Wilton, New Zealand

Wilton
Suburb
Playing cricket in Wilton
Coordinates: 41°16′05″S 174°45′25″E
Country	New Zealand
City	Wellington City
Local authority	Wellington City Council
Electoral ward	Wharangi/Onslow-Western Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward
Area
• Land	126 ha (311 acres)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	2,200
Postcode(s)	6012

	Crofton Downs
	Wilton	Wadestown, Thorndon
Northland	Karori

Wilton is a small suburb in Wellington. It is best known for Otari-Wilton's Bush, a large reserve that is situated in the suburb. Otari-Wilton's bush is the only public botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants. It features 14 km of walking tracks and a 'canopy walkway'. The canopy walkway is a raised walkway that provides a unique chance to view life in, and from, the top level of trees such as mature tawa, rewarewa and hinau.

History

Job Wilton was a sheep farmer; in 1861 he had a flock of 165 sheep, to be washed in the Kaiwharawhara Stream before shearing. He subdivided his farm in 1915, but Wilton was semi-rural to the 1930s with little housing development until after World War II. A Sunday trip to Wilton's Bush and Chapman's Gardens (now the Otari Plant Museum) required walking from the Wadestown tram terminus. From 1944 a feeder bus ran from the terminus. A school opened in 1956. Wilton House in Blackbridge Road was built for Courtenay Place chemist Mr O'Connor and his sister in 1925.

Demographics

Wilton statistical area covers 1.26 km² (0.49 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 2,200 as of June 2023, with a population density of 1,746 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	2,034	—
2013	2,049	+0.11%
2018	2,205	+1.48%
Source:

Wilton had a population of 2,205 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 156 people (7.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 171 people (8.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 876 households, comprising 1,059 males and 1,146 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.92 males per female. The median age was 38.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 387 people (17.6%) aged under 15 years, 474 (21.5%) aged 15 to 29, 1,062 (48.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 282 (12.8%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 83.9% European/Pākehā, 9.8% Māori, 5.0% Pasifika, 9.3% Asian, and 3.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 27.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.6% had no religion, 31.0% were Christian, 0.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% were Hindu, 1.8% were Muslim, 1.0% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 957 (52.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 90 (5.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $46,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 600 people (33.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,041 (57.3%) people were employed full-time, 261 (14.4%) were part-time, and 72 (4.0%) were unemployed.

Education

School enrolment zone

Wilton is within the enrolment zones for Wellington College, Wellington Girls' College, Wellington High School, Onslow College, St Oran's College and the Otari School.

Primary schools

Otari School (Te Kura o Otari) is a state-funded full-primary school nestled next to the Otari-Wilton's Bush. The school encompasses three teaching styles. Montessori, Māori Immersion and the standard New Zealand curriculum. It has a roll of 193 as of February 2024.

Cardinal McKeefry Catholic Primary School (which opened in 1970, but has origins back to 1876) is a primary school for Year 1 to Year 8 (5 to 13 years old), with a roll of 51 as of February 2024.

Further reading

• Bremner, Julie (1983). Wellington’s Northern Suburbs 1840-1918. Wellington: Millwood Press. ISBN 0-908582-59-5.
• Bremner, Julie (1987). Wellington’s Northern Suburbs 1919-1945. Wellington: Millwood Press. ISBN 0-908582-80-3.