Welcome from the Mayor

Welcome from Mayor Hamish

Haere mai ki Whanganui. Welcome to New Zealand’s most beautiful city. Its official - Whanganui was named New Zealand’s Most Beautiful Small City in 2020 and Most Beautiful City in 2019.

Spend a little – or a lot – of time in Whanganui and you’ll find the ‘most beautiful’ title well-deserved. As New Zealanders take the opportunity to check out their own backyard in 2021, many are taking a closer look at this very special place, because the word is getting out – Whanganui is gorgeous. The Whanganui River – Te Awa Tupua – flows from the mountains of the Central Plateau through the city to the Tasman Sea. We don’t turn our back to the river here, rather it is a reference point for everything. Our Saturday morning riverside market is a busy community meeting place, alive with entrepreneurship, music and connection, while restored river vessels offer a picturesque connection to the past. Our town centre boasts one of the highest concentrations of heritage buildings in New Zealand and this unique built heritage is celebrated during an annual Heritage Month. As a council we have prioritised and supported the retention of these buildings, recognising that, whether they’re public amenities or privatelyowned, these buildings are very much part of the fabric and aesthetic of Whanganui. Design is in our DNA and master craftspeople and architects have made their mark on our district. From homes to public buildings, from small and perfectly formed to grand and imposing, whether you love colonial, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, mid-century modern, brutalist, or contemporary eco-friendly architecture, you’ll find some of the best examples in the country around every corner. Our many parks and public spaces offer accessible places to enjoy nature, exercise, relax, photograph and socialise. Established trees and beautiful gardens abound in this garden-lovers paradise, with its temperate micro-climate and friendly soils. As if that wasn’t enough, we don’t have just one beach – we have four and they are stunning. These are places for family bonfires, spontaneous cartwheels on shining sand, sunset walks with distant mountain views, fantastic surfcasting and summer dips in the warm West Coast waves.

Did I mention the arts? Whanganui has long been an arts town. It is home to the New Zealand Opera School, the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare O Rehua, the Tylee Cottage artist-in-residency programme, the Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand Glassworks

and the Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics. This arts infrastructure provides a strong foundation for creative excellence, attracting talent and nurturing new work and emerging artists.

Independent galleries and studios offer a rich connection with our arts community. Whanganui also has a biennial literary festival, a diverse, active and supportive music scene and theatre and film societies. Artists Open Studios, held over two weekends in March, provides a great opportunity to meet the artists behind the art.

The Whanganui Walls festival in 2019 saw large scale street art gracing our central business district, progress on our Town Centre Regeneration Strategy has seen beautiful additions, including lighting and activation of public spaces and a public art fund ensures art is visible at every turn and available to everyone. We are also a deeply sporty place –home to the Downer New Zealand Masters Games and the famous Cemetery Circuit Motorcycle Race, Whanganui has produced Olympic rowers and cyclists, All Blacks, and world champion skaters and bowlers and has dozens of established clubs and facilities as well as iconic venues such as Cooks Gardens and the Whanganui Racecourse. While small enough that amenities can be easily accessed, Whanganui is lively and enjoys a wonderful legacy of facilities with something for everyone. Whether you love the arts, or sports, or like me, you’re passionate about both, there’s enough going on here to keep you busy and entertained.

It’s a great place to start a business project or participate in community life and recent years have seen many new initiatives, along with a steady increase in population and positive momentum in our economy. Whether you’re visiting, planning a move or already settling in – welcome to beautiful Whanganui. I hope to meet you soon. Nga – mihi nui. Hamish McDouall