Hamish McDouall: Whanganui an international city of design

Photo: Supplied

It’s only small, but as a city Whanganui is rich in design. From the eccentric Durie Hill elevator and wooden colonial Opera House to its renown for glass and ceramic object making, the river city has both a diverse smorgasboard of historical buildings and a growing interest in contemporary urban ideas. This month the city was announced as New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Design, one of 40 such cities worldwide.  

Hamish McDouall has been Whanganui mayor since 2016 and vice president of Local Government New Zealand since July 2020, representing the provincial sector. A Whanganui Collegiate old boy, he was born here and is distinctive among mayors for having won both the TV gameshow Sale of the Century in 1989 and quiz show Mastermind in 1990. 

A new road mural as part of the Innovating Streets programme on Drews Ave

Terrace House (colloquially known as the Criss-Cross Building).

Royal Whanganui Opera House

New Zealand Glassworks - Te Whare Tūhua o Te Ao

Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui with Ruapehu in the background

The Durie Hill Elevator tunnel

Q-West boat builders

St Paul’s Church Putiki (photo credit Gail Imhoff)

War Memorial Centre.

Pakohe Papers; printers Marty and Marilyn Vreede hand-make their products from 100% New Zealand flax fibres.

Glass artist Katie Brown’s Brown & Co, on the corner of Drews Ave and Ridgway St, is housed in the Ridgway Chambers