Civic Square, Wellington

Civic Square, Wellington

Civic Square, more formally known as Te Ngakau Civic Square, is a public square between the central business district and the Te Aro entertainment district. The square was completed in 1992.

Originally, Civic Square was named Wellington Civic Square. It was renamed to Te Ngakau Civic Square in 2018 as part of the City Council's Maori policy. Te Ngakau means "the heart." The new name was gifted to the city by the indigenous Maori people.

The square is surrounded by a number of administrative buildings like the Wellington Town Hall, the Michael Fowler Centre, the Central Library and the City Gallery. The Whairepo Lagoon is accessible from the Civic Square via the City-to-Sea bridge.

The square has a grassy lawn, a terracotta brick walkway and a tiled area that is actually the roof of the underground library car park. The square is a popular spot for outdoor lunches, relaxation, exercise and public events.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Wellington. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Civic Square on Map

Sight Name: Civic Square
Sight Location: Wellington, New Zealand (See walking tours in Wellington)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Wellington, New Zealand

Create Your Own Walk in Wellington

Create Your Own Walk in Wellington

Creating your own self-guided walk in Wellington is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Wellington Introduction Walking Tour

Wellington Introduction Walking Tour

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and the country's second-largest city after Auckland. It also has the distinction of being the world's windiest city by average wind speed.

The city was designed by Captain William Mein Smith in 1840. He was the first Surveyor General for Edward Wakefield's New Zealand Company. The name comes from Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Historical Buildings Walking Tour

The first immigrants to New Zealand brought along their sense of style. Most of the country's first settlers, if not all of them, were Britishers; the capital city was no exception. The latter fact is duly reflected in Wellington's historical architecture. These buildings offer a glimpse into the city's past and add a great deal of charm to the cityscape. Let's take a quick...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles