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

Thorndon 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 until his death on 30 August 2006 he lived in Karori.

Features of Thorndon

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.

The Chinese Embassy is located at 2-6 Glenmore Street in Thorndon, opposite the Botanical Gardens. The American and German embassies, and the Australian High Commission are also in Thorndon.

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, the Kapiti Coast, and the Hutt Valley. Earlier Wellington railway terminals have also been located in Thorndon, most notably the southern terminus of New Zealand's most successful privately owned railway, the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company.

chools

Several large schools are located in Thorndon, notably Wellington Girls' College, St Mary's College and Queen Margaret College. The local state primary school, founded 1852, is Thorndon School.

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 Saint Paul's [http://www.historic.org.nz/Register/ListingDetail.asp?RID=38&sm=] .The Chinese Anglican Mission Church is located at 30 Glenmore St opposite the Botanic Gardens.

Historic Places

Katherine Mansfield Birthplace is located in Thorndon, and is the house where Katherine Mansfield grew up.

ports

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. The Thorndon Tennis (and Squash) Club, established in the 19th century, is one of the oldest in the world.

Thorndon Events

Every December is the Thorndon Fair, a community event with many stalls of crafts and second-hand goods. Parts of Tinakori Road and Hill Street are closed during the fair.

Geographic Boundaries

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 boundaries of Thorndon form an approximate triangle. Starting from the lower south-west corner, at the intersection of Glenmore St and Collins Tce, the boundary goes up through Tinakori Hill, across through Weld St and along to Baker St. Then the boundary follows the west side of Thorndon Quay down until Hill St, where it goes across to Bowen St, Tinakori Road and Glenmore St (until Collins Tce).

External links

* [http://www.archives.govt.nz/ Archives New Zealand]
* [http://www.natlib.govt.nz/ National Library]
* [http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~j_lowe/LocalHist2.htm Thorndon History by Jeremy Lowe]