Whanganui | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: The River City | |
| Motto(s): Sans Dieu Rien, English:Without God Nothing[1] | |
.svg)  Whanganui | |
| Coordinates:39°55′57″S175°03′07″E / 39.93250°S 175.05194°E /-39.93250; 175.05194 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Manawatū-Whanganui |
| Territorial authority | Whanganui District Council |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andrew Tripe |
| • Deputy Mayor | Helen Craig |
| Area | |
• Territorial | 2,373.26 km2 (916.32 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 41.05 km2 (15.85 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2024)[3] | |
• Territorial | 48,600 |
| • Density | 20/km2 (53/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 42,500 |
| • Urban density | 1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi) |
| Postcode(s) | 4500, 4501 |
| Area code | 06 |
| Website | Whanganui.govt.nz |
Whanganui (/ˈhwɒŋənuːi/ ⓘ;[4]Māori:[ˀwaŋanui]), also speltWanganui,[5] is acity in theManawatū-Whanganui region ofNew Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of theNorth Island at the mouth of theWhanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is the19th most-populous urban area in New Zealand and the second-most-populous in Manawatū-Whanganui, with a population of 42,500 as of June 2024.[3]
Whanganui is the ancestral home of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi and otherWhanganui Māori tribes. TheNew Zealand Company began to settle the area in 1840, establishing its second settlement afterWellington. In the early years, most European settlers came via Wellington. Whanganui greatly expanded in the 1870s, andfreezing works, woollen mills, phosphate works and wool stores were established in the town. Today, much of Whanganui's economy relates directly to the fertile and prosperous farminghinterland.
Like several New Zealand urban areas, it was officially designated acity until an administrative reorganisation in 1989, and is now run byWhanganui District Council.
Whanga nui is aMāori language phrase meaning "big bay" or "big harbour". The first name of the European settlement wasPetre (pronounced Peter), after Lord Petre, an officer of theNew Zealand Company, but it was never popular and was officially changed to "Wanganui" in 1854.[6]
In the local dialect,Māori pronounce thewh inWhanganui as[ˀw], avoiced labial–velar approximant combined with aglottal stop,[7] but to non-locals the name sounds like "Wanganui" and is hard to reproduce.
In 1991, theNew Zealand Geographic Board considered demands from some local Māori to change the name of the river toWhanganui.[8] During a three-month consultation period, the Wanganui District Council was asked for its views and advised the Board that it opposed the change. Letters of both support and opposition were received during this time. After some deliberation, the Board decided to change the spelling of the river's name from "Wanganui" to "Whanganui".[9][10]
A non-bindingreferendum was held in Wanganui in 2006, where 82% voted to retain the city's name "Wanganui" without an 'h'. Turnout was 55.4%.[11] Despite the clear results, the spelling of the name continued to be surrounded by significant controversy.[12][13]
Iwi group Te Rūnanga o Tupoho applied to the New Zealand Geographic Board to change the city's name to "Whanganui" in February 2009, and in late March the Board found there were grounds for the change.[14] The public was given three months to comment on the proposed change, beginning in mid-May.[15] The public submissions were relatively equal, with a slim majority in favour of keeping the status quo.[16] Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws spoke strongly against the proposed change.[11] A second referendum was held in Wanganui in May 2009, and residents again overwhelmingly rejected changing the city's name, with 22% voting to change it to "Whanganui" and 77% voting to retain the name as "Wanganui".[17][18] Voter turnout was 61%, the highest in a Wanganui referendum, reflecting the widespread controversy.[18] Recognising that the decision was ultimately political in nature, not linguistic, in September 2009 the Geographic Board handed the decision to the Minister for Land Information.[19] Despite the referendum results, the Geographic Board recommended to the Minister that the name should be spelt "Whanganui".[20][16] In December 2009, the government decided that while either spelling was acceptable,Crown agencies would use the spelling "Whanganui",[21] amending the act to allow other official documents to use "Wanganui", as an alternative official name, if desired.[22]
On 17 November 2015Land Information New ZealandToitū te whenua (LINZ) announced that Wanganui District would be renamed to Whanganui District.[23] This changed the official name of the District Council, and, because Whanganui is not a city council but a district, the official name of the urban area as well. On 19 November 2015, the name change was officially gazetted.[24] In September 2019, theregion that Whanganui District Council is part of was renamed from Manawatu-Wanganui to Manawatū-Whanganui.[25]
