75-511: Moutoa Gardens , also known as Pākaitore , is a park in the city of Whanganui , New Zealand. Named after the Battle of Moutoa Island in the Second Taranaki War , it contains a memorial to the battle inscribed "To the memory of the brave men who fell at Moutoa, 14 May 1864, in defence of law and order against fanaticism and barbarism." It also contained a statue of John Ballance , organiser of
150-526: A Category II structure. The Moutoa Monument (also known as the "Weeping Woman" statue) commemorates the Battle of Moutoa Island that was fought on 14 May 1864. It is registered as a Category II structure. 15 Māori and one European were killed In the battle; 6 weeks later, the Wellington Provincial Council resolved to erect a monument in recognition of the soldiers' "patriotic services". Provincial Superintendent Dr Isaac Featherstone purchased
225-407: A by-election to fill the vacancy. The provinces have broken down because of their coming into conflict with the colonial government on many points, and especially on points of finance. Their doom was only a question of time, when it became obvious that they could not raise their own revenue; that they had to look to the general government to supply deficiencies; and that they could not borrow without
300-533: 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. By 1850, Te Mamaku was receiving Christian instruction from Revd Taylor. There were further incidents in 1847 when four members of
375-584: A generic sculpture of a weeping woman and installed it on 26 December 1865. The inscription reads: "To the memory of those brave men who fell at Moutoa 14 May 1864 in defence of law and order against fanaticism and barbarism." In December 2023, after a request from the Whanganui iwi , the Pākaitore Historic Reserve Board agreed to remove the monument and relocate it where the events of the battle could be explained and put into context. A fountain
450-742: A major collection of works by the Whanganui-born Edith Collier . The Whanganui Regional Museum collection has been growing since the first items were displayed in Samuel Henry Drew 's shop window in Victoria Avenue. It includes artwork by John Tiffin Stewart . Potters have a long history of working in the area, such as Rick Rudd , Paul Rayner and Ivan Vostinar. Local glass artists include Kathryn Wightman, Lisa Walsh, and Claudia Borella. A repertory group has been active in
525-484: A provincial council, and elected a superintendent who was not a member of the council. The councils elected their speaker at their first meeting after elections. The Act also created a national General Assembly consisting of the Legislative Council (appointed by the governor ) and the directly elected House of Representatives . These provinces came into effect on 17 January 1853 and the regulations defining
600-532: A railway bridge at Aramoho. Wanganui was linked by rail to both New Plymouth and Wellington by 1886. The town was incorporated as a Borough on 1 February 1872, with William Hogg Watt the first Mayor. It was then declared a city on 1 July 1924. As an alternative to the Wanganui chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of New Zealand , Margaret Bullock formed a club for women activists in 1893, originally as
675-563: 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 as Pakaitore , were occupied for 79 days in a mainly peaceful protest by the Whanganui iwi over land claims. Wanganui was the site of the New Zealand Police Law Enforcement System (LES) from 1976 to 1995. An early Sperry mainframe computer -based intelligence and data management system, it
750-497: A sanctuary where all tribes were equal and the police could not enter. Between 1839 and 1848 the New Zealand Company purchased Wanganui lands on behalf of the crown from people and tribes who may have had little or no claim to it. The park was occupied for 79 days in 1995 in protest over a Treaty of Waitangi claim, an action which split the town and the nation and garnered significant attention from police. Local iwi claim
825-684: A separate Crown Colony from New South Wales in May 1841. In 1846 the British Parliament passed the first New Zealand Constitution Act , which allowed for the establishment of provinces. Governor George Grey arrived in New Zealand in November 1845, and upon reading the new Constitution Act in May 1847 argued for its suspension in dispatches to the Colonial Office. Before this occurred, Grey proclaimed
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#1733270581192900-417: A slim majority in favour of keeping the status quo. Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws spoke strongly against the proposed change. 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". Voter turnout was 61%, the highest in a Wanganui referendum, reflecting
975-737: A strong cultural and recreational focus. Queen's Park (Pukenamu) in the central township has several cultural institutions, including the Sarjeant Gallery , the Whanganui 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. There are more than 8,000 artworks in
1050-451: A volunteer cavalry troop in Tītokowaru's War and later Premier of New Zealand , but the statue was beheaded and a replacement installed outside the district council building. A number of items present in the park are registered by Heritage New Zealand . Historically, Pākaitore was a traditional fishing settlement for hundreds of years and later became a marketplace. The area was considered
1125-404: 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". Mackay's name was restored to the foundation stone of the Sarjeant Gallery in 1985. The Whanganui River catchment is seen as
