Fendalton

For the parliamentary electorate, see Fendalton (New Zealand electorate).

Fendalton
Suburb
Punting at Mona Vale, a prominent park and former homestead in Fendalton.
Coordinates: 43°31′S 172°36′E
Country	New Zealand
City	Christchurch
Local authority	Christchurch City Council
Electoral ward	Fendalton
Community board	Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton
Established	1850
Area
• Land	217 ha (536 acres)
Population  (June 2024)
• Total	4,710
Postcode(s)	8052

Bryndwr	Strowan
Ilam	Fendalton	Merivale
Upper Riccarton	Riccarton	(Hagley Park)

Daniel Inwood's flour mill in Fendalton, 1853

Fendalton is a suburb of Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand.

History

Fendalton was originally known as Fendall Town, named after the original settler of the land, Walpole Chesshyre Fendall (1830–1913). Fendall emigrated from Yorkshire in 1850 and took up land north of the Waimairi Stream. The name Fendall Town was soon applied to the area northwest of Hagley Park, extending as far as the modern location of Christchurch International Airport and including portions of Burnside, Bryndwr, and Harewood, among others. Early spelling also included Fendall's Town and Fendaltown, but by the 1880s Fendalton had become the most common form. Fendalton was the site for many early buildings in the settlement of Christchurch, including an early flour mill along what is now Fendalton Road. This flour mill was constructed by Daniel Inwood, who came to New Zealand aboard the Sir George Seymour in 1850, and used machinery which Inwood brought with him from England.

The suburb is also home to multiple significant historical buildings, especially as examples of various styles of homestead. These include St Barnabas Church, Daresbury, and Los Angeles, one of the first examples of a California bungalow to be built in New Zealand.

A history of the suburb can be found in "Fendall's Legacy: A history of Fendalton and north-west Christchurch" by Frieda Looser.

Demographics

Fendalton, comprising the statistical areas of Fendalton and Deans Bush, covers 2.17 km² (0.84 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 4,710 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2,171 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	4,737	—
2013	4,578	−0.49%
2018	4,515	−0.28%
Source:

Fendalton had a population of 4,515 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 63 people (−1.4%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 222 people (−4.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,656 households, comprising 2,202 males and 2,313 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 678 people (15.0%) aged under 15 years, 993 (22.0%) aged 15 to 29, 1,866 (41.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 975 (21.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 84.2% European/Pākehā, 3.9% Māori, 1.2% Pasifika, 14.0% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 27.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 46.4% had no religion, 44.9% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.1% were Hindu, 0.7% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 2.1% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,539 (40.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 297 (7.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,164 people (30.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,626 (42.4%) people were employed full-time, 687 (17.9%) were part-time, and 105 (2.7%) were unemployed.

Individual statistical areas

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Density (per km2)	Households	Median age	Median income
Fendalton	0.92	1,998	2,172	750	46.4 years	$44,200
Deans Bush	1.25	2,517	2,014	906	45.7 years	$36,800
New Zealand					37.4 years	$31,800

Location and services

Fendalton Library

Fendalton is situated to the west of the city centre, close to the University of Canterbury at Ilam and the major retail area of Riccarton. It is also close to the main route from the central city to the Christchurch International Airport to the northwest.

Fendalton has a reputation as one of the country's more well-to-do and refined suburbs, and is one of the older residential areas of the city.

Education

One high school lies directly within the suburb - Christchurch Boys' High School. The school includes boarding facilities, and has a roll of 1427. The school opened in 1881, and moved to its present site in 1926.

While Christchurch Girls' High School catchment zone encompasses much of Fendalton, the school itself lies within the suburb of Riccarton.

The local state intermediate school is Cobham Intermediate School.

The main primary school in Fendalton is Fendalton Open Air School, originally called Clyde Road Primary School. It has a roll of 446. It opened in 1875.