The suburb of Mt Victoria is named after the mountain on whose sunny western slopes it nestles. Known to Maori as Matairangi, it was re-named in 1840 by the New Zealand Company colonists in honour of their young queen, Victoria. The lower slopes were settled from the early 1840s, with Messrs Simmons and Hoggard operating a windmill on the site of the present Embassy Theatre.

In the 160 or so years since, dwellings have crowded onto the slopes. Many of the people who have lived and worked here have shaped not only Mt Victoria's character but also Wellington's.

Mt Victoria's history is an essential part of Wellington's heritage and identity. The Historical Society was founded in 1996 to research that history, to share it with others, and to encourage an appreciation of its value..

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