Maryhill is believed to take its name from a district in the city of Glasgow in Scotland, where many of the early settlers of the suburb originated.

A second theory is that Maryhill was named in honour of Mary, the wife of early Dunedin settler John Bathgate.

At its southern end, it links with a tortuous zig-zag road, Lancefield Street, which leads to the suburb of Caversham.

The line, which followed Glenpark Avenue from Mornington, was perfectly straight, and was sometimes referred to as The Big Dipper because of its undulating course.

Maryhill's notable residents have included writer and publisher Sir Alfred Hamish Reed.

Balaclava, named for the Crimean War battle,[4] is a small residential suburb lying close to the southern end of Elgin Road, and in the streets which branch off it.

It is linked to Kenmure and the Kaikorai Valley by Barr Street, and with Lookout Point by Mornington Road.