Berhampore, New Zealand

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Berhampore is a suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It lies towards the south of the city, seven kilometres from the city centre, and two kilometres from the coast of Cook Strait. It is surrounded by the suburbs of Vogeltown, Newtown, Melrose, Island Bay, Kingston, and Mornington. The suburb was named after Berhampore in Bengal, scene of the start of the "Indian Mutiny" of 1857.

Being located between the larger suburbs of Newtown and Island Bay can leave those passing through Berhampore, on busy Adelaide Road, with the impression of a few small dairies, takeaways and a rather sleepy pub. Part of Berhampore's identity is thanks to the gangs that populate the area, with Black Power and the Satans Slaves residing in the suburb. However, residents of Berhampore are both ethnically and socio-economically diverse and contribute to the atmosphere of their surrounding communities. Recent traffic calming by Wellington City Council in Adelaide Road and Luxford Street has helped create a more defined sense of community in Berhampore. Recently in New Zealand's 'Sunday Star Times' Berhampore was considered to be one of the top three places for property investment in New Zealand. Berhampore is also known for Mavericks Takeaways, which makes some of the finest pizzas and fish 'n' chips in Wellington.

Berhampore has a significant place in the architectural heritage of New Zealand. Located at 493-507 Adelaide Road are the Centennial Flats, also known as the Berhampore State Flats, designed by F. Gordon Wilson, chief architect at the Department of Housing Construction, and completed in 1938-39. The flats are a fine example of the international style of architecture.

There remains an unsettled debate as to what the residents of Berhampore should be called; Berhamporians, Berhamporese, Berhamporers or something else altogether. Residents themselves are less worried about such details.