Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua. It is commonly known by locals as "J'ville". Johnsonville was settled from the 1840s, became a town by 1896 and grew rapidly during the twentieth century. Johnsonville became a…Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua. It is commonly known by locals as "J'ville". Johnsonville was settled from the 1840s, became a town by 1896 and grew rapidly during the twentieth century. Johnsonville became an independent borough in 1908 and amalgamated with Wellington City in 1953.