1200-740: Is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand . The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River , New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whanganui is the 19th 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. Whanganui is the ancestral home of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi and other Whanganui Māori tribes. The New Zealand Company began to settle
1275-566: Is a World War I memorial, unveiled in 1926. Nearby is the Durie 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 the Cameron Blockhouse . Rotokawau Virginia Lake , located on St John's Hill, is a historic lake with a fountain, Art Deco conservatory and winter garden. Provinces of New Zealand The provinces of
1350-588: Is another example of award-winning niche manufacturing in the district, winning a Silver Pin at the Best Design Awards in October 2015. 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
1425-441: 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. In September 2019, the region that Whanganui District Council is part of was renamed from Manawatu-Wanganui to Manawatū-Whanganui. The area around the mouth of the Whanganui river was a major site of pre-European Māori settlement. The pā named Pūtiki (a contraction of Pūtikiwharanui )
1500-485: 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. The Whanganui urban area had a population of 39,720 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 3,078 people (8.4%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 1,992 people (5.3%) since the 2006 census (the population decreased between
1575-520: The Colony of New Zealand existed as a form of sub-national government . Initially established in 1846 when New Zealand was a Crown colony without responsible government , two provinces ( New Ulster and New Munster ) were first created. Each province had its own legislative council and governor. With the passing of the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 the provinces were recreated around
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#17332705811921650-476: The New Zealand Company had settled Wellington it looked for other suitable places for settlers. William Wakefield, younger brother of Edward Gibbon Wakefield , negotiated the sale of 40,000 acres in 1840, and a town named Petre – after Lord Petre , one of the directors of the New Zealand Company – was established four kilometres from the river mouth. The settlement was threatened in 1846 by Te Mamaku ,
1725-476: 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. All but some 6,100 people in the Whanganui District live in
1800-512: The 1880s (e.g. Otago) or 2006 (Tasman). Some of the names persist in other contexts as well, such as health administration districts: Northland , Waitemata , Auckland †, Counties Manukau , Waikato , Bay of Plenty , Lakes (Rotorua/Taupo) , Hawke's Bay †, MidCentral (Manawatu) , Tairawhiti (Gisborne) , Taranaki , Whanganui , Wairarapa , Hutt Valley , Capital and Coast (Wellington) †, Nelson (Marlborough) †, West Coast †, Canterbury †, South Canterbury and Southern (Otago) †. Some of
1875-530: 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. 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). In 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, Whanganui
1950-576: The Abolition of Provinces Act 1875, during the Premiership of Harry Atkinson . For the purposes of the Act, the provinces formally ceased to exist on 1 January 1877. Upon the abolition of the provinces, they took the legal status of provincial districts, which had no administrative functions. Local government was vested in elected borough and county councils. The Counties Bill of 1876 created 63 counties out of
2025-516: The CMS mission station in 1843. The Revd Mason drowned on 5 January 1843 while crossing the Turakina River. By 1844 the brick church built by Mason was inadequate to meet the needs of the congregation, and it had been damaged in an 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. After
2100-654: The General Assembly passed the New Provinces Act 1858. This Act allowed any district of between 500 thousand and 3 million acres (2,000–12,000 km ) of land with a European population of no fewer than 1,000 people to petition for separation provided that at least 60% of electors agreed. As a result, Hawke's Bay Province separated from Wellington on 1 November 1858; Marlborough Province from Nelson on 1 November 1859; and Southland Province from Otago on 1 April 1861. New Plymouth also changed its name to Taranaki under
2175-521: The Gilfillan family were murdered and their house plundered. 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 of Pākehā onto land that they still claimed. It was not until the town had been established for eight years that agreements were finally reached between
2250-466: The Kemp Monument is listed as Category I. The Ballance Memorial commemorates John Ballance , who was the organiser of a volunteer cavalry troop and from 1891 until his death in 1893 was premier of New Zealand. The Ballance Memorial was unveiled in 1898. After the statue was beheaded twice—in 1993 and in 1994—it was removed in 1995 and only the plinth remains. A replacement statue was erected in front of
2325-487: The River. Generations of river iwi have learned to use and protect this great taonga (treasure), and on 13 September 2012 the Whanganui River became the first river in the world to gain recognition as a legal identity . 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
