Heritage Month is a highlight on the Whanganui events calendar and will be celebrated from October 8 to 30 and the trust is interested in talking to anyone wishing to hold a heritage themed event during that time.
Full details of the trust's activities, membership and Heritage Month are on the website www.whanganuiheritagetrust.org.nz.
Appreciating heritage helps us understand and appreciate the history and traditions in our own part of New Zealand and, through this, we come to understand why we are the way we are.
Once we have this awareness of our past, we start to care about preserving tangible results of the past such as heritage buildings, historic sites and archival material.
Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust assists owners of historic buildings to find funding and identify options for earthquake strengthening. The trust provides background information to heritage properties and contributes local knowledge and experience on dealing with regulators and other issues.
The trust acts as an advocate for heritage issues by making submissions to Government and Whanganui council plans. It also provides letters of support for individuals and groups who are applying for grants related to their heritage properties.
The trust manages events such as Whanganui Heritage Month, a heritage stall at the Whanganui Home Show and the Whanganui Regional Heritage Awards.
It is also unveiling its Blue Plaques project later in the year.
A standout project for the trust over the last few years has been leading the new Durie Hill Elevator entranceway which is complete apart from the Pou which is being created by local iwi artists.
The trust is a member of Historic Places Aotearoa and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, although it acts independently.
It works on projects with iwi and the local community such as Friends of Whanganui's Cemeteries; the Whanganui Camera Club; Whanganui Regional Museum; Alexander Heritage Te Rerenga Mai o Te Kauru; Mainstreet Whanganui; Atihau Whanganui Trust, to name a few.
The trust also completed the Great War Times Project to commemorate World War I and is in the initial stages of a new project, the Whanganui Interpretive Signage Project. The trust also helps to care for historic treasures such as the Kawana Flour Mill and the Cameron Redoubt (Blockhouse), along with their owners.
The trust's archive material is held in the Pettigrew Room in the Alexander Heritage Te Rerenga Mai o Te Kauru and it works collaboratively with the library staff. A Memorandum of Understanding exists with the Alexander Heritage Te Rerenga Mai o Te Kauru and this cements what is a mutually beneficial relationship for the care and protection of archival material in our region.
The WRHT is encouraging more people in the Whanganui, Rangitikei and Waimarino regions to become members of its organisation. Membership contributes towards community