Kelburn is a Wellington suburb directly west of the CBD, on the hills above Lambton Quay. It's connected to the city by the Wellington Cable Car and several roads (the Glenmore Street and Salamanca Road approaches).

How does the Wellington Cable Car work?

The Wellington Cable Car is a funicular railway running 612 metres from Lambton Quay to the top of Kelburn, climbing 120 metres in altitude. It's been operating since 1902, with departures every 10 minutes and a journey time of about 5 minutes.

Is Victoria University in Kelburn?

Yes. Victoria University of Wellington's main Kelburn campus has been on the hill since 1899. It includes the Hunter Building, Old Kirk, Murphy and other faculty buildings, plus libraries, halls of residence and the student union.

Where is the Wellington Botanic Garden?

The Wellington Botanic Garden covers 25 hectares west and south of Kelburn, with its top entrance at the Cable Car terminus and a lower entrance on Glenmore Street. It includes the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, the Begonia House, native bush and the Carter Observatory (Space Place).

Can you walk from the CBD to Kelburn?

Yes. The walk up via The Terrace and Salamanca Road takes around 20 to 30 minutes depending on fitness. Many people take the Cable Car up and walk down through the Botanic Garden, which is the most scenic option.

Which schools are in zone for Kelburn?

Children living in Kelburn are in zone for St Oran's College, Wellington Girls' College, Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre, Wellington College, Kelburn Normal School, Hutt International Boys' School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Kelburn?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Kelburn, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Kelburn

Kelburn sits directly above the Wellington CBD on the western hills, accessed by the iconic Cable Car (1902), one of the few funicular railways still in regular daily use anywhere in the world. The Cable Car runs every 10 minutes from Lambton Quay to the top of Kelburn, a distance of just 612 metres and a difference of 120 metres in altitude. The view at the top is the postcard.

Victoria University of Wellington's main Kelburn campus dominates the suburb and gives it a year-round student rhythm. It's been on the hill since 1899. The Wellington Botanic Garden's top entrance is at the Cable Car terminus too: 25 hectares of bush, formal gardens, the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, and the Carter Observatory (now branded Space Place) with its planetarium.

Kelburn Park is the local rugby and cricket ground at the centre of the suburb. The shopping strip on Upland Road covers a New World, a few cafés, the medical centre and the standard suburban services. Kelburn Village is small but established, mostly Edwardian villas on streets that defeat first-time visitors.

The walk back down to the city through the Botanic Garden is one of Wellington's classic free attractions.

Is Kelburn a good place to live?

Kelburn is home to roughly 4,290 people across 20.9 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Kelburn scores 71 out of 100, with a safety score of 53/100 and 31% green space.

Schools: Kelburn has 45 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $1.32M, and weekly rent typically sits around $680.

Lifestyle: Kelburn has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 9.1°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Kelburn is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety53
Amenities100
Schools94
Housing Affordability28
Green space100
Community78
Transport50

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $1.32M
Median Weekly Rent: $680/wk
Median HH Income: $132K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -13.5%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Wellington City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kelburn?: Kelburn is a Wellington suburb directly west of the CBD, on the hills above Lambton Quay. It's connected to the city by the Wellington Cable Car and several roads (the Glenmore Street and Salamanca Road approaches).
How does the Wellington Cable Car work?: The Wellington Cable Car is a funicular railway running 612 metres from Lambton Quay to the top of Kelburn, climbing 120 metres in altitude. It's been operating since 1902, with departures every 10 minutes and a journey time of about 5 minutes.
Is Victoria University in Kelburn?: Yes. Victoria University of Wellington's main Kelburn campus has been on the hill since 1899. It includes the Hunter Building, Old Kirk, Murphy and other faculty buildings, plus libraries, halls of residence and the student union.
Where is the Wellington Botanic Garden?: The Wellington Botanic Garden covers 25 hectares west and south of Kelburn, with its top entrance at the Cable Car terminus and a lower entrance on Glenmore Street. It includes the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, the Begonia House, native bush and the Carter Observatory (Space Place).
Can you walk from the CBD to Kelburn?: Yes. The walk up via The Terrace and Salamanca Road takes around 20 to 30 minutes depending on fitness. Many people take the Cable Car up and walk down through the Botanic Garden, which is the most scenic option.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Kelburn

Schools in zone for Kelburn

Children living in Kelburn have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

St Oran's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 504 · decile 10
Wellington Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1427 · decile 8
Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1639 · decile 9
Wellington College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1941 · decile 10
Kelburn Normal School
Full Primary · roll 270 · decile 10
Hutt International Boys' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 653 · decile 10