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The area around the mouth of the Whanganui river was a major site of pre-EuropeanMāori settlement. Thepā named Pūtiki (a contraction ofPūtikiwharanui) was and is home to theNgāti Tupohohapū of theiwiTe Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi.[26] It took its name from the legendary explorerTamatea Pōkai Whenua, who sent a servant ashore to find flax for tying up his topknot (pūtiki).[27]
In the 1820s, coastal tribes in the area assaulted theKapiti Island stronghold ofNgāti Toa chiefTe Rauparaha. Te Rauparaha retaliated in 1830, sacking Pūtiki and slaughtering the inhabitants.[28]
The first European traders arrived in 1831, followed in 1840 by missionariesOctavius Hadfield andHenry Williams who collected signatures for theTreaty of Waitangi.[28] On 20 June 1840, the Revd John Mason, Mrs Mason, Mr Richard Matthews (a lay catechist) and his wife Johanna arrived to establish a mission station of theChurch Missionary Society (CMS).[29] The RevdRichard Taylor joined the CMS mission station in 1843.[30] The Revd Mason drowned on 5 January 1843 while crossing the Turakina River.[30][31] By 1844 the brick church built by Mason was inadequate to meet the needs of the congregation, and it had been damaged inan earthquake. A new church was built under the supervision of Taylor, with the timber supplied by each pā on the river in proportion to its size and number of Christians.[32]
After theNew Zealand Company had settledWellington it looked for other suitable places for settlers. William Wakefield, younger brother ofEdward Gibbon Wakefield, negotiated the sale of 40,000 acres in 1840, and a town named Petre – afterLord Petre, one of the directors of the New Zealand Company – was established four kilometres from the river mouth.[28] The settlement was threatened in 1846 byTe Mamaku, a chief from up the Whanganui River. The British military arrived on 13 December 1846 to defend the township. Two stockades, the Rutland and York, were built to defend the settlers. Two minor battles were fought on 19 May and 19 July 1847 and after a stalemate the up river iwi returned home.[33] By 1850, Te Mamaku was receiving Christian instruction from Revd Taylor.[33] There were further incidents in 1847 when four members of the Gilfillan family were murdered and their house plundered.[34]
The name of the city was officially changed to Wanganui on 20 January 1854. The early years of the new city were problematic. Purchase of land from the local tribes had been haphazard and irregular, and as such, many Māori were angered by the influx ofPākehā onto land that they still claimed. It was not until the town had been established for eight years that agreements were finally reached between the colonials and local tribes, and some resentment continued (and still filters through to the present day).
Wanganui grew rapidly after this time, with land being cleared for pasture. The town was a major military centre during theNew Zealand Wars of the 1860s, although local Māori at Pūtiki led byTe Keepa Te Rangihiwinui remained friendly to settlers. In 1871, a town bridge was built,[35] followed six years later by a railway bridge at Aramoho.[28] Wanganui was linked by rail to bothNew Plymouth andWellington by 1886. The town was incorporated as aBorough on 1 February 1872, withWilliam Hogg Watt the first Mayor. It was then declared a city on 1 July 1924.[28]
As an alternative to the Wanganui chapter of theWomen's Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand,Margaret Bullock formed a club for women activists in 1893, originally as the Wanganui Women's Franchise League.Ellen Ballance, the second wife of the former PremierJohn Ballance was the inaugural president until she left for England. Bullock then served as president whenthe franchise for women was won and the organisation's name changed to the Women's Political League. The membership rolls reached to nearly 3000 at its height. Monthly meetings focused on feminist scholarly inquiry, and Ellen Ballance donated her husband's library to the club. Bullock andJessie Williamson led the club's connections with theNational Council of Women of New Zealand. By 1903, a year in which Bullock died and Williamson moved toChristchurch, the club's activities had declined and its library collection was donated to the local public library.[36]
Perhaps Wanganui's biggest scandal happened in 1920, when MayorCharles Mackay shot and wounded a young poet,Walter D'Arcy Cresswell, who had been blackmailing him over his homosexuality. Mackay served seven years in prison and his name was erased from the town's civic monuments, while Cresswell (himself homosexual) was praised as a "wholesome-minded young man".[37] Mackay's name was restored to the foundation stone of theSarjeant Gallery in 1985.[38]
TheWhanganui River catchment is seen as a sacred area to Māori, and the Whanganui region is still seen as a focal point for any resentment over land ownership. In 1995,Moutoa Gardens in Wanganui, known to local Māori asPakaitore, were occupied for 79 days in a mainly peaceful protest by the Whanganui iwi over land claims.
