Last updated October 2026
Waverley is a residential suburb on the eastern side of Invercargill, New Zealand’s southernmost city and the commercial centre of Southland.
The city is known in te reo Māori as Waihōpai, and Waverley sits within its established urban area rather than on the rural edge. Streets here are laid out for everyday living, with houses and local roads linking back toward the centre.
Public transport is the city bus network, which starts at the BusSmart Hub on Tay Street and includes a Waverley route. For visitors, and for people thinking about living here, the suburb is a quiet residential base within easy reach of Invercargill’s shops, schools and civic life.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 1,880, up 2% since 2018
- Land area
- 0.76 km² (76 ha)
- Location
- 2.9 km north-east of central Invercargill
- Council
- Invercargill City Council
- Getting there
- Eastern Invercargill, reached by local streets from the rest of the urban area. City buses leave the BusSmart Hub on Tay Street, outside Invercargill Central. Services run Monday to Friday, with fewer trips on Saturday, and do not run on Sundays or public holidays. A Waverley route is one of the six city services.
- Main shopping
- Invercargill Central, on Tay Street in the city centre, is the main mall and sits beside the bus hub. Dee Street and Tay Street form the city’s main shopping district.
- Nearby landmarks
- The racecourse on Racecourse Road, on the eastern side of the city; Waverley Park, a nearby sports ground; Queens Park, the city’s main public garden, a trip toward the centre.
Who Lives in Waverley
About 1,880 residents in 730 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
About Waverley
Waverley is one of Invercargill’s eastern residential suburbs. The city lies on the Southland Plains, east of the Ōreti River and north of Bluff, and the urban area is mostly flat.
Waverley is part of that built-up city, not a separate town and not a beach or park in its own right. Day to day it is a place of houses, local streets and short trips to the centre.
No separate Māori name for the suburb was confirmed in council or heritage sources checked for this guide. The city’s name, Waihōpai, comes from the Waihopai River.
Ngāi Tahu are the iwi of the district, and Murihiku Marae in Invercargill is a marae of the Waihōpai Rūnanga branch of Ngāi Tahu. That wider history belongs to the whole city, not to one street in Waverley.
European settlement of Invercargill began in the 1850s, and the town was named for a river mouth, from Scottish Gaelic inbhir, and for William Cargill. Many central streets take their names from rivers in Scotland, including Dee and Tay.
In 1909 Gladstone, Avenal, North Invercargill and East Invercargill were brought into Invercargill Borough as the town spread. Invercargill Borough became a city in 1930. Waverley today reads as an established residential part of that urban area, rather than as a rural locality or an industrial block.
Living here means ordinary Southland city life. Invercargill has a temperate oceanic climate, long summer daylight, and a reputation for wind and rain. The council calls it the city of water and light.
Shops, the library and council services are a short trip away, and the suburb itself is not a tourist strip. People who stay in Waverley are usually here for a home base, family, work or study, with the centre close enough for daily errands.
Getting Around
Invercargill City Council’s city buses are the public transport option. All city routes begin and end at the BusSmart Hub on Tay Street, outside Invercargill Central, between Cotton On and Postie. There are six city routes, and the network includes a Waverley service.
Buses run Monday to Friday, with a reduced timetable on Saturday, and they do not run on Sundays or public holidays.
You can flag a bus down at a safe point along its route, and you can ask the driver to drop you at a point along the route rather than only at a marked stop. Payment is by Bee Card, a tag-on, tag-off card used on the service.
Driving is the other usual way around. The ground is flat, and local streets connect the eastern suburbs with Tay Street and the rest of the urban area. There is no passenger rail service to Invercargill. InterCity coaches serve the city from other South Island towns, but they are for longer trips, not for getting around Waverley.
History and the Wider City
The land that became Invercargill was part of Murihiku. In 1853 Walter Mantell purchased the Murihiku block for European settlement. In 1856 the settlement north of the port at Bluff was named Invercargill, and John Turnbull Thomson surveyed it. Scottish settlers shaped the town’s street names and, the council notes, the regional accent, with its rolled R.
Growth was uneven. Southland was briefly a separate province, then rejoined Otago, and the provincial system ended in 1876. Dairy exports later supported the district. As the borough expanded, eastern and northern areas were amalgamated in 1909, and South Invercargill followed in 1956.
The present Invercargill City Council dates from the 1989 local government reforms, when Bluff was brought into the district. Waverley is inside that city council area.
Council services for residents are based at Te Hīnaki Civic Building, 101 Esk Street, not in the suburb. The governing body is a mayor and 12 councillors, elected at large. Bluff has a community board. Waverley does not have its own board. Environment Southland is the regional council.
Getting Outdoors
Waverley is a residential suburb, so outdoor time is mostly local streets, nearby sports grounds and trips to larger city parks. Waverley Park is a sports ground close to the suburb, in the eastern part of the urban area, and is one of the grounds associated with this side of the city.
On the eastern side of Invercargill, Racecourse Road takes its name from the racecourse there, a landmark for this part of town rather than a neighbourhood playground.
For a larger public garden, Queens Park is the city’s main park and a straightforward trip toward the centre. Oreti Beach lies to the west of the city, about 10 kilometres from the centre, so it is a city outing rather than a local beach.
The eastern suburbs are not a walking-track destination in the back-country sense. What they offer is flat, easy movement between home, sport and the centre.
Near Waverley
Just outside Waverley, within 5 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Businesses
Where to Learn More
Invercargill City Council: About Invercargill: Council introduction to Waihōpai, the city’s character, and where to find civic services.
Invercargill City Council: Bus routes and times: Official city and school bus information, including the Tay Street hub and days of operation.
Wikipedia: Invercargill: Overview of the city’s history, transport, education pattern and eastern racecourse, with further source notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Waverley?
Waverley is a residential suburb in eastern Invercargill, inside the Invercargill City Council area. It is part of the urban city, not a separate town.
How do I get there by bus?
Use the city bus network from the BusSmart Hub on Tay Street, outside Invercargill Central. A Waverley route is one of the six city services. Buses run Monday to Friday, with fewer trips on Saturday, and do not run on Sundays or public holidays.
Can I flag a bus down?
Yes. Invercargill City Council says you can flag a bus down at any point along its route, and the driver will stop where it is safe. You can also ask to be dropped off along the route.
Where do people shop?
The main mall is Invercargill Central on Tay Street, beside the bus hub. Dee Street and Tay Street are the city’s main shopping streets. This guide did not confirm a large shopping centre inside Waverley itself.
Which council covers Waverley?
Invercargill City Council, Te Kaunihera-a-rohe o Waihōpai. Councillors are elected at large, with the mayor. Bluff has a community board. Waverley does not. Environment Southland is the regional council. Council payments and services are at Te Hīnaki, 101 Esk Street.
Is there a school called Waverley in the suburb?
Waverley Park School is a state primary school for years 1 to 6 in the eastern suburbs. Its published address is 55 Eden Crescent, Glengarry, so it should not be assumed to sit inside the Waverley suburb boundary. Check the school’s enrolment information before treating it as the local school. Most Invercargill primary schools cover years 1 to 6, and city high schools generally cover years 7 to 13.
What is there to do in Waverley itself?
It is a residential suburb, not a visitor precinct. Nearby outdoor spots include Waverley Park and the racecourse on Racecourse Road. Queens Park and the city centre are short trips for gardens, shops and civic facilities.
Does Waverley have its own Māori name?
None was confirmed for this guide. The city is Waihōpai. Ngāi Tahu, through Waihōpai Rūnanga, are the iwi associated with Invercargill, and Murihiku Marae is the city’s marae.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Invercargill only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Waverley is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.