Shirley is in northeast Christchurch, around 5 km from the central city. It borders Richmond, Dallington, Mairehau and Burwood, with The Palms mall at its centre.

The Palms is one of Christchurch's major shopping centres, in central Shirley, with around 100 stores, a supermarket and a cinema complex. It's the main retail hub for the city's northeast.

Is Shirley Boys' High School in Shirley?

Not anymore. Shirley Boys' High School relocated in 2019 to a new shared campus with Avonside Girls' High School beside QEII Park, a short drive east. Shirley Intermediate remains in the suburb.

How was Shirley affected by the earthquakes?

Shirley sat close to some of the worst eastern land damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, and parts of the surrounding Avon corridor were red-zoned. The suburb has been steadily rebuilt, with new housing filling gaps.

How do I get from central Christchurch to Shirley?

By car, around 10 minutes via Hills Road or Shirley Road. The Orbiter and several frequent bus routes serve The Palms from the central Bus Interchange.

Which schools are in zone for Shirley?

Children living in Shirley are in zone for Emmanuel Christian School, St Bede's College, Christchurch Adventist School, Mairehau High School, Middleton Grange School, Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College, Marian College, Te Oraka, Te Hiwa Shirley Primary School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Shirley?

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.

Shirley, Canterbury | Postcode, Population & Property Values

Living in Shirley

Shirley sits in northeast Christchurch, around 5 km from the central city, and it's a suburb with a sense of humour about its own paperwork: Shirley Boys' High School, one of the city's big secondary schools, no longer sits in Shirley, having moved to a shiny new shared campus by the coast in 2019. The locals mention this with the dry satisfaction of people who enjoy a good administrative irony.

Around 8,000 people live here, in housing that runs from early 1900s villas through to postwar family homes, on the flat streets between the Avon corridor and Marshland Road. The suburb took a hard knock in the earthquakes, sitting close to the worst of the eastern land damage, and the recovery has been long, real and visibly ongoing, with new builds steadily filling the gaps.

The Palms is the anchor: one of Christchurch's major malls, with the cinema, the supermarket and a hundred-odd stores making Shirley the retail centre of the northeast. Shirley Intermediate, which did stay in Shirley, holds the educational fort alongside the local primaries.

The central city is 10 minutes one way, the beaches at New Brighton 10 the other. Shirley is northeast Christchurch's stubborn, steady heart. The school may have moved. The suburb didn't.

Is Shirley a good place to live?

Shirley is home to roughly 2,598 people across 2.8 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Shirley scores 54 out of 100, with a safety score of 41/100 and 3% green space.

Schools: Shirley has 55 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 $645K, and weekly rent typically sits around $400.

Lifestyle: Shirley has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 9.4°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Shirley 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

Safety41
Amenities100
Schools72
Housing Affordability58
Green space10
Community33
Transport19

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $645K
Median Weekly Rent: $400/wk
Median HH Income: $85K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -3.0%
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 Christchurch City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Shirley?: Shirley is in northeast Christchurch, around 5 km from the central city. It borders Richmond, Dallington, Mairehau and Burwood, with The Palms mall at its centre.
What is The Palms?: The Palms is one of Christchurch's major shopping centres, in central Shirley, with around 100 stores, a supermarket and a cinema complex. It's the main retail hub for the city's northeast.
Is Shirley Boys' High School in Shirley?: Not anymore. Shirley Boys' High School relocated in 2019 to a new shared campus with Avonside Girls' High School beside QEII Park, a short drive east. Shirley Intermediate remains in the suburb.
How was Shirley affected by the earthquakes?: Shirley sat close to some of the worst eastern land damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, and parts of the surrounding Avon corridor were red-zoned. The suburb has been steadily rebuilt, with new housing filling gaps.
How do I get from central Christchurch to Shirley?: By car, around 10 minutes via Hills Road or Shirley Road. The Orbiter and several frequent bus routes serve The Palms from the central Bus Interchange.
Which schools are in zone for Shirley?: Children living in Shirley are in zone for Emmanuel Christian School, St Bede's College, Christchurch Adventist School, Mairehau High School, Middleton Grange School, Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College, Marian College, Te Oraka, Te Hiwa Shirley Primary School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
How do I check my school zone in Shirley?: 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.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Shirley

Schools in zone for Shirley

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

Emmanuel Christian School
Composite (Year 1-10) · roll 287 · decile 8
St Bede's College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 811 · decile 9
Christchurch Adventist School
Composite · roll 285 · decile 6
Mairehau High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 420 · decile 4
Middleton Grange School
Composite · roll 1387 · decile 9
Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 2123 · decile 3
Marian College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 436 · decile 9
Te Oraka
Intermediate · roll 192 · decile 4
Te Hiwa Shirley Primary School
Contributing · roll 354 · decile 3

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Shirley. 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 Shirley that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Pareawa Banks Avenue School
Contributing · roll 354 · decile 6 · 1.3 km away
Mairehau Primary School
Full Primary · roll 367 · decile 5 · 1.5 km away
St Francis of Assisi Catholic School
Full Primary · roll 463 · decile 7 · 1.6 km away
St Albans School
Contributing · roll 562 · decile 8 · 2.2 km away
Kingslea School
Specialist School · roll 125 · 2.3 km away
Waitākiri Primary School
Contributing · roll 520 · decile 8 · 2.4 km away
St Albans Catholic School (Christchurch)
Contributing · roll 108 · decile 9 · 2.5 km away
Chisnallwood Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 418 · decile 5 · 2.6 km away
Whītau School
Contributing · roll 285 · decile 2 · 2.9 km away
St Mary's School (Christchurch)
Full Primary · roll 119 · decile 4 · 2.9 km away
Paparoa Street School
Contributing · roll 324 · decile 10 · 3.1 km away
Te Pā o Rākaihautū
Composite · roll 209 · decile 2 · 3.3 km away
Christchurch East School
Full Primary · roll 289 · decile 3 · 3.3 km away
Te Rito Harakeke - Marshland School
Full Primary · roll 578 · decile 9 · 3.3 km away
Haeata Community Campus
Composite · roll 586 · decile 2 · 3.4 km away
Selwyn House School
Full Primary · roll 288 · decile 10 · 3.4 km away
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
Composite · roll 1640 · 3.5 km away
Ferndale Te Ahu
Specialist School · roll 141 · decile 9 · 3.5 km away
Papanui Primary School
Contributing · roll 225 · decile 6 · 3.5 km away
St Margaret's College
Composite · roll 866 · decile 10 · 3.6 km away
He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 536 · decile 10 · 3.7 km away
Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 705 · decile 10 · 3.8 km away
The Cathedral Grammar School
Full Primary · roll 242 · decile 10 · 3.8 km away
Elmwood Normal School
Contributing · roll 527 · decile 10 · 3.8 km away
Avonside Girls' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1107 · decile 5 · 3.9 km away
St James School (Aranui)
Contributing · roll 95 · decile 2 · 3.9 km away
St Joseph's School (Papanui)
Full Primary · roll 427 · decile 9 · 3.9 km away
Shirley Boys' High School - Ngā Tama o Ōruapaeroa
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1333 · decile 5 · 4.0 km away
Te Huarahi Linwood Avenue School
Contributing · roll 328 · decile 2 · 4.0 km away
Christ's College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 708 · decile 10 · 4.1 km away
Te Aratai College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 1277 · decile 3 · 4.2 km away
Catholic Cathedral College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 598 · decile 8 · 4.2 km away
Papanui High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1444 · decile 7 · 4.3 km away
Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery
Composite · roll 650 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
Queenspark Te Hua Mānuka
Full Primary · roll 442 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
Redwood School (Christchurch)
Contributing · roll 285 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
St Michael's Church School
Full Primary · roll 124 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away
Te Kura o Matarangi - Northcote School
Contributing · roll 151 · decile 3 · 4.4 km away
Parkview Pārua
Full Primary · roll 372 · decile 6 · 4.4 km away
Waimairi School
Contributing · roll 312 · decile 9 · 4.4 km away
Te Ahuwai Bromley School
Contributing · roll 356 · decile 3 · 4.5 km away
Christchurch Girls' High School -Te Kura o Hine Waiora
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1302 · decile 9 · 4.6 km away
St Patrick's School (Bryndwr)
Full Primary · roll 169 · decile 7 · 4.6 km away
Rāwhiti School
Full Primary · roll 518 · decile 3 · 4.8 km away
Casebrook Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 441 · decile 6 · 4.9 km away
Kimihia Parents' College
Teen Parent Unit · decile 1 · 5.0 km away

