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City-end Karori from Wrights Hill

Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, some four km from the city centre.

Karori is significantly larger than most other suburbs, and has an estimated population of around 10,000 people.

Before the arrival of European settlers, the valley of Karori was considered to be good hunting grounds for various types of birds. The name Karori is believed to derive from a Māori term related to snares. The first settlers came to Karori in 1840, having bought the land from the New Zealand Company.

Karori was originally established as a separate settlement, not an extension of Wellington proper. As such, it had a separate political existence, and was officially established as a borough in 1891. Gradually, as both Wellington and Karori expanded, the two urban areas connected, and the Borough of Karori was amalgamated into the City of Wellington in 1922. This was aided by the construction of the Karori tunnel in 1901.

Karori is home to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, an enclosed habitat for the now-rare birds which inhabited the valley before extensive human settlement. Several other parks and reserves can be found on the hills surrounding Karori, as well as the headwaters of the Kaiwharawhara Stream.[1] Wrights Hill Fortress, a network of tunnels and gun emplacements overlooking the valley, is an important historical site.

The centre of Karori contains a shopping mall,new public library and caf'e, and other amenities. Karori is also home to a campus of Victoria University of Wellington, formerly the Wellington College of Education. There are two state primary schools in Karori: Karori Normal School in Donald Street serves the eastern and central part of the suburb and Karori West Normal School in Allington Road, serving the western end of the suburb. Both schools are ranked as high decile schools by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. Karori Normal School, founded in 1857, is one of the largest primary schools in New Zealand. The author Katherine Mansfield attended the school from 1895-98 and there is a memorial to her at the school, located in front of a tree she wrote about in one of her stories.

Karori Cemetery is one of the largest in New Zealand; opened in 1891, it was formerly the main burial ground for the inhabitants of Wellington, and covers 100 acres / 40 hectares.

Futuna Chapel, located in Karori, is one of New Zealand's best known pieces of 20th century architecture, having been recognised by the New Zealand Institute of Architects.