Embassy Theatre
The Embassy Theatre is a famous cinema on Kent Terrace, that has hosted important film events including a premier of a Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movie and all but one of Gaylene Preston‘s films.
Mount Victoria Historical Society has created two panels on the history and the area, mounted on the Majoribanks Street side wall of the Embassy Theatre.
Hania Street
About the street: Hania Street is named after the old capital of Crete and the city with which Wellington is twinned in a sister city relationship. The street was created in 1990 when Lloyd and Nelson Streets were connected in the middle and renamed. Appropriately, it is the street on which the Greek Orthodox Church is located. The Sister City Charter between Wellington and Hania was signed on May 19, 1984 in Hania to celebrate the contribution of the Greek and Cretan communities to Wellington and the strong links and special friendships formed since World War II.
Hawker Street
About the street: Most likely named after CC Hawker, a Cornish supporter of the New Zealand Company.
Lower Hawker Street is an historic area included in Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. (See Appendix 4)
6 Hawker Street was the home of writer, Pat Lawlor.
34 Hawker Street is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. (See Appendix 5)
40 and 60 Hawker Street, then 43 (previously 27) – Bernard Freyberg’s family lived at these addresses.
Kennedy Street
2 Kennedy Street is one the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
Kent Terrace
The Embassy Theatre is a famous and iconic building on Kent Terrace.
A statue of Queen Victoria stands in the centre of Kent and Cambridge Terraces.
Levy St
Levy St is named after Lipman Levy.
4-6 Levy St is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
Lipman Street
Lipman Street is names after Lipman Levy.
Majoribanks Street
12 Marjoribanks St – residence and business of James Farley, butcher.
28 Marjoribanks Street was the home of James Harper Mouat. One of his relatives lived at 103 Majoribanks St.
64 and 98 Majoribanks St are among the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report.
McFarlane Street
8 McFarlane Street was the home of Captain Renner, sea captain.
11 McFarlane Street is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report.
Moir Street
Moir St is an historic area included in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. Refer to Appendix 4
Mount Victoria/Matairangi
The mountain which gives its name to the suburb has a number of interesting sites.
Centennial Lookout on Mt Victoria
During the war Mt Victoria was the site of a military camp.
Paterson Street
7 Paterson Street was built in 1869 for William Waring Taylor in “fancy colonial” style
Ettrick Cottage at 19 Paterson Street was built in the early 1870s at 7 Austin Street and owned by Samuel Atkins and his daughters for 81 years, before being moved to Paterson Street in 1994.
Pat Lawlor Close
23 Pat Lawlor Close is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
Pirie Street
56, 58, and 66 Pirie Street are among the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
55 Pirie Street was built by George Humphries and lived in by Edward Bonthorne, who proposed the famous 1909 plan for the Basin Reserve.
58 Pirie Street, and George Winder
Read about some more interesting Pirie St houses
Pirie Street was the site of a tram crash in 1920.
At the top of Pirie Street by the bus tunnel is the Victoria Bowling Club.
Porritt Avenue
Porritt Avenue is an historic area included in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Report. Refer to Appendix 4
Porritt Avenue was named after Sir Arthur Porritt.
15 Porritt Ave (Rahiri) – home of Thomas (Tamati) George Poutawera.
20 Porritt Avenue was one of several houses built by George Baker.
49 Porritt Avenue is where Kate Edger lived, the first woman in New Zealand to get a university degree.
49 Porritt Avenue is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
Queen Street
1 and 14 Queen Street are among the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
Roxburgh Street
Shannon Street
Shannon Street is named after George Shannon.
31 Shannon Street is one of the 39 houses of particular interest featured in the Wellington City Council’s Mt Victoria Heritage Study Report. Refer to Appendix 5.
Secondary schools
Wellington East Girls College and Wellington College
Stafford Street
Read about the history of Stafford Street in this publication by Joanna Newman.
Tutchen Street
Tutchen Street is named after the Tutchen family, who once owned a dairy farm in the area.
The Victoria Bowling Club is located at the top of Pirie Street.