Pukenamu Queen’s Park

Pukenamu Queen’s Park is one of Whanganui’s premier parks. Located at the heart of our town centre, it is home to many of our important cultural icons.

There you will find the impressive Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua, built in 1919, which is currently undergoing seismic strengthening and a major redevelopment. The redevelopment will see a new wing constructed at the rear of the gallery to securely house the Sarjeant Collection and extend gallery capabilities with exhibition and event spaces, a shop, café and education facilities.

Another Pukenamu Queen’s Park drawcard is the Whanganui Regional Museum, which has reopened after extensive seismic strengthening, reconstruction and refurbishment. The upgraded Museum has new climate-controlled vaults for the natural history, taonga Māori and photographic collections, a new gallery for the Lindauer collection, an upgraded exhibition area for touring exhibitions and a 24-seat audiovisual lounge.

The Art Deco-era Alexander Heritage & Research Library Te Rerenga Mai o Te Kauru is situated at Pukenamu Queen’s Park and houses a comprehensive Whanganui history collection. Visitors to this library are able to access leading family history databases.

The War Memorial Centre at Pukenamu Queen’s Park was built in 1960 and serves as a living memorial to the Whanganui servicemen and servicewomen who lost their lives during World War II. It features a Book of Remembrance, an antique artillery gun and a stained glass window based on Laurence Byron’s ‘Poem for the Fallen’. The building is listed as one of the top 50 modernist buildings in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Veterans’ Steps were completed in 1920 and commemorate those who died at the Battle of Nukumaru, 28 kilometres north-west of Whanganui.

Pukenamu Queen’s Park has a number of protected trees including oak trees and an avenue of Phoenix palms.

Location

Pukenamu Queens Park, Whanganui 4500  View Map

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Features

  • Historic
  • Public Art
  • Cultural Facility
  • Trees

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