Wanganui was the site of theNew Zealand PoliceLaw Enforcement System (LES) from 1976 to 1995. An earlySperrymainframe computer-based intelligence and data management system, it was known colloquially as the "Wanganui Computer". The data centre housing it was subject to New Zealand's highest-profilesuicide bombing on 18 November 1982 when anarchistNeil Roberts detonated agelignite bomb in the entry foyer. Roberts was the only casualty of the bombing.
Whanganui is on theSouth Taranaki Bight, close to the mouth of theWhanganui River. It is 200 km (120 mi) north ofWellington and 75 km (47 mi) northwest ofPalmerston North, at the junction ofState Highways 3 and 4. Most of the city lies on the river's northwestern bank, because of the greater extent of flat land. The river is crossed by five bridges: Cobham Bridge, City Bridge, Dublin Street Bridge and Aramoho Railway Bridge (rail and pedestrians only) and a Cycle bridge which was opened in 2020.[39]
BothMount Ruapehu andMount Taranaki can be seen from Durie Hill and other vantage points around the city.
The suburbs within Whanganui include (clockwise from central Watt Fountain):
Whanganui enjoys a temperate climate, with slightly above the national average sunshine (2100 hours per annum), and about 900 mm (35 in) of annual rainfall. Several light frosts are normally experienced in winter. The river is prone to flooding after heavy rain in the catchment, and in June 2015 record flooding occurred with 100 households evacuated. Whanganui's climate is particularly moderate. In 2012, the Federated Farmers Whanganui president, Brian Doughty, said the district's temperate climate meant any type of farming was viable.[42]
| Climate data for Whanganui (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) | 23.0 (73.4) | 21.6 (70.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 16.7 (62.1) | 14.3 (57.7) | 13.6 (56.5) | 14.3 (57.7) | 15.8 (60.4) | 17.1 (62.8) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.0 (69.8) | 18.2 (64.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.6 (65.5) | 17.1 (62.8) | 14.9 (58.8) | 12.8 (55.0) | 10.6 (51.1) | 9.7 (49.5) | 10.4 (50.7) | 11.9 (53.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 14.8 (58.6) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.1 (57.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.1 (57.4) | 14.1 (57.4) | 12.7 (54.9) | 10.6 (51.1) | 8.8 (47.8) | 6.8 (44.2) | 5.8 (42.4) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.1 (46.6) | 9.6 (49.3) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.0 (55.4) | 10.1 (50.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 58.1 (2.29) | 69.6 (2.74) | 60.5 (2.38) | 84.5 (3.33) | 80.8 (3.18) | 90.3 (3.56) | 87.0 (3.43) | 83.5 (3.29) | 75.9 (2.99) | 89.1 (3.51) | 75.3 (2.96) | 89.5 (3.52) | 944.1 (37.18) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.3 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 8.9 | 10.0 | 11.6 | 11.3 | 12.1 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 114 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 72.8 | 77.3 | 78.6 | 79.5 | 82.2 | 83.7 | 84.0 | 81.5 | 75.3 | 75.7 | 72.2 | 72.2 | 77.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 250.2 | 213.5 | 192.1 | 159.4 | 129.0 | 99.2 | 120.7 | 137.8 | 147.5 | 180.5 | 203.6 | 221.9 | 2,055 |
| Mean dailydaylight hours | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.3 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 12.1 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 56 | 56 | 50 | 49 | 42 | 35 | 40 | 42 | 42 | 44 | 47 | 48 | 46 |
| Source 1: NIWA Climate Data (sun 1981–2010)[43][44] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Spark[45] | |||||||||||||
