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Story: Whanganui places

Whanganui, 1889

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Whanganui, 1889

In 1889 Whanganui had a population of around 5,000. It had solidly constructed buildings and mature trees, and sat alongside a river that was bridged and busy with traffic. Idealised as the picture may be, it shows how the town had developed considerably after two decades of growth in the hinterland.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0019-04

by Archibald Dudingston Willis

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Diana Beaglehole, Whanganui places – Whanganui, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/18925/whanganui-1889 (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Diana Beaglehole, published 3 March 2009, updated 15 June 2015.