The name Fendall Town was soon applied to the area northwest of Hagley Park, extending as far as the modern location of Christchurch International Airport and including portions of Burnside, Bryndwr, and Harewood, among others.

Early spelling also included Fendall's Town and Fendaltown, but by the 1880s Fendalton had become the most common form.

[4] The suburb is also home to multiple significant historical buildings, especially as examples of various styles of homestead.

These include St Barnabas Church,[5] Daresbury,[6] and Los Angeles, one of the first examples of a California bungalow to be built in New Zealand.

[9] Fendalton is situated to the west of the city centre, close to the University of Canterbury at Ilam and the major retail area of Riccarton.

It is also close to the main route from the central city to the Christchurch International Airport to the northwest.