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2400-579: The Wanganui Women's Franchise League. Ellen Ballance , the second wife of the former Premier John Ballance was the inaugural president until she left for England. Bullock then served as president when the 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
2475-541: The abolition of the provincial government system , surveying was standardised in New Zealand in 1879 with a chain mark being installed in Wellington . The Whanganui chain mark was installed in the following year and may be the only unmodified chain mark that remains in New Zealand. The standard chain mark is registered as a Category I item. Whanganui Whanganui ( / ˈ hw ɒ ŋ ən uː i / ; Māori: [ˀwaŋanui] ), also spelt Wanganui ,
2550-423: The area in 1840, establishing its second settlement after Wellington . In the early years, most European settlers came via Wellington. Whanganui greatly expanded in the 1870s, and freezing 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 farming hinterland . Like several New Zealand urban areas, it
2625-418: The boundaries of the provinces were gazetted on 28 February. Electoral regulations were gazetted on 5 March. As with general elections, elections were open to males 21 years or older who owned freehold property worth £50 a year. The first provincial elections were held at the same time as the 1853 general elections . While Governor George Grey had issued the writs for the provincial and general elections at
2700-520: 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
2775-461: The club. Bullock and Jessie Williamson led the club's connections with the National Council of Women of New Zealand . By 1903, a year in which Bullock died and Williamson moved to Christchurch , the club's activities had declined and its library collection was donated to the local public library. Perhaps Wanganui's biggest scandal happened in 1920, when Mayor Charles Mackay shot and wounded
2850-485: 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 the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s, although local Māori at Pūtiki led by Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui remained friendly to settlers. In 1871, a town bridge was built, followed six years later by
2925-499: The colony becoming liable. Almost as soon as they were founded, New Zealand's provinces were the subject of protracted political debate. Two factions emerged in the General Assembly : "Centralists", favouring a strong central government and "Provincialists", favouring strong regional governments. The Centralist members of the General Assembly regarded the provinces as inherently self-interested, and prone to pork-barrel politics. In
3000-571: The construction of railways, for example, three of the provinces had constructed railways (as was the case in Australia) to different track gauges , with Canterbury Provincial Railways being built to "broad" gauge, Southland's railways being built to "standard" gauge. As a result, the Public Works Act of 1870 standardised the gauge to be used, and Otago's first railway, the Port Chalmers railway ,
3075-599: The corner of Campbell and Plymouth Streets is now a private home, but it was formerly the Karitane Home and later a boarding residence for secondary school students. It was built for philanthropist John Tiffin Stewart and social activist Frances Ann Stewart . There are two large towers overlooking Whanganui: the Durie Hill War Memorial Tower and the Bastia Hill Water Tower. The Durie Hill Tower
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3150-594: The counties were replaced by enlarged district councils . The Department of Lands and Survey split the country into the Land Districts of Auckland (North), Auckland (South), Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, Otago and Southland. The New Zealand Rugby Union was formed in 1892 with foundation members principally being provinces: Auckland †, Hawke's Bay †, Taranaki †, Manawatu , Wanganui , Wairarapa , Wellington †, Nelson †, Marlborough † and South Canterbury . At
3225-450: The district council office in 2007. The statue was added to the country's heritage register in 1982 and the plinth remains on the register as a Category II item. The Māori War Memorial commemorates the participation of Māori in World War I . With an obelisk of nearly 10 metres (33 ft) in height, it is the tallest of the memorials. It was unveiled on Anzac Day in 1925. It is registered as
3300-759: The gallery, initially focused on 19th- and early 20th-century British and European art but, given the expansive terms of the will of benefactor Henry 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 by Edward 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 artist Herbert Ivan Babbage and
3375-531: The government forces during the New Zealand Wars. First known as Te Rangihiwinui and later as Major Kemp, he led the government allied Māori forces who defeated the rebel Māori at Moutoa Island. The inscription on the plinth says the monument was erected by the people of New Zealand to honour the "high-born Maori chief, brave soldier and staunch ally of the New Zealand Government" . Installed in 1911,
3450-592: The heritage building is strengthened and redeveloped. The Whanganui Regional Museum (1928) and the Alexander Heritage and Research Library (1933) were both bequests of the Alexander family. The award-winning Whanganui War Memorial Hall (1960) is one of New Zealand's finest examples of modernist architecture. The Royal Whanganui Opera House is located in St Hill Street in central Whanganui. Stewart House on
3525-589: The inhabitants. The first European traders arrived in 1831, followed in 1840 by missionaries Octavius Hadfield and Henry Williams who collected signatures for the Treaty of Waitangi . 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 the Church Missionary Society (CMS). The Revd Richard Taylor joined
3600-489: The junction of State 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. Both Mount Ruapehu and Mount Taranaki can be seen from Durie Hill and other vantage points around
3675-613: The local dialect, Māori pronounce the wh in Whanganui as [ˀw] , a voiced labial–velar approximant combined with a glottal stop , but to non-locals the name sounds like "Wanganui" and is hard to reproduce. In 1991, the New Zealand Geographic Board considered demands from some local Māori to change the name of the river to Whanganui . During a three-month consultation period, the Wanganui District Council
3750-511: 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
3825-576: 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 the Whanganui 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,
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#17332705811923900-838: The names of former provinces and current regions have a tendency to be preceded by "the". Thus, for example, we have Auckland , Canterbury , Hawke's Bay , Marlborough and Wellington , but the Waikato , the Manawatu , the Bay of Plenty , and the West Coast . The current regions of New Zealand and most of their councils came about in 1989: Northland , Auckland †, Waikato , Bay of Plenty , Gisborne , Hawke's Bay †, Taranaki †, Manawatu-Whanganui , Wellington †, Tasman , Nelson †, Marlborough †, West Coast †, Canterbury †, Otago † and Southland †. Another usage of words associated with
3975-752: The old provinces. The former boundaries of the provinces served as administrative areas for the education boards set up under the Education Act of 1877 and for the offices of several Government Departments, including the Department of Lands and Survey . Upon abolition, various responsibilities were delegated to boards. For example, the Education Act 1877 created the Education Boards for Auckland, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Westland, Southland, Canterbury and Otago districts. In 1989
4050-530: The present day regions , for example, the Manawatū-Whanganui region is largely in the Wellington provincial district. The districts are represented by teams in rugby union 's ITM Cup and Heartland Championship , both of which replaced the National Provincial Championship in 2006, although the term "provincial" is still used in connection with rugby for the present 29 unions whether founded in
4125-519: The provinces became known as provincial districts . Their principal legacy is the use of some provincial boundaries to determine the geographical boundaries for anniversary day public holidays . Following the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, New Zealand became a British colony, initially as part of New South Wales . The Royal Charter of November 1840 stated that the islands of New Zealand were "designated and known respectively" as: These names were of geographic significance only. New Zealand became
4200-439: The provinces were separated from the central government for the first time. New Ulster and New Munster had their own seals. New provinces were formed by the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 . This Act established a quasi-federal system of government and divided the country into the six provinces of Auckland , New Plymouth , Wellington , Nelson , Canterbury , and Otago . Each province elected its own legislature known as
4275-563: The provincial boundaries on 10 March 1848: Each province had a Lieutenant-Governor , appointed by the Governor-in-Chief. The 1846 Constitution Act was suspended in early 1848, with the only operative provisions relating to the reform of the provinces. News of the suspension did not reach New Zealand until 23 March 1848, when the immigrant ship John Wickliffe arrived in Port Chalmers to begin European settlement of Otago. In addition,
4350-433: The same Act. Stewart Island / Rakiura, which had since 1853 not been part of any province, was annexed to the province of Southland on 10 November 1863. Provinces established under this act elected their superintendents in a different way. Members of the provincial council would elect a suitable person listed on the electoral roll as superintendent by a majority. If such a person was an elected member, this would result in
4425-405: The same time, the provincial councils met before the general assembly met, in May 1854. The New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1857 provided for the appointment of a deputy superintendent. The Constitution Act provided for the creation of additional provinces, and when the spread of European settlements between the original centres of the provincial governments and the outlying settlers grew,
4500-421: The site was the location of a pā and trading site, left to Māori in the 1848 sale of Wanganui. Leading up to the protest the statue of Ballance was beheaded; a replacement Ballance statue was commissioned in 2009 and placed outside the Wanganui District Council buildings. The most prominent monument at Moutoa Gardens today honours Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui NZC , a Māori military commander and noted ally of
4575-499: The six planned settlements or "colonies". By 1873 the number of provinces had increased to nine, but they had become less isolated from each other and demands for centralised government arose. In 1875 the New Zealand Parliament decided to abolish the provincial governments, and they came to an end in November 1876. They were superseded by counties , which were later replaced by territorial authorities . Following abolition,
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#17332705811924650-540: The time, three major South Island Provincial Unions – Canterbury †, Otago † and Southland † – resisted the central authority of the NZRU. Some current Provincial Anniversary Days are still public holidays in New Zealand : Auckland†, Taranaki†, Hawkes' Bay†, Wellington†, Marlborough†, Nelson†, Canterbury†, Canterbury (South), Westland†, Otago†, Southland† and Chatham Islands. † indicates it reflects an original province. The provincial districts had different boundaries from
4725-512: The town since 1933. Since 1994, The New Zealand Opera School has been hosted at Whanganui Collegiate School . Pukenamu–Queens Park in central Whanganui, formerly the hilltop location of the Rutland Stockade, is home to several iconic buildings. The Sarjeant Gallery , a Category I Historic Place, was a bequest to the town by local farmer Henry Sarjeant , and opened in 1919. Since 2014, it has been in temporary premises on Taupo Quay while
4800-412: The township itself, meaning there are few prominent outlying settlements. A small but notable village is Jerusalem , which was home to Mother Mary Joseph Aubert and the poet James 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
4875-564: The widespread controversy. 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. Despite the referendum results, the Geographic Board recommended to the Minister that the name should be spelt "Whanganui". In December 2009, the government decided that while either spelling
4950-470: Was 55.4%. Despite the clear results, the spelling of the name continued to be surrounded by significant controversy. 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. The public was given three months to comment on the proposed change, beginning in mid-May. The public submissions were relatively equal, with
5025-470: Was a notable company, first established in 1902. 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. In May 2016, it was reported that the majority of the Whanganui pear crop had been wiped out before the upcoming pear season. The Whanganui District covers 2,337 km (902 sq mi),
5100-416: Was acceptable, Crown agencies would use the spelling "Whanganui", amending the act to allow other official documents to use "Wanganui", as an alternative official name, if desired. On 17 November 2015 Land Information New Zealand Toitū te whenua (LINZ) announced that Wanganui District would be renamed to Whanganui District. This changed the official name of the District Council, and, because Whanganui
5175-419: Was and is home to the Ngāti Tupoho hapū of the iwi Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi . It took its name from the legendary explorer Tamatea Pōkai Whenua , who sent a servant ashore to find flax for tying up his topknot ( pūtiki ). In the 1820s, coastal tribes in the area assaulted the Kapiti Island stronghold of Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha . Te Rauparaha retaliated in 1830, sacking Pūtiki and slaughtering
5250-400: 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". A non-binding referendum was held in Wanganui in 2006, where 82% voted to retain the city's name "Wanganui" without an 'h'. Turnout
5325-456: Was built to the new "standard" narrow gauge. Colonial Treasurer (and later Premier) Julius Vogel launched his Great Public Works policy of immigration and public works schemes of the 1870s, borrowing the massive sum of 10 million pounds, to develop significant infrastructure of roads, railways, and communications, all administered by the central government. This diminished the power of the provinces greatly. The provinces were finally abolished by
5400-486: Was erected in Moutoa Gardens in 1900. It was later found that the fountain occupied the site of Whanganui's first school, which opened to cater for Māori children but was also attended by pākehā . The fountain is no longer operational and it was not recorded when the fountain was converted into a landscaped garden. It is registered as a Category II structure. A standard chain mark is located in Moutoa Gardens. Following
5475-564: Was included in the world's Smart21 Intelligent Communities by the Intelligent Community Forum. 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. Pacific Helmets
5550-556: Was known colloquially as the "Wanganui Computer". The data centre housing it was subject to New Zealand's highest-profile suicide bombing on 18 November 1982 when anarchist Neil Roberts detonated a gelignite bomb in the entry foyer. Roberts was the only casualty of the bombing. Whanganui is on the South Taranaki Bight , close to the mouth of the Whanganui River . It is 200 km (120 mi) north of Wellington and 75 km (47 mi) northwest of Palmerston North , at
5625-427: Was officially designated a city until an administrative reorganisation in 1989, and is now run by Whanganui District Council . Whanga nui is a Māori language phrase meaning "big bay" or "big harbour". The first name of the European settlement was Petre (pronounced Peter), after Lord Petre, an officer of the New Zealand Company , but it was never popular and was officially changed to "Wanganui" in 1854. In
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