A posting to Linton Army Camp usually means a move to Palmerston North, and plenty of questions with it. Linton Military Camp is the largest camp in the New Zealand Army, with more than 2,000 people working there. This guide is for soldiers, partners and whānau heading to Linton: what the camp is, where families live, schools and childcare, support on the base, getting there and visiting, with a planner that works out your key moving dates.
Quick answers
- Where: just south of Palmerston North, on State Highway 57. Tennent Drive links the camp to the city.
- Who is there: the Army’s largest formation, 1st (New Zealand) Brigade, with more than 2,000 Army and wider Defence Force personnel.
- Housing: Defence houses are limited and allocated by priority, for up to six years. Families without one rent or buy in Palmerston North, where the median rent was $545 a week in June 2026.
- Schools and childcare: Linton Camp School (New Entrants to Year 8), a kindergarten and a childcare centre are on Puttick Road, in the Linton housing area.
- Moving costs: on a permanent posting, NZDF arranges and pays for packing and transporting your household goods.
In this guide
Linton posting planner
Enter the date you start at Linton and where you live now. The planner works out when your posting notice usually arrives, the last day to give notice on a rental, how many weeks you have and what a typical rent in Palmerston North costs.
Posted to Linton? Work out your key moving dates
Choose your start date at Linton Military Camp and your current home. The planner uses NZDF posting timelines and New Zealand tenancy rules.
Posting notices are typically issued about three months before the transfer date (NZDF). Tenants can end a periodic tenancy with 21 days’ notice (Tenancy Services, from 30 January 2025). Median rent for Palmerston North City from Tenancy Services bond data, June 2026. A guide only: confirm dates with your unit, NZDF and your landlord.
How the planner works
NZDF says posting support starts when a posting notice is issued, typically three months before the transfer date, so the planner shows the date three months before your start. For a periodic tenancy, it counts back 21 days from your start date, the minimum notice a tenant must give since 30 January 2025. The time until you start is counted from today’s date on your device.
The rent figure is the median weekly rent for Palmerston North City in June 2026 from Tenancy Services bond data, as published by Figure.NZ. Rents vary a lot by suburb and house size, so treat it as a starting point, not a quote.
Linton Military Camp at a glance
Locals call it Linton Army Camp, Linton Camp or just Linton. The official name is Linton Military Camp. The Government bought the land in 1941 as a home defence camp, the first soldiers lived in tents there from February 1942, and the name Linton came into general use in 1943. Earlier it was known as Camp Manawatu or Camp Kairanga.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Just south of Palmerston North, on State Highway 57. The small locality of Linton is about 11 km south-west of the city. |
| People | More than 2,000 Army and wider Defence Force personnel |
| Main formation | 1st (New Zealand) Brigade, the Army’s largest formation |
| Units | 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment; Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles; 16th Field Regiment; 2nd Combat Service Support Battalion; 2nd Engineer Regiment; 1st Command Support Regiment; Deployable Health Organisation |
| Training | Land Operations Training Centre, Mission Command Training Centre, Army Command School and the Collective Training Centre |
| On the base | Gym and pool complex, Main Mess and Combined Mess, Fernleaf Café, parade grounds, a confidence course and a fast-roping tower |
| General enquiries | 06 351 9099 |
The camp is changing. In March 2024 the Government confirmed plans to upgrade run-down barracks at Linton, and in February 2026 the Minister of Defence opened eight new family homes at the camp, built in about seven months as the first homes in the Homes for Families programme.
Housing: a Defence house or renting in Palmy
Single soldiers can apply for barracks, with a fortnightly charge taken from pay. For families, there are two main options.
| Defence house | Renting or buying in Palmerston North | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can get it | Regular Force members and their immediate family | Anyone |
| Availability | Limited; priority for permanent postings and returns from overseas | Depends on the market and season |
| How long | Up to six years, subject to eligibility | As long as your lease or ownership |
| Cost | Set rent, reviewed every three years with Inland Revenue, similar across most bases | Market rent; the city median was $545 a week in June 2026 |
| Location | Linton housing area, next to the camp | Your choice of suburb or town |
Kiwi tip: don’t sign a lease from afar
Posting assistance includes a familiarisation visit and short-term accommodation while you find a permanent home. Use both. Viewing a rental in person, checking the drive to the camp at 7am and visiting the school is worth more than any listing photo.
If you are between homes, our guide to storage units in Palmerston North compares sizes and prices. Some local property managers also offer discounts to Defence families through the NZDF Force4Families programme, so it’s worth asking.