The Whanganui urban area had a population of 39,720 at the2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 3,078 people (8.4%) since the2013 census, and an increase of 1,992 people (5.3%) since the2006 census (the population decreased between the 2006 and 2013 censuses). There were 18,930 males and 20,793 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. Of the total population, 7,854 people (19.8%) were aged up to 15 years, 6,867 (17.3%) were 15 to 29, 16,551 (41.7%) were 30 to 64, and 8,445 (21.3%) were 65 or older.[46]
Ethnicities were 78.0% European/Pākehā, 27.2% Māori, 3.8% Pacific peoples, 4.5% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).[46]
| SA2 name | Population | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balgownie | 120 | 69 | 47.5 years | $23,100 |
| Bastia-Durie Hill | 2,130 | 990 | 46.4 years | $33,100 |
| Castlecliff East | 1,917 | 714 | 33.1 years | $21,800 |
| Castlecliff West | 1,593 | 705 | 40.8 years | $22,400 |
| College Estate | 1,284 | 507 | 39.3 years | $23,100 |
| Cornmarket | 1,350 | 798 | 49.4 years | $21,700 |
| Gonville North | 2,565 | 1,113 | 33.8 years | $24,000 |
| Gonville South | 2,004 | 843 | 38.9 years | $24,200 |
| Gonville West | 1,707 | 696 | 37.7 years | $19,900 |
| Laird Park | 2,247 | 1,020 | 38.8 years | $22,000 |
| Lower Aramoho | 1,869 | 786 | 36.6 years | $22,000 |
| Otamatea | 1,731 | 735 | 55.6 years | $29,900 |
| Putiki | 666 | 285 | 49.9 years | $31,100 |
| Springvale East | 1,452 | 657 | 45.6 years | $27,300 |
| Springvale North | 348 | 150 | 53.2 years | $27,300 |
| Springvale West | 1,572 | 702 | 46.7 years | $27,600 |
| St Johns Hill East | 1,173 | 492 | 60.1 years | $24,400 |
| St Johns Hill West | 2,202 | 969 | 49.6 years | $29,400 |
| Titoki | 2,943 | 1,182 | 39.0 years | $22,200 |
| Upper Aramoho | 2,097 | 918 | 41.6 years | $24,200 |
| Wembley Park | 1,695 | 708 | 38.5 years | $22,200 |
| Whanganui Central | 606 | 318 | 39.5 years | $26,000 |
| Whanganui East-Riverlands | 2,184 | 1,023 | 42.8 years | $24,300 |
| Whanganui East-Williams Domain | 2,277 | 996 | 42.8 years | $23,300 |
In 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, Whanganui was included in the world's Smart21 Intelligent Communities by the Intelligent Community Forum.[48]
Whanganui has a strong industry base, with a history of niche manufacturing. Current businesses include Q-West Boat Builders, based at the Port who have built boats for customers from around New Zealand and the world and were awarded a contract in 2015 to build two 34-meter passenger ferries for Auckland ferry company Fullers.[49][50][51][52] Pacific Helmets is another example of award-winning niche manufacturing in the district, winning a Silver Pin at the Best Design Awards in October 2015.[53] Heads Road is Whanganui's main industrial area and is home to a number of manufacturing and engineering operations. The Wanganui Port, once the centre of industrial transport, still has some traffic but is more noted for the Q-West boat building operation there.F. Whitlock & Sons Ltd was a notable company, first established in 1902.[54]
Much of Whanganui's economy relates directly to the fertile and prosperous farming hinterland near the town. Whanganui is well known for embracing the production of several new pear varieties, including the Crimson Gem.[55] In May 2016, it was reported that the majority of the Whanganui pear crop had been wiped out before the upcoming pear season.[56]
The Whanganui District covers 2,337 km2 (902 sq mi), the majority of which is hill country, with a narrow coastal strip of flat land and a major urban settlement on the lower banks of the Whanganui River. A large proportion of this is within theWhanganui National Park, established in 1986.
