Whanganui District Council

The records of the Whanganui District Council (WDC) date back to 1862 when the Wanganui Town Board was formed. In 1872, the Wanganui Borough Council was created from the Town Board. In turn, the Borough became a City Council in 1924. During the local government reorganisation of the late-1980s the Wanganui City Council amalgamated with the Wanganui County Council to form the present Whanganui District Council.

The WDC Collection contains the records of the Council and numerous predecessor organisations such as the County Councils, Road Boards, Town Boards and Domain Boards that operated within the current Council boundaries from 1862-1989.

 The types of records found in the WDC Archives include:

• Accounts records;
• Bylaws;
• Correspondence files;
• Electoral rolls;
• Employee records;
• Engineering plans;
• Minute books and other meeting papers;
• Newspaper clipping books;
• Portraits and photographs;
• Rate books and valuation rolls;
• Subdivision files;
• Survey plans;
• Town planning records
• Valuation rolls