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Kelburn. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Kelburn that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Te Aro School
Full Primary · roll 210 · decile 4 · 0.6 km away
Clifton Terrace Model School
Full Primary · roll 71 · decile 8 · 0.9 km away
Northland School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 7 · 0.9 km away
Central Regional Health School
Specialist School · roll 23 · 1.4 km away
St Mary's College (Wellington)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 562 · decile 8 · 1.6 km away
Mt Cook School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 287 · decile 6 · 1.6 km away
Altum Academy
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 1.6 km away
Sacred Heart Cathedral School
Full Primary · roll 228 · decile 8 · 1.7 km away
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Composite · roll 394 · decile 10 · 1.8 km away
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu
Correspondence School · roll 8517 · 1.8 km away
Clyde Quay School
Full Primary · roll 213 · decile 10 · 1.9 km away
Brooklyn School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 368 · decile 8 · 2.0 km away
Karori Normal School
Full Primary · roll 590 · decile 9 · 2.0 km away
Thorndon School
Full Primary · roll 270 · decile 8 · 2.0 km away
St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)
Full Primary · roll 136 · decile 10 · 2.0 km away
Queen Margaret College
Composite · roll 755 · decile 9 · 2.2 km away
Wellington East Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1014 · decile 8 · 2.3 km away
Ōtari School
Full Primary · roll 193 · decile 9 · 2.4 km away
St Teresa's School (Karori)
Full Primary · roll 125 · decile 10 · 2.6 km away
Newtown School
Contributing · roll 310 · decile 4 · 2.8 km away
St Annes School (Newtown)
Full Primary · roll 215 · decile 5 · 2.9 km away
Wadestown School
Full Primary · roll 243 · decile 9 · 2.9 km away
Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 9 · 3.1 km away
Roseneath School
Full Primary · roll 73 · decile 9 · 3.1 km away
Crofton Downs Primary School
Contributing · roll 154 · decile 10 · 3.2 km away
Hataitai School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 10 · 3.2 km away
Kilbirnie School
Contributing · roll 204 · decile 10 · 3.3 km away
South Wellington Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 335 · decile 5 · 3.5 km away
Karori West Normal School
Full Primary · roll 431 · decile 7 · 3.6 km away
Berhampore School
Contributing · roll 264 · decile 3 · 3.7 km away
St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 725 · decile 8 · 3.8 km away
Te Ara
Activity Centre · 3.9 km away
St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 208 · decile 6 · 4.0 km away
Evans Bay Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 337 · decile 7 · 4.0 km away
St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)
Full Primary · roll 128 · decile 5 · 4.0 km away
Ngaio School
Contributing · roll 271 · decile 10 · 4.4 km away
Lyall Bay School
Contributing · roll 275 · decile 7 · 4.7 km away
Rongotai College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 719 · decile 4 · 4.8 km away
St Benedict's School (Khandallah)
Full Primary · roll 209 · decile 10 · 4.8 km away

Explore Kelburn

Things to do(18)

13.5 cm Kanone 09

Victoria University Classics Museum

Space Place

Salamanca Tennis Club

Wellington Collegians Cricket Club

Anderson Park

LA Dance School Wellington

Wellington Botanic Garden Play Area

Victoria University Badminton Club

Boyd Wilson Arena

Rembuden Kendo Club

VicTennis

Club Kelburn

Lazy 11 FC

Budokan Judo Wellington

Kelburn Park

Crazy Monkey Defense New Zealand

Hapkido Self Defence

Parks & green spaces(3)

Anderson Park

Wellington Botanic Garden Play Area

Kelburn Park

Healthcare(5)

Student Health

Unichem

Kelburn Pharmacy

Dilworth Hearing

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20	15.02	42.07	11.97
☀️ Feb	19.31	15.04	128.47	9.93
🍂 Mar	17.74	13.38	70.07	9.72
🍂 Apr	16.68	12.32	88.2	8.34
🍂 May	14.89	10.91	95.63	6.93
❄️ Jun	13.22	9.4	96.4	6.33
❄️ Jul	12.15	8.23	125.3	5.76
❄️ Aug	12.01	8.43	124.47	7.27
🌸 Sep	13.4	9.48	82.37	8.3
🌸 Oct	14.32	10.02	73.07	9.69
🌸 Nov	16.46	12.02	69.9	11.08
☀️ Dec	18.11	13.67	78.47	10.88

Living in Kelburn

Is Kelburn a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Kelburn

Schools in zone for Kelburn

St Oran's College

Wellington Girls' College

Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre

Wellington College

Kelburn Normal School

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Te Aro School

Clifton Terrace Model School

Northland School

Central Regional Health School

St Mary's College (Wellington)

Mt Cook School (Wellington)

Altum Academy

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu

Clyde Quay School

Brooklyn School (Wellington)

Karori Normal School

Thorndon School

St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)

Queen Margaret College

Wellington East Girls' College

Ōtari School

St Teresa's School (Karori)

Newtown School

St Annes School (Newtown)

Wadestown School

Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School

Roseneath School

Crofton Downs Primary School

Hataitai School

Kilbirnie School

South Wellington Intermediate

Karori West Normal School

Berhampore School

St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)

Te Ara

St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)

Evans Bay Intermediate

St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)

Ngaio School

Lyall Bay School

Rongotai College

St Benedict's School (Khandallah)

Explore Kelburn

🎯Things to do(18)

13.5 cm Kanone 09

Victoria University Classics Museum

Space Place

Salamanca Tennis Club

Wellington Collegians Cricket Club

Anderson Park

LA Dance School Wellington

Wellington Botanic Garden Play Area

Victoria University Badminton Club

Boyd Wilson Arena

Rembuden Kendo Club

VicTennis

Club Kelburn

Lazy 11 FC

Budokan Judo Wellington

Kelburn Park

Crazy Monkey Defense New Zealand

Hapkido Self Defence

🌳Parks & green spaces(3)

Anderson Park

Things to do(18)

Parks & green spaces(3)

Healthcare(5)

Places to eat & drink(26)

Tradies & services(8)

Shops(7)

Beauty & fitness(17)