Last updated October 2026
Wallacetown is a small town in Southland District, west of Invercargill, and it is not part of Invercargill city. It sits on higher ground between the Makarewa and Ōreti rivers, near the Ōreti estuary, and functions as a satellite town of Invercargill.
State Highway 99 skirts the northern edge, so the drive into the city is short, while the streets themselves stay quiet. Farming, rural services and nearby industry shape the local economy, and many residents work in Invercargill. The school, community centre and a small set of local services are the town’s everyday anchors.
Official Suburb Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 720, about the same as 2018
- Land area
- 15.58 km²
- Location
- 9.8 km north-west of central Invercargill
- Council
- Southland District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Argyle Corner, West Plains, Branxholme, Oporo, Taramoa, Underwood, Makarewa
- Ward or local board
- Ōreti Ward, Southland District Council (Ōreti Community Board)
- Getting there
- State Highway 99 (the Riverton–Wallacetown and Wallacetown–Lorneville highway) along the northern edge, with local roads toward Ryal Bush and Lorneville. Travel is usually by car. Ministry of Education country buses serve secondary students heading to Invercargill schools.
- Main shopping
- No shopping centre. A pub, service station, garages and community facilities form the local service base. Most retail and higher-order services are in Invercargill, with Winton also used for some services.
- Schools
- Wallacetown School, a state contributing primary for years 1 to 6. Secondary schooling is in Invercargill.
- Nearby landmarks
- Ellerslie Square, Wallacetown Community Centre, Wallacetown Cemetery and the historic cemetery, and the Makarewa and Ōreti rivers
Who Lives in Wallacetown
About 720 residents in 270 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
About Wallacetown
Wallacetown is a rural service town on the flat country west of Invercargill, inside Southland District rather than Invercargill City. Southland District Council describes it as a quiet, family-friendly township that keeps its own identity while staying close to the city.
The built-up streets are compact. Beyond them, the land is productive farmland, with the Makarewa River to the north and the Ōreti River and its estuary to the south.
The name is Scottish. It comes from Wallacetown on the Firth of Clyde, and the street names follow towns in Ayrshire. Dalry Street and Dunlop Street are two of those names still on the map.
Ngāi Tahu is the iwi associated with this part of Murihiku. The town’s own recorded story is mainly a European farming settlement, not a retelling of a specific pā on the present street grid.
Day to day, Wallacetown works as a place to live rather than a visitor destination. Council planning notes a small and variable local job base across services, rural work and nearby industry, with most residents travelling to Invercargill or elsewhere.
The school and community centre are treated as the facilities that help the town keep young families. People looking for a supermarket, hospital or a wide choice of shops go into the city.
Parts of the surrounding land are mapped in the Southland District Plan as subject to actual or potential flooding or inundation. Council growth work also flags water supply, wastewater and natural hazards as limits on how the town expands.
Anyone buying or building should check the district plan overlays for the specific site, rather than assuming every section sits clear of flood risk.
History and Heritage
Wallacetown School opened in 1865. It remains a contributing primary, taking pupils from year 1 to year 6, and is designated in the district plan for education purposes. A school war memorial is among the recorded local memorials.
Industry arrived with dairying. The Underwood Milk Preserving Works opened in Wallacetown in 1892. Nestlé took the works over in 1938, and the site became known for Highlander sweetened condensed milk.
Production was transferred to Auckland in 1964. That factory era has gone, but it explains why a small town on the river flats once had a name well beyond Southland.
Two cemeteries are designated in the district plan: Wallacetown Cemetery and the historic Wallacetown Cemetery. A waste management facility is also designated. These are working civic sites, not tourist attractions, and they show how long the township has carried its own local services.
Community Facilities and Recreation
The Wallacetown Community Centre is the main indoor hub. Council planning records basketball and netball there, a heated pool, and a softball club using the school diamond. The centre has also been used for district hearings, which is a fair measure of its size for a small town.
Ellerslie Square is the outdoor focus. It holds a playground, a pump track and three BMX tracks, graded junior, intermediate and senior.
Southland District Council and the Ōreti Community Board backed the tracks, which were built for riders of different abilities and are used by people from beyond the town. A volunteer fire brigade is based in Wallacetown and turns out for community events as well as call-outs.
This is not a beach or walking-track destination. Recreation is local: the square, the school grounds, the community centre, and the rivers that frame the farmland. There is no formed town trail network to follow.
Fishing and whitebaiting on the Makarewa and Ōreti are part of the wider Southland river culture, but access, seasons and regulations should be checked with the relevant authority before anyone fishes.
Getting Around
State Highway 99 is the main route. It passes the northern side of town and continues toward Riverton in one direction and Lorneville in the other, where it meets the highways north of Invercargill.
Ryal Bush–Wallacetown Road is the local link from the north. There is no town railway station, and there is no verified public bus timetable serving the shops and school. A car is the practical way in and out.
Secondary students are not left without a school bus. Ministry of Education country buses run from Wallacetown into Invercargill for secondary schooling, with routes shared across the city’s high schools. For everything else, including groceries beyond the local service station and pub, the trip is a short drive to Invercargill.
Near Wallacetown
Just outside Wallacetown, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Businesses
Where to Learn More
Southland District Council: Wallacetown preferred scenario: Council notes on the township’s character, local services, school, community centre and growth limits.
Te Ara: Southland places: Short historical entry on Wallacetown, including the condensed milk works.
NZ History: Wallacetown: Place-name origin and a note on the milk preserving works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wallacetown part of Invercargill?
No. It is a town in Southland District, represented through the Ōreti Community Board. It lies west of Invercargill and many people commute there, but Invercargill City Council does not administer it.
How do I get to Wallacetown?
Use State Highway 99, which runs along the northern edge of town, or the local roads from Ryal Bush and Lorneville. Most people drive. There is no town rail station.
Is there a public bus?
There is no verified public bus service for general travel around the town. Secondary students can use Ministry of Education country buses into Invercargill schools.
What school is in Wallacetown?
Wallacetown School is a state contributing primary for years 1 to 6. It opened in 1865. Older students travel to secondary schools in Invercargill.
Where do people shop?
The local base is small: a pub, a service station, garages and community facilities. Supermarkets and most other shops are in Invercargill. Some residents also use services in Winton.
What is there to do in town?
Ellerslie Square has a playground, a pump track and junior, intermediate and senior BMX tracks. The community centre has indoor sport space and a heated pool, and the school diamond is used for softball. This is a living town, not a sightseeing circuit.
Where does the name come from?
It is named after Wallacetown on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Street names in the town follow Ayrshire places.
Should I check flood risk before buying?
Yes. The district plan maps land subject to actual or potential flooding or inundation, and council planning treats natural hazards, water supply and wastewater as constraints on growth. Check the overlay for the particular property.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Invercargill only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Wallacetown is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.