It is characterised by its mix of tree-lined streets with large estates; redeveloped industrial zones with Edwardian town houses and 1920s bay villas; and its hilly topography that allows for views of the port, the Waitematā Harbour, Rangitoto Island and the Auckland Domain.

Parnell Road ends at the intersection of George and Sarawia Streets, where it becomes Broadway.

This is in reference to the battles that occurred between Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whatua during the Musket Wars.

The Government acquired the area from Ngāti Whātua as part of a 3,000-acre (12 km2) land deal in 1840.

In the early 1830s Tod had supplied copies of the Bible to a Plymouth Brethren mission in Baghdad, one of whose members was John Vesey Parnell.

[9] The Borough of Parnell, established in 1877, was amalgamated into the Auckland City Council area in 1913.

Les Harvey, a local businessman, bought up several properties cheaply and created "Parnell Village", encouraging others to follow his lead.

This involved Parnell re-inventing itself as a set of "Ye Olde Worlde Shoppes".

As many other Victorian buildings underwent demolition in Auckland at the time, period materials became available cheaply, and the buildings of Parnell village emerged altered, extended and tarted up in a somewhat fanciful but fun ersatz Victorian style.

The lower part of Parnell has a larger concentration of Edwardian retail buildings, including a number of fashionable boutiques, nightclubs and bars.

Here stands the former Auckland Railway Station, an impressive brick 1930 structure, designed by Gummer and Ford.

The City Fathers relocated the Auckland train terminus here from the bottom of Queen Street in 1930.

[22] The building ceased to operate as a station in 2003 when Britomart Transport Centre became the new Auckland terminus at the former Queen Street site.

ACG Parnell College is a private composite school (years 1–13) with a roll of 1841 as of November 2024.