Miramar, New Zealand

Miramar Peninsula was originally an island, separated from Kilbirnie by a sea channel called Te Awa-a-Taia^[3] (the channel of Taia); this was where the Rongotai isthmus is now. The original Māori name for the whole area when it was still an island was Te Motu Kairangi (meaning "esteemed" or "precious" island).^[4]

'Miramar' means 'sea view' in Spanish. The name was chosen by the first European to settle in the area, Scotsman Coutts Crawford (1817–1889). Crawford was a former Royal Navy officer turned businessman and colonist, who arrived in Wellington in 1840. Crawford established a farm on Miramar Peninsula, which at the time was known as Watt's Peninsula, and drained a large lagoon known as Para Lake or Burnham Water. The lagoon covered much of the low-lying land in the centre of the peninsula; this area is now occupied by suburban houses, streets, parks and shops in the suburb of Miramar.

On 18 November 1904 Miramar Borough was formed.^[5] In April 1921, Miramar was incorporated into the city of Wellington.^[6] The records of the Miramar Borough Council were transferred to the City of Wellington at the time of amalgamation and can still be accessed today through Wellington City Council.^[7] In November 2023, Miramar Peninsula was declared rat- and mustelid-free by Predator Free Wellington.^[8]

As of 2024, the suburb of Miramar consists of the mainly-flat central basin of Miramar Peninsula, separated from surrounding suburbs from the northwest around to the east by a ring of hills. In the northwest and north, Miramar's boundary with Maupuia lies roughly along the ridgeline, and to the east Nevay Road and Seatoun Heights Road separate Miramar from Karaka Bays and Seatoun. In the flatter west and south, Miramar is bounded by Calabar Road and Wellington Airport to the west and by Broadway and Strathmore Park to the south.^[9]

Miramar, comprising the statistical areas of Miramar North, Miramar Central, Miramar East and Miramar South, covers 2.87 km² (1.11 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 9,900 as of June 2025, with a population density of 3,449 people per km².

Miramar had a population of 9,636 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 297 people (−3.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 72 people (0.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 4,743 males, 4,827 females, and 69 people of other genders in 3,609 dwellings.^[12] 5.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 39.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,647 people (17.1%) aged under 15 years, 1,902 (19.7%) aged 15 to 29, 4,635 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,458 (15.1%) aged 65 or older.^[10]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 66.3% European (Pākehā); 10.1% Māori; 10.7% Pasifika; 21.3% Asian; 4.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 94.5%, Māori by 2.6%, Samoan by 4.7%, and other languages by 24.7%. No language could be spoken by 1.8% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 33.0, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[10]

Religious affiliations were 33.2% Christian, 5.2% Hindu, 1.1% Islam, 0.5% Māori religious beliefs, 2.5% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 49.9%, and 5.9% of people did not answer the census question.^[10]

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,832 (35.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 3,414 (42.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,746 (21.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $50,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,593 people (19.9%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 4,533 (56.7%) full-time, 1,035 (13.0%) part-time, and 195 (2.4%) unemployed.^[10]

In 1936 the government took over the lease of an independent film company called Filmcraft in Darlington Rd, Miramar.^[17] It set up a full body, government film production operation which covered the 1940 Centennial celebrations and New Zealand's contribution in World War II.^[18] It was called the National Film Unit.^[19] In 1979 the NFU moved to Avalon, Lower Hutt, next to the national television entity Avalon Studios.^[20] In the 1990s, film director Sir Peter Jackson purchased the former Film Unit premises in Miramar, to produce his films.^[21] He used the NFU's facilities while making Braindead. Since then, Jackson and his colleagues Sir Richard Taylor (VFX) and Jamie Selkirk (Editor) have built a series of multi million-dollar studios, sound stages, and pre- and post-production facilities in Miramar that include Stone Street Studios, Park Road Post, Weta Digital, and Weta Workshop. Jackson filmed the studio scenes of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong in Miramar. Miramar has been hailed by Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro as "Hollywood the way God intended it".^[22]