St Johns Hill

St Johns Hill
Suburb
The Higginbottom Fountain at Virginia Lake Reserve
The Higginbottom Fountain at Virginia Lake Reserve
Map
Interactive map of St Johns Hill
Coordinates: 39°55′00″S175°02′15″E / 39.916764°S 175.037380°E / -39.916764; 175.037380
CountryNew Zealand
CityWhanganui
Local authorityWhanganui District Council
Area
[1]
 • Land225 ha (560 acres)
Population
 (June 2025)[2]
 • Total
3,440
 • Density1,530/km2 (3,960/sq mi)
OtamateaAramoho
St Johns Hill
SpringvaleCollege EstateWhanganui Central

St Johns Hill is a suburb of Whanganui, in the Whanganui District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.

Demographics

St Johns Hill covers 2.25 km2 (0.87 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 3,440 as of June 2025,[2] with a population density of 1,529 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
20063,096—    
20133,144+0.22%
20183,375+1.43%
20233,396+0.12%
Source: [3][4]

St Johns Hill had a population of 3,396 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 21 people (0.6%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 252 people (8.0%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,524 males, 1,860 females, and 12 people of other genders in 1,431 dwellings.[5] 2.6% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 52.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 528 people (15.5%) aged under 15 years, 417 (12.3%) aged 15 to 29, 1,305 (38.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,149 (33.8%) aged 65 or older.[3]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 86.8% European (Pākehā); 14.1% Māori; 1.8% Pasifika; 5.5% Asian; 1.1% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.9%, Māori by 3.4%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 8.9%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 19.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.[3]

Religious affiliations were 41.4% Christian, 0.8% Hindu, 0.4% Islam, 1.3% Māori religious beliefs, 1.0% Buddhist, 0.3% New Age, 0.4% Jewish, and 0.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 46.6%, and 7.1% of people did not answer the census question.[3]

Of those at least 15 years old, 741 (25.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,515 (52.8%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 615 (21.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $34,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 351 people (12.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,155 (40.3%) full-time, 363 (12.7%) part-time, and 48 (1.7%) unemployed.[3]

Individual statistical areas
NameArea(km2)PopulationDensity(per km2)DwellingsMedian ageMedianincome
St Johns Hill East1.121,1581,03151061.1 years$29,600[6]
St Johns Hill West1.122,2352,23591849.3 years$37,600[7]
New Zealand38.1 years$41,500

Education

Sacred Heart College in the 1970s (now Cullinane College)

St Johns Hill School is a state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[8] with a roll of 415.[9] The school opened in 1929, but there were predecessors from 1901.[10]

St Mary's School is a state-integrated primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,[11] with a roll of 257.[12] It opened in 1919 on Victoria Avenue in the central city, moved to Grey Street in 1927 and then to Wicksteed Street in 1964. It moved to Aramoho in 1988, on a site occupied by Holy Infancy (later St Joseph's) school from 1899 to 1979.[13]

Cullinane College is a state-integrated secondary school,[14] with a roll of 446.[15] It opened in 2003 from a merge of Sacred Heart Girls College (established 1912 with a predecessor from 1880)[16] and St Augustine's [Boys] College (established 1944).[17][18]

Both these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of October 2025.[19]

Parks

Rotokawau Virginia Lake, located on St John's Hill, is a historic lake with a fountain, Art Deco conservatory and winter garden.[20]

Notable people

  • James K. Baxter, poet and playwright, attended St Johns Hill School in 1936
  • Emily White started a garden on her large property on St Johns Hill in 1882; it gained international renown

See also

References

  1. ^ ab"Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 3 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  2. ^ ab"Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  3. ^ abcde"Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. St Johns Hill (54730). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  4. ^"Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. St Johns Hill East (224100) and St Johns Hill West (224200).
  5. ^"Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  6. ^"Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. St Johns Hill East. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  7. ^"Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. St Johns Hill West. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  8. ^"St Johns Hill School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  9. ^"St Johns Hill School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  10. ^"School History". St Johns Hill School. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  11. ^"St Mary's School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  12. ^"St Mary's School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  13. ^Sharpe, Libby; Doyle, Helen (25 April 2018). "Museum: Catholic education in Whanganui". Whanganui Chronicle.
  14. ^"Cullinane College Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
  15. ^"Cullinane College Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  16. ^Sharpe, Libby; Doyle, Helen (25 April 2018). "Museum: Catholic education in Whanganui". Whanganui Chronicle.
  17. ^"A golden jubilee record, 1944-1994". St Augustine's Golden Jubilee Committee. 1996.
  18. ^"International Prospectus"(PDF). Cullinane College. 2024.
  19. ^"New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  20. ^"Rotokawau Virginia Lake". www.whanganui.govt.nz. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
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