The region is known for its outstanding natural environment, with the Whanganui Awa (River) at its heart. It is the second-largest river in the North Island, the longest navigable waterway in the country, and runs for 290 km (180 mi) from the heights of Mount Tongariro to Wanganui's coast and the Tasman Sea. Every bend and rapid of the river (there are 239 listed rapids) has a guardian, or kaitiaki, who maintains the mauri (life force) of that stretch of the river.
Whanganui hapū (sub-tribes) were renowned for their canoeing skills and maintained extensive networks of weirs and fishing traps along the River. Generations of river iwi have learned to use and protect this great taonga (treasure), and on 13 September 2012 theWhanganui River became the first river in the world to gain recognition as a legal identity.[57]
Today the river and its surrounds are used for a number of recreational activities, including kayaking, jet boating, tramping, cycling and camping. A national cycleway has recently opened, which takes cyclists from the 'mountains to the sea'.
In the local government reorganisation of the 1980s, Wanganui District Council resulted from the amalgamation in 1989 of Wanganui County Council, most of Waitotara County Council, a small part of Stratford County Council, and Wanganui City Council. Hamish McDouall was elected mayor in the 2016 local government elections.[58]
All but some 6,100 people in the Whanganui District live in the township itself, meaning there are few prominent outlying settlements. A small but notable village isJerusalem, which was home to MotherMary Joseph Aubert and the poetJames K. Baxter.
The Whanganui District is also home to other settlements with small populations, including Kaitoke,Upokongaro,Kai Iwi/Mowhanau, Aberfeldy, Westmere,Pākaraka, Marybank,Okoia and Fordell.
Whanganui has a strong cultural and recreational focus. Queen's Park (Pukenamu) in the central township has several cultural institutions, including theSarjeant Gallery, theWhanganui Regional Museum, the Davis Library, the Alexander Heritage and Research Library, and the Whanganui War Memorial Centre. Whanganui is home to New Zealand's only glass school and is renowned for its glass art.
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There are more than 8,000 artworks[59] in the gallery, initially focused on 19th- and early 20th-century British and European art but, given the expansive terms of the will of benefactorHenry Sarjeant, the collection now spans the 16th century through to the 21st century. Among the collections are historic and modern works in all media – on paper, sculptures, pottery, ceramics and glass; bronze works; video art; and paintings by contemporary artists and old masters. The Gallery holds notable works byEdward Coley Burne-Jones,Domenico Piola,Frank Brangwyn,Bernardino Poccetti,Gaspard Dughet,William Richmond,William Etty,Lelio Orsi,Frederick Goodall,Augustus John and others. Its New Zealand holdings include six works by Wanganui artistHerbert Ivan Babbage and a major collection of works by the Whanganui-bornEdith Collier.[60]
TheWhanganui Regional Museum collection has been growing since the first items were displayed inSamuel Henry Drew's shop window in Victoria Avenue. It includes artwork byJohn Tiffin Stewart.
Potters have a long history of working in the area, such asRick Rudd,Paul Rayner and Ivan Vostinar.[61][62]
Local glass artists include Kathryn Wightman,[63] Lisa Walsh,[64] and Claudia Borella.[65]
Arepertory group has been active in the town since 1933.[citation needed]
Since 1994, The New Zealand Opera School has been hosted atWhanganui Collegiate School.[66][67]
Pukenamu–Queens Park in central Whanganui, formerly the hilltop location of the Rutland Stockade, is home to several iconic buildings. TheSarjeant Gallery, a Category I Historic Place,[68] was a bequest to the town by local farmerHenry Sarjeant, and opened in 1919. Since 2014, it has been in temporary premises on Taupo Quay while the heritage building is strengthened and redeveloped. TheWhanganui Regional Museum (1928) and theAlexander Heritage and Research Library (1933) were both bequests of the Alexander family. The award-winningWhanganui War Memorial Hall (1960) is one of New Zealand's finest examples of modernist architecture.[69]
TheRoyal Whanganui Opera House is located in St Hill Street in central Whanganui.
