Wanganui District Council Archives

What is the Wanganui District Council Archives?

The WDC Archives comprises the historical records of the District Council and the local authorities which preceded it in the Wanganui District. Dating from the beginnings of local government in 1862 up to the present day, the archival records document the growth of the town and surrounding area.

They give evidence of the development of Wanganui’s infrastructure, its transport systems, water supply, sewerage systems, parks and buildings. Rating and valuation records provide lists of early residents and their properties. Harbour Board records show the ships that used the port in its heyday; survey plans show the roads that opened up the rural areas to settlers. Minute books record the decisions and actions of the various authorities and their interactions with the communities they served.

The archival records are generally no longer used for day-to-day business of the District Council, but are retained for their ongoing value. That value may be to the Council itself, or to the community. While most items are still paper-based (i.e. volumes, files, maps and plans, photographs), in future many archival records will be in other formats, especially in electronic media.

With a few minor exceptions, the Council Archives does not contain records from individuals, businesses or non-Council organisations. The local repository for these is the Whanganui Regional Museum.

Published works about Wanganui (newspapers, books, magazines, brochures) are generally held by the Wanganui District Library.

Another useful site for archival records is the National Register of Archives and Manuscripts (NRAM).

Most items in the Council Archives are unique; that is, there is no other copy in existence.