Rubbish & Recycling

Rubbish collection: Wednesday (weekly)
Recycling & organics: Wednesday (fortnightly, Week 2)
Next recycling: 5 August

Check your exact collection days on the CCC tool →

Rubbish bin

Non-recyclable general waste. Put out every Wednesday.

Recycling bin

Paper, cardboard, glass bottles & jars, metal cans, rigid plastic containers. Put out every second Wednesday.

Food scraps bin

All food scraps and garden organics. Collected every second Wednesday alongside recycling.

Collection data sourced from Christchurch City Council.

Explore Shirley

Things to do(7)

Rassells Dance

Scarborough Hill Reserve

Joy Street Playground

Anytime Fitness Shirley

Snap Fitness The Palms

Snap Fitness

Fairway Reserve

Parks & green spaces(3)

Scarborough Hill Reserve

Joy Street Playground

Fairway Reserve

Healthcare(3)

White Cross Shirley

Shirley Dispensary

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.26	14.49	1.28	11.97
☀️ Feb	21.41	13.92	2.03	10.43
🍂 Mar	18.71	11.15	1.97	9.18
🍂 Apr	16.8	9.99	1.57	8.33
🍂 May	14	6.76	1.64	6.17
❄️ Jun	12.14	6.72	1.74	5.55
❄️ Jul	11.06	4.3	2.54	6.26
❄️ Aug	11.7	4.24	1.51	7.73
🌸 Sep	14.64	6.56	2.09	8.97
🌸 Oct	16.06	8.03	1.75	10.46
🌸 Nov	17.39	10.25	1.78	11.55
☀️ Dec	20.46	12.96	1.81	10.99

Living in Shirley

Is Shirley a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Shirley

Schools in zone for Shirley

Emmanuel Christian School

St Bede's College

Christchurch Adventist School

Mairehau High School

Middleton Grange School

Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College

Marian College

Te Oraka

Te Hiwa Shirley Primary School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Pareawa Banks Avenue School

Mairehau Primary School

St Francis of Assisi Catholic School

St Albans School

Kingslea School

Waitākiri Primary School

St Albans Catholic School (Christchurch)

Chisnallwood Intermediate

Whītau School

St Mary's School (Christchurch)

Paparoa Street School

Te Pā o Rākaihautū

Christchurch East School

Te Rito Harakeke - Marshland School

Haeata Community Campus

Selwyn House School

St Andrew's College (Christchurch)

Ferndale Te Ahu

Papanui Primary School

St Margaret's College

He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate

Rangi Ruru Girls' School

The Cathedral Grammar School

Elmwood Normal School

Avonside Girls' High School

St James School (Aranui)

St Joseph's School (Papanui)

Shirley Boys' High School - Ngā Tama o Ōruapaeroa

Te Huarahi Linwood Avenue School

Christ's College

Te Aratai College

Catholic Cathedral College

Papanui High School

Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery

Queenspark Te Hua Mānuka

Redwood School (Christchurch)

St Michael's Church School

Te Kura o Matarangi - Northcote School

Parkview Pārua

Waimairi School

Te Ahuwai Bromley School

Christchurch Girls' High School -Te Kura o Hine Waiora

St Patrick's School (Bryndwr)

Rāwhiti School

Casebrook Intermediate

Kimihia Parents' College

Rubbish & Recycling

Rubbish bin

Recycling bin

Food scraps bin

Explore Shirley

🎯Things to do(7)

Rassells Dance

Scarborough Hill Reserve

Joy Street Playground

Anytime Fitness Shirley

Snap Fitness The Palms

Snap Fitness

Things to do(7)

Parks & green spaces(3)

Healthcare(3)

Places to eat & drink(35)

Tradies & services(9)

Shops(40)