Stewart House on the corner of Campbell and Plymouth Streets is now a private home, but it was formerly theKaritane Home and later a boarding residence for secondary school students. It was built for philanthropistJohn Tiffin Stewart and social activistFrances Ann Stewart.
There are two large towers overlooking Whanganui: theDurie Hill War Memorial Tower and the Bastia Hill Water Tower. The Durie Hill Tower is a World War I memorial, unveiled in 1926. Nearby is theDurie Hill Elevator (1919), which links the hilltop with Anzac Parade via a 66 m (217 ft) elevator and a 200 m (660 ft) tunnel. South of Whanganui is theCameron Blockhouse.
Rotokawau Virginia Lake, located on St John's Hill, is a historic lake with a fountain, Art Deco conservatory and winter garden.[70]
These gardens are located 8 km (5.0 mi) northwest from Whanganui and are set on 25 ha (62 acres) in a relatively frost-free environment.[71][72] They were founded in 1966 by Stanley and Blanche Bason[73] who gave their farm to the city council for the purpose of creating a botanical reserve.[74] The gardens have six themed areas, including one of the most extensive public-garden orchid collections in the country, and have been rated as a Garden of Significance by theNew Zealand Gardens Trust.[71]
Bushy Park is a lowlandrainforest remnant of approximately 100 ha (250 acres) located 8 km (5.0 mi) fromKai Iwi, north of Whanganui.[75] It is a predator-free nativebird sanctuary.[76][77] The sanctuary is free to visit during daylight hours.[78] The park also features an Edwardian-erahomestead, which is a Category 1 heritage building registered withHeritage New Zealand.[79]
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TheWanganui Rugby Football Union is one of the oldestrugby unions in New Zealand.
Wanganui has never held the country's top trophy, theRanfurly Shield.
On 10 August 1966, a combined Wanganui andKing Country team beat theBritish and Irish Lions 12 points to 6 at Spriggens Park.
In 2008, the Wanganui representative rugby team, under the captaincy of David Gower, won the NZRFU'sHeartland ChampionshipMeads Cup by defeatingMid Canterbury 27–12 in the final. They had previously been the defeated finalist in 2006 and 2007. The 2008 side had an undefeated season – the first since 1947. The rugby squad, including coach and management, was accorded the honour of 'Freedom of the City' by the Whanganui District Council – the first time the award had been given to any sporting team.
The 2009 representative team repeated this feat by regaining theMeads Cup – again defeatingMid Canterbury in the final by 34 points to 13 (after trailing nil-13 at halftime). Unlike 2008, the 2009 team did some lose games (toWellington,Wairarapa Bush andMid Canterbury) but came good at the business end of the season. Ten Whanganui players were selected for theNew Zealand Heartland XV.
The Wanganui rugby jersey, due to its resemblance, is known as the butcher's apron.[82]
The Whanganui environs have produced manyAll Blacks including:
Although from the Manawatu, 1987 Rugby World Cup winning All Black CaptainDavid Kirk was a student atWanganui Collegiate School.
Whanganui has several high-quality sporting venues includingCooks Gardens, a major sporting venue used for cricket, athletics and rugby. On 27 January 1962, a world record time of 3 minutes 54.4 seconds for running themile was set byPeter Snell on the grass track at the gardens. The venue also has a world-class velodrome.
TheCemetery Circuit is a temporary motorcycle street racetrack in downtown Whanganui which passes through the old cemetery and industrial area near to the centre of town. The event is usually held on Boxing Day each year.
Rod Coleman was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.[83]
Earl Bamber was a racing driver and winner of the2015 24 Hours of Le Mans and2014 Porsche Supercup.
The Wanganui Jockey Club operates at the Wanganui Racecourse, Purnell Street, where it has been since 1848, said to be the oldest racing club In New Zealand still operating on its original land.[84]
Important races held include the:
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame andAustralian Racing Hall of Fame jockeyBrent Thomson was born and started his career in Wanganui.[85]
The Wanganui Trotting Club now holds meetings at the Palmerston North track.
Whanganui Airport is served byAir Chathams with flights toAuckland.[86][87]
Horizons Regional Council, under their Go! brand, contracts ten weekday urban bus routes within the city and a Saturday route which combines parts of four of the routes to serve the northern part of the city. From 18 February 2023 a 'frequent' (20-minute interval, except Sunday) bus links Castlecliff and Aramoho, though most routes are 2-hourly.[88] The regional council also runs commuter buses to Palmerston North, and monthly buses fromTaihape. The services are all operated byTranzit Group.[89] Go cards were replaced byBee Cards in December 2019.[90]
Whanganui hadtrams between Aramoho and Castlecliff from 1908 to 1950, when they were replaced by Greyhound buses.[91] Greyhound was taken over by Tranzit in 1995.[92]
The township was also served bythree stations and apassenger rail train running toNew Plymouth until this was cancelled in July 1977. Today the line is used for freight.
The Wanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board was established in 1921 to supply the city and surrounding areas with electricity. The city was connected toMangahao hydroelectric scheme on 23 April 1926, following the completion of the transmission line fromBunnythorpe to Whanganui and the Whanganui substation.[93] The Energy Companies Act 1992 saw the power board corporatise and merge with the New Plymouth Municipal Electricity Department and the Taranaki Electric Power Board to becomePowerco. Powerco sold its retail base toGenesis Energy as part of the 1998 electricity sector reforms and continued as an electricity distribution business.[94][95]
Whanganui was one of the original nine towns and cities in New Zealand to be supplied withnatural gas when theKapuni gas field entered production in 1970 and a 260 km high-pressure pipeline from Kapuni to Wellington via the city was completed. The high-pressure transmission pipelines supplying the city are now owned and operated byFirst Gas, with GasNet owning and operating the medium and low-pressure distribution pipelines within the city.[96]
Whanganui was first supplied with pipedgas in March 1879.[97] Coal was shipped from Greymouth, or Westport.[98]
Whanganui had a mains water supply from Rotokawau Virginia Lake from 1876.[99] From 1904 water was piped from the upper Okehu valley.[100] In 1933 springs at Kai Iwi were used to supplement the supply.[101] Water now comes fromartesian bores at Kai Iwi and Aramoho.[102]
Whanganui has three local newspapers. Whanganui was the first town in the wider Wellington region to have its own newspaper, theWanganui Record, which was first published in 1853.[105] TheWhanganui Chronicle, founded in 1856, is New Zealand's oldest newspaper, and has been a daily paper since 1871. Its rival from the 1860s onward was theEvening Herald (later theWanganui Herald), founded byJohn Ballance. Initially, the production of theWanganui Chronicle was held back by a lack of equipment, meaning the first issue, dated 18 September 1856, was produced on a makeshift press, made by staff and pupils at the local industrial school.[105] Shortly afterwards, the founder, Henry Stokes, imported a press from Sydney. The two daily papers joined in the 1970s, and in 1986 theHerald became a free weekly, later renamed theWanganui Midweek.[105] TheRiver City Press is the other free weekly paper.
Whanganui isserved by 25 radio stations: 22 on FM and three on AM. In 1996, Whanganui briefly rose to international infamy when a man who claimed to be carrying a bomb held local radio station Star FM (nowMore FM Whanganui) hostage and demanded that the station broadcastThe Muppets song "The Rainbow Connection" for 12 hours.[106]
Television coverage reached Whanganui in 1963, after theWharite Peak transmitter near Palmerston North was commissioned to relay Wellington's WNTV1 channel.[107] Due to terrain blocking the Wharite signal to parts of the city, coverage was supplemented by a translator at Mount Jowett inAramoho. Today, digital terrestrial television (Freeview) is available in the city from both Wharite and Mount Jowett.[108][109]
Whanganui has twosister cities, as designated bySister Cities International:
The Wanganui District Council decided in 2008 to formally end its sister city relationship withReno,Nevada, USA after years of inactivity.[112] The relationship was parodied on "The Prefect of Wanganui" episode ofReno 911!.
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