Durie Hill
Suburb of Whanganui
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Durie Hill is a suburb of Whanganui, in the Whanganui District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island.
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Durie Hill | |
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Durie Hill Memorial Tower | |
 Interactive map of Durie Hill | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Whanganui |
| Local authority | Whanganui District Council |
| Area | |
| • Land | 257 ha (640 acres) |
| Population (June 2025)[2] | |
• Total | 2,250 |
| • Density | 875/km2 (2,270/sq mi) |
| Whanganui East Bastia Hill |
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| (Whanganui River) Whanganui Central |
  Durie Hill  |
Okoia |
| Putiki | Marybank |
The suburb was designed in 1920 by Samuel Hurst Seager as a garden suburb based on garden-city planning principles. It was designed with curvilinear streets, reserves, croquet lawns and tennis courts.[3]
The Durie Hill Elevator connects the suburb with Anzac Parade.[4] The elevator and tunnel were proposed by Wanganui Chronicle editor John Ball and Technical School engineering instructor Edward Crow, but most residents of the new suburb refused to fund it.[5][6]
A revitalisation programme was launched in 2019, including the introduction of planter boxes and the founding of a village market.[7]
Demographics
Bastia-Durie Hill statistical area covers 2.57 km2 (0.99 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 2,250 as of June 2025,[2] with a population density of 875 people per km2.
Bastia-Durie Hill had a population of 2,202 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 72 people (3.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 90 people (4.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,086 males, 1,113 females, and 3 people of other genders in 915 dwellings.[10] 3.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 48.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 372 people (16.9%) aged under 15 years, 300 (13.6%) aged 15 to 29, 954 (43.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 573 (26.0%) aged 65 or older.[8]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 88.6% European (Pākehā); 19.5% Māori; 3.0% Pasifika; 3.3% Asian; 1.1% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.6%, Māori by 4.6%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 6.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.3%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.[8]
Religious affiliations were 30.5% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.8% Islam, 1.8% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.7% New Age, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.6%, and 6.4% of people did not answer the census question.[8]
Of those at least 15 years old, 456 (24.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,044 (57.0%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 330 (18.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 153 people (8.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 828 (45.2%) full-time, 297 (16.2%) part-time, and 54 (3.0%) unemployed.[8]