Schools and childcare at Linton
The Linton housing area, just outside the camp, has its own school and early learning services on Puttick Road.
| Service | Ages and hours | Good to know | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linton Camp School | New Entrants to Year 8 | State school open to all families; bilingual class for Years 1 to 3 and a kapa haka group; roll of 137 in October 2025 | 06 325 8740 |
| Linton Kindergarten | 8.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday | Silver Enviroschool; extra support for families during deployments | 06 325 8761 |
| Linton Camp Childcare Centre | 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday | Bicultural education | 06 325 8974 |
| Linton Littlies Playgroup | 9am to 11.30am, Tuesdays and Thursdays in term time | Volunteer-run and parent-led, at Linton Community Centre | Through the Defence Community Facilitator |
The school’s principal says about 60% of its students are from Army families, with the rest from local families around Linton and families who drive in from Palmy. Families who live in town can also choose a school in Palmerston North, depending on school zones.
Support for families on the base
- Defence Community Facilitator: runs welfare events and social activities, connects new families with other NZDF families and can refer you to local services. Linton Community Centre, 20 Puttick Road, 8.30am to 4.30pm weekdays, 06 325 9472.
- Library: open to NZDF personnel and families with an NZDF ID or family pass, and to people in the wider Linton area. Community Hub, corner of Bells and Jervois Roads.
- Linton Hobbies Complex: vehicle and joinery workshop, plus trailers, garden equipment and tools for hire. Garages and carports can also be hired.
- Gym and pool: open to civilian Defence employees and military dependants.
- Welfare and transit houses: two short-term welfare houses for families in a crisis, and two transit houses that can be booked for postings, subject to availability.
Getting there and visiting
Linton Military Camp sits on State Highway 57, which runs past the south side of the camp. From the camp junction, Tennent Drive leads into Palmerston North. Manawatu Prison is just north of the camp, so don’t be surprised by the signs.
- Engineer Corps Memorial Centre museum: the museum of the Royal New Zealand Engineers is open to the public on Thursdays from 1pm to 4.30pm, except public holidays. It is at the eastern end of the camp, next to the chapel.
- Fernleaf Café: in the Keith Elliott VC Club complex, popular with soldiers, families and visitors for light meals.
- Graduations and ceremonies: these are held on the camp’s parade grounds. If you are invited, follow the instructions in your invitation.
It’s a working military camp
Linton is not a public park. If you are visiting, check access before you go and ask the security staff at the camp entrance gate if you are unsure where to go. For general enquiries, call the camp on 06 351 9099.
Moving to Linton: a checklist
- When the posting notice arrives: ask about posting assistance, your familiarisation visit and whether you are eligible for a Defence house.
- Removals: NZDF arranges and pays for packing and transport on a permanent posting. If you move anything yourself, our guide to movers in Palmerston North explains local prices.
- Your rental: give at least 21 days’ notice on a periodic tenancy; talk to your landlord early if you are on a fixed term.
- School and childcare: call ahead to enrol and ask about waiting lists, especially for under-fives.
- Your car: check when your WOF is due. The rules change on 1 November 2026, and our guide to WOF in Palmerston North has a due-date calculator.
- Clear out before you go: fewer belongings mean a faster move. See our guide to skip bin hire in Palmerston North.
- When you arrive: contact the Defence Community Facilitator, find a GP and enrol with a dentist for the children.
Common questions
Linton Military Camp is just south of Palmerston North in the Manawatū, on State Highway 57. Tennent Drive links the camp to the city, and the small locality of Linton is about 11 km south-west of the city centre.
NZDF says more than 2,000 Army and wider Defence Force personnel are based at Linton. It is home to 1st (New Zealand) Brigade, the Army's largest formation, including the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles.
It is a working military camp, so check access before you go. The Engineer Corps Memorial Centre museum on the camp is open to the public on Thursdays from 1pm to 4.30pm, except public holidays. If you are unsure where to go, ask the security staff at the entrance gate.
Yes. Linton Camp School on Puttick Road is a state school for New Entrants to Year 8 and is open to all families, not only Army families. Linton Kindergarten and Linton Camp Childcare Centre are on the same road.
No. Defence houses are limited and allocated by priority, mainly for permanent postings and returns from overseas, for up to six years. Families without a Defence house rent or buy in Palmerston North or nearby towns. Posting assistance covers short-term accommodation while you find a home.
Sources and how we checked
- NZ Defence Force: Linton Military Camp, Linton community support, posting assistance, accommodation assistance and new houses for Defence Force families, checked October 2026.
- Tenancy Services: changes to tenancy terminations (in force from 30 January 2025). Median rent: Figure.NZ, Palmerston North City, June 2026.
- Linton Camp School; Engineer Corps Memorial Centre museum; Wikipedia articles on Linton Military Camp, Linton and State Highway 57. All checked October 2026.
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- Movers in Palmerston North
- Storage units in Palmerston North
- WOF in Palmerston North
- SEO in Palmerston North
- Linton Army Camp: a guide for families (you are here)
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