You are invited to call in to the Sarjeant Gallery between 10.30am and 4.30pm on Sunday, February 12, for tea and cake to commemorate the life of Henry Sarjeant, the Gallery's generous benefactor.

This date is the centenary of Henry's death and we are celebrating his extraordinary gift to Wanganui. His will provided for "the establishment and maintenance of a Fine Arts Gallery for the people of the Borough of Wanganui" – our magnificent Sarjeant Gallery.

Who was Henry Sarjeant?
Henry Sarjeant was born in England on 19 November 1829 at Rangeworthy in Gloucestershire, about 20km north of Bristol. He was the sixth child of Sarah Williams and her husband William Sarjeant, a farmer.

In 1857 his older sister Emma, her husband Joseph Aresti (a painter and lithographer) and her three daughters migrated to Australia. In the late 1850s Henry also left Britain – he was certainly in Melbourne in June 1859, looking for his sister.

Henry's brother Isaac (1823-1908) had immigrated to New Zealand and was farming in the Wanganui area. Henry followed him to New Zealand. He bought two farms, naming them Riverley and Oeta. His farming business prospered and he eventually retired to a large house, The Loggia, in Bell Street.

He married Ellen Stewart, 40 years his junior, in 1893. Henry and his wife were strongly interested in the arts. They were founding members of the Wanganui Arts and Crafts Society, established in 1901, and immediately started acquiring works of art for a future gallery.

Henry's will provided £35,000 (the equivalent today would be more than $26 million) for the establishment and maintenance of a Fine Arts Gallery for the people of the Borough of Wanganui:

1.    The said Fine Arts Gallery is to be for the reception, purchase and acquisition of pictures and sculpture and other works of art for the public’s benefit and for the use of the public.
2.    It is my desire that works of art shall be purchased or acquired on account of their intrinsic value as works of High Art only and not because they are specimens of local or colonial art, so that the said gallery shall be furnished with Works of the Highest Art in all its branches as a means of inspiration for ourselves and those who come after us.

As a result of Henry Sarjeant's generous bequest, at the heart of Wanganui's Queens Park art, culture and heritage precinct is one of New Zealand's finest art galleries – the Sarjeant Gallery.

We are delighted to announce that the new show at the Quay Gallery is an exhibition sourced from the collection of Wanganui resident Helen Slater, who started acquiring pieces with her late husband Basil more than 30 years ago.

It includes the best of New Zealand ceramics with Titian Studios, Studio Potters such as Briar Gardner and Jovan Rancich, and iconic Crown Lynn ware being represented. Undoubtedly one of the most impressive privately-owned ceramic collections in the country, the exhibition is a unique opportunity to view some of the finest examples of New Zealand potting and ceramic design, many of which will be very familiar to visitors to Wanganui’s beautiful Quay Gallery upstairs in the i-Site Visitor Centre on Taupo Quay.

The exhibition is on at the Quay Gallery from February 4 until June 10.

For further information, phone the Gallery on 349 0506.

The Wanganui Festival Weekend 2012 brought together three fantastic festival days over the recent Wellington Anniversary Weekend and was enjoyed by thousands of people.

Local people and visitors to Wanganui enjoyed the heritage themed Rivercity Caboodle, organised by Mainstreet Wanganui, the Vintage Car Club International Rally’s open day at Wanganui Racecourse and on and off water entertainment at the Boardwalk Festival day. The Boardwalk Festival included the re-launch of the No. 12 Tram which was a great occasion for everyone involved.

The reaction to the fantastic weekend of events has been overwhelmingly positive and planning is under way for Wanganui Festival Weekend 2013.

The weekend will include a heritage festival day in the central business district and a range of other events and activities making use of the boardwalk and riverfront area and the Whanganui River.

Wanganui District Council would like to hear from organisations or groups who are interested in being part of the next Wanganui Festival Weekend, which will take place from 19–21 January 2013.

If you would like to find out more about being part of Wanganui Festival Weekend 2013 contact Lacey Dandy, Marketing Officer, Wanganui District Council, phone 349 0001 ext 8322, or email.

There's just over a week to go until the Wanganui.com UIM Jet Sprint World Series final takes place at the Shelter View track, at Upokongaro.
The event promises to deliver an exciting and spectacular day out for the whole family with plenty of action on and off the water.
This event has received funding from Wanganui District Council’s Impact Fund. The Impact Fund supports projects which will generate significant economic benefits to Wanganui city and district.

For details of the full programme and to buy tickets online click here. Tickets are also available from the i-Site Visitor Information Centre on Taupo Quay.

Interested in becoming a Youth Councillor?

The Wanganui District Council Youth Committee has seats available for new Youth Councillors in 2012.

If you're aged between 12 – 24 years and want to find out more about becoming a Youth Councillor then why not come along to our next Youth Committee meeting on Monday, February 13, at 4.00pm to see what it’s all about.

The meetings are open to the public and held in the Council Chamber at the Municipal Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

If you'd like more information about becoming a Youth Councillor or would like an application pack click here, or contact Heather Cox, Youth Services Coordinator, phone 349 0001, email.

Applications close 24 February 2012.

Use of sprinklers

Consumers are advised that automatic garden sprinklers can be used by all residents (irrespective of whether their house number is an odd or even number) between the following times:

7pm to 9pm     During the hours of daylight saving
6pm to 8pm     Outside the hours of daylight saving

Hand-held hoses can be used at any time.

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings.

Youth Committee – February 13 (4.00pm, Council Chamber)

Wanganui Rural Community Board – February 15 (4.00pm, Committee Room 2)

Infrastructure and Property – February 21 (2.00pm, Council Chamber)

Community and Environment – February 23 (2.00pm, Council Chamber)

Strategy and Finance – February 28 (2.00pm, Council Chamber)

Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting.