Miramar, New Zealand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miramar
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Suburb
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Roxy Cinema in Miramar
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 Miramar
Location in New Zealand
Miramar
Location in New Zealand Wellington
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Local authority | Wellington City |
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| Established | 1904 |
| Area | |
| • Land | 287 ha (709 acre) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 10,030 |
  Miramar, New Zealand  |
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Miramar is a suburb in Wellington, New Zealand. It is located south-east of the city centre. Miramar is found on the Miramar Peninsula, right next to the area called Rongotai. This is where Wellington International Airport is located.
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History of Miramar
The Miramar Peninsula was once an island! It was separated from Kilbirnie by a sea channel. This channel was called Te Awa-a-Taia, which means "the channel of Taia." The original Māori name for the whole island was Te Motu Kairangi. This name means "esteemed" or "precious island."
The name 'Miramar' means 'sea view' in Spanish. A Scotsman named Coutts Crawford chose this name. He was the first European to settle in the area. Crawford arrived in Wellington in 1840. He was a former Royal Navy officer who became a businessman.
Crawford started a farm on the Miramar Peninsula. At that time, it was known as Watt's Peninsula. He also drained a large lagoon called Burnham Water. This lagoon covered much of the low-lying land. Today, this area has houses, streets, parks, and shops.
Miramar became its own borough on November 18, 1904. A borough is like a small town with its own local government. In April 1921, Miramar joined the City of Wellington. The records from the Miramar Borough Council are now kept by the Wellington City Council.
Where is Miramar?
Miramar is mostly a flat area in the middle of the Miramar Peninsula. Hills surround it from the northwest to the east. To the north, Miramar borders Maupuia along the ridgeline. Nevay Road and Seatoun Heights Road separate Miramar from Karaka Bays and Seatoun in the east. In the flatter western and southern parts, Miramar is next to Calabar Road and Wellington Airport. It also borders Broadway and Strathmore Park to the south.
People of Miramar
Miramar is made up of four statistical areas: Miramar North, Miramar Central, Miramar East, and Miramar South. The total area is about 2.87 square kilometers. As of 2023, the estimated population is around 10,000 people.
Most people in Miramar are of European descent. There are also significant numbers of Māori, Pasifika, and Asian people living here. Many people in Miramar were born outside of New Zealand.
When it comes to religion, many people in Miramar say they have no religion. Others identify as Christian. There are also people who follow Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist faiths.
Miramar and Film
Miramar is famous for its connection to the film industry! Before World War II, in 1936, the New Zealand government bought a film company in Miramar. They created the National Film Unit to make movies about New Zealand's role in the war.
Later, in the late 1990s, famous film director Sir Peter Jackson bought the National Film Unit. He used its facilities to make his film Braindead. Since then, Peter Jackson has brought the film unit back to Miramar.
Jackson and his team have built many amazing film studios in Miramar. These include Stone Street Studios, Park Road Post, Weta Digital, and Weta Workshop. Peter Jackson filmed parts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong in Miramar. The Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro even called Miramar "Hollywood the way God intended it."
Roxy Cinema
The Roxy Cinema is a popular movie theatre in Miramar. It's located in the Miramar shopping centre on Park Road. The building first opened as the Capitol Theatre in January 1929. It closed in 1964 and became a shopping plaza.
After being empty for many years, the building was bought in 2003. The front of the building was kept, but the inside was rebuilt. It reopened in 2011 as a two-screen movie theatre.
Today, the Roxy Cinema is owned by Jamie Selkirk and his wife Ann, Tania Rodger from Weta Workshop, and local foodies Valentina and Daminda Dias, along with Ray Letoa. The inside of the cinema looks like a fancy 1930s style. There's a big ceiling mural upstairs inspired by the film Metropolis. You might even see an Oscar won by Jamie Selkirk on display! A statue of Gandalf stands outside the building.
Education in Miramar
Miramar has several schools for different age groups.
Early Childhood Education
For very young children, there are places like Miramar North Kindergarten, Miramar Central Kindergarten, Tuatara Kids, Kidz Corner, and Montessori Children's House.
Primary Schools
- Miramar Central School is a state primary school for students in Year 1 to Year 6.
- Miramar North School is also a state primary school for students in Year 1 to Year 6.
- Holy Cross School is a state-integrated Catholic primary school for students in Year 1 to Year 8.
Students in Year 7 and 8 from Miramar usually go to Evans Bay Intermediate School in Kilbirnie.
Miramar Christian School used to be in Miramar. It was a Christian primary school for Year 1 to 8 students. In 2025, it moved to Johnsonville and changed its name to Wellington Hills Christian College.
Miramar South School was a primary school that closed in 2012. It joined with Strathmore Community School to form Kahurangi School.
Secondary Schools
Older students in Miramar can attend several state secondary schools. These include:
- Wellington East Girls' College (for girls) in Mount Victoria.
- Rongotai College (for boys) in Rongotai.
- Wellington High School (for both boys and girls) in Mount Cook.
