Last updated October 2026
Richmond is an inner residential suburb of Invercargill, on the flat Southland Plains and within easy reach of the city centre. The wider city is known in te reo Māori as Waihōpai, and sits in the rohe of Ngāi Tahu.
Housing is mostly low-rise, set on the street grid laid out when the town was surveyed, and many of Invercargill’s roads carry the names of rivers in Scotland.
Day-to-day life is shaped by that closeness to town: work, shops and the central parks are a short trip away. For visitors, Richmond works as a quiet residential base, with Queens Park and Turnbull Thomson Park both a short trip from the local streets.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 2,650, down 1% since 2018
- Land area
- 0.94 km² (94 ha)
- Location
- 1.2 km north-east of central Invercargill
- Council
- Invercargill City Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Turnbull Thomson Park, Glengarry, Windsor, Invercargill, Queens Park
- Getting there
- East of the city centre on the local street grid. Most trips into town are a short walk or drive.
- Main shopping
- Invercargill city centre, including the shopping strips on Dee Street and Tay Street, a short walk to the west.
- Nearby landmarks
- Queens Park, Turnbull Thomson Park, Rugby Park Stadium
Who Lives in Richmond
About 2,650 residents in 1,160 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
In Richmond
Places and businesses inside the official Richmond boundary.
Businesses
About Richmond
Richmond is one of Invercargill’s inner suburbs, a residential pocket on the alluvial Southland Plains rather than a commercial or industrial district.
The land is low and flat, in the same broad setting as the rest of the city, east of the Ōreti River and well inland from the New River Estuary. Invercargill City Council resident surveys regularly include responses from Richmond, which sits among the city’s established housing areas.
The Māori name for the city, Waihōpai, comes from the Waihopai River. Southland, or Murihiku, was the scene of early contact between Māori, whalers and missionaries. In 1853 Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Māori for European settlement. The local iwi is Ngāi Tahu.
In 1856 chief surveyor John Turnbull Thomson laid out the town on this flat ground, and Governor Thomas Gore Browne gave the settlement the name Invercargill. Inver comes from the Scottish Gaelic inbhir, a river mouth, and Cargill honours William Cargill, then Superintendent of Otago.
That survey still shapes how Richmond feels. Streets run in a regular grid, and the names of Scottish rivers, including Dee, Tay, Esk and Yarrow, run through the inner city.
Richmond itself is a residential continuation of that grid: houses, gardens and local streets, with the busier commercial life kept in the city centre a short distance west. Older timber houses sit alongside later infill, which is typical of inner Invercargill rather than a feature unique to one block.
Visitors will not find a town centre or a signed attraction inside the suburb. The appeal is practical. You can walk to the Dee Street and Tay Street shops, and you are close to two of the city’s main green spaces.
Queens Park lies just north of the city centre. Turnbull Thomson Park, a large sports and recreation reserve, lies a short distance to the south. Rugby Park Stadium sits on the south-west corner of that reserve.
Getting Around
Richmond is reached from the city centre by heading east on the local street grid. The distance is short enough that many everyday trips are made on foot as well as by car.
The ground is flat, which makes walking and cycling straightforward, though Invercargill is a windy city and rain often comes in sideways, especially around the Dee and Tay Street corner. Dress for that rather than for a sheltered northern-city stroll.
There is no railway station or ferry in the suburb. Longer trips, including to Invercargill Airport or to Bluff, start from the city road network. Parking in the residential streets is the usual on-street arrangement. The city centre has the main public car parks for shopping.
Getting Outdoors
Queens Park was part of the original plan when Invercargill was founded in 1856. It covers about 81 hectares and is bounded by Queens Drive, Kelvin Street, Gala Street and Herbert Street. Inside are botanical gardens, an 18-hole golf course, sports grounds and an animal reserve with an aviary.
The Southland Museum and Art Gallery site is on the southern edge of the park. The city’s museum has been the subject of a major rebuild, known as Te Unua Museum of Southland, so check with Invercargill City Council before planning a museum visit.
Turnbull Thomson Park covers about 40 hectares and is open all year. It is mainly a sports park, with clubrooms, playing fields, playgrounds, a skate area and a signed walking and cycling track. The main entrance is off Lindisfarne Street.
The park is a designated dog exercise area: dogs may be off the lead, but they must stay under the owner’s control. The Main South railway line and the Ōtepuni Stream cross the reserve. Environment Southland maintains the stopbank.
History and Heritage
Richmond takes its place in a city whose streets and parks still carry the surveyor’s name. John Turnbull Thomson, a British civil engineer, was the chief surveyor who set out Invercargill in 1856 and later became New Zealand’s first Surveyor General.
Around 70 percent of Turnbull Thomson Park was given to the city in 1933 by his daughters, together with money used to buy trees and shrubs. The park was cropped during the Second World War, which improved the soil, and sports buildings were added through the following decades.
The Scottish imprint on Invercargill is wider than one suburb. Otago, of which Southland was then part, was a Free Church of Scotland settlement, and a rolled R is still heard in local speech. Street names taken from Scottish rivers run through the inner city, including the streets Richmond residents use to reach the shops.
No separate heritage listing was found for a landmark inside Richmond itself. The listed places most people associate with a visit nearby are in the city centre and in the parks, not on the residential streets.
Near Richmond
Just outside Richmond, within 5 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Businesses
Where to Learn More
Richmond, Invercargill on Wikipedia: short profile confirming Richmond as a suburb of Invercargill under Invercargill City Council.
Turnbull Thomson Park on Wikipedia: history, sports clubs, dog rules and facilities at the reserve just south of the suburb.
About Invercargill, Invercargill City Council: council introduction to Waihōpai, the city’s character, and civic projects including the museum rebuild.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Richmond part of Invercargill?
Yes. Richmond is a suburb of Invercargill and is administered by Invercargill City Council.
How do I get to Richmond?
From the city centre, head east on the local street grid. The trip is short enough that many people walk or drive it in a few minutes.
Where do people in Richmond shop?
The main shopping is the Invercargill city centre, including the strips on Dee Street and Tay Street, a short walk to the west.
Are there schools inside Richmond?
No school on the Southland schools list is recorded as being located in Richmond. Children living in the suburb attend primary and secondary schools elsewhere in Invercargill.
Which parks are closest?
Queens Park, just north of the city centre, and Turnbull Thomson Park, a short distance south of the suburb, are the two standout green spaces.
Can I take a dog to Turnbull Thomson Park?
Yes. The park is a designated dog exercise area. Dogs may be off the lead, but they must remain under the owner’s control.
What is the Māori name for the city, and which iwi is local?
Invercargill is known as Waihōpai. The local iwi is Ngāi Tahu.
Does Invercargill have a ward for Richmond?
Invercargill City Council is elected at large, with a mayor and 12 councillors. Bluff has a community board. Richmond is not a separate ward.
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Explore Invercargill only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Richmond is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.