Upper Riccarton

Suburb in Christchurch, New Zealand

Upper Riccarton
Suburb
St Peter's Anglican Church, a landmark of Upper Riccarton, showing damage from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
Coordinates: 43°31′54″S 172°34′27″E / 43.53178°S 172.57427°E / -43.53178; 172.57427
Country	New Zealand
City	Christchurch
Local authority	Christchurch City Council
Electoral ward	Riccarton Waimairi
Community board	Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood
Area [1]
• Land	220 ha (540 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	8,230

Avonhead	Ilam	Fendalton
Sockburn	Upper Riccarton	Riccarton
Wigram	Middleton	Addington

Upper Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of Riccarton.^[a]

Upper Riccarton is made up of residential, retail and education areas. It includes a major intersection known as "Church Corner" (the intersection of Riccarton, Main South and Yaldhurst Roads), as well as the Bush Inn Shopping Centre and multiple schools.

A local landmark is St Peter's Church. The original wooden church, consecrated in 1858, was built by Isaac Luck. The later stone church was built between 1876 and 1929, with Benjamin Mountfort the architect for the initial work, but Cecil Wood undertaken most of the architectural design.^[4] The old Māori name for Upper Riccarton is Rakipaoa.^[5]

Upper Riccarton, comprising the statistical areas of Upper Riccarton, Bush Inn and Wharenui, covers 2.20 km² (0.85 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 8,230 as of June 2024, with a population density of 3,741 people per km².

Upper Riccarton had a population of 7,533 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 630 people (9.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,350 people (21.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,223 households, comprising 4,026 males and 3,507 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.15 males per female, with 852 people (11.3%) aged under 15 years, 2,973 (39.5%) aged 15 to 29, 2,508 (33.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,200 (15.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 56.6% European/Pākehā, 7.5% Māori, 4.4% Pasifika, 35.0% Asian, and 3.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 43.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 43.7% had no religion, 40.1% were Christian, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 3.5% were Hindu, 2.8% were Muslim, 1.6% were Buddhist and 3.2% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,485 (22.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 903 (13.5%) people had no formal qualifications. 315 people (4.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,271 (34.0%) people were employed full-time, 1,218 (18.2%) were part-time, and 348 (5.2%) were unemployed.^[6]

Bush Inn Centre is located in Upper Riccarton and has 45 stores.^[10] In June 2023, it was reported that the mall had low foot traffic and several sites were vacant. The mall manager and some shop owners spoke of tough trading conditions.^[11]

Riccarton High School is a secondary school for years 9 to 13.^[12] It has a roll of 1099 students. It opened in 1958.^[13]

Kirkwood Intermediate is an intermediate school for years 7 to 8,^[14] with a roll of 296 students. It opened in 1959.^[15]: 88

Te Kāpehu Riccarton School is a full primary school catering for years 1 to 8.^[16] It has a roll of 364 students. The school opened in 1859 as Riccarton Church School, and became Riccarton District School in 1864, and later Riccarton Primary School.^[15]: 157

Middleton Grange School is a state-integrated composite school for years 1 to 13.^[17] It has a roll of 1395 students. It started as a private Christian school in 1964 and became state-integrated in 1996.^[18]

Villa Maria College is a Catholic state-integrated girls' secondary school for years 7 to 13. ^[19] It has a roll of 827 students. The school opened in 1918, and became state-integrated in 1981.^[20] The corresponding Catholic primary and boys' schools, Our Lady of Victories and St Thomas of Canterbury College, are in Sockburn.

Schools are coeducational and state operated unless otherwise noted. Rolls are as of August 2024.^[21]

The Upper Riccarton Library is operated as a joint community and school library with Riccarton High. This began with the signing of an agreement in 2004 and was opened on 23 January 2006.^[22] The library features a café, meeting rooms and multiple other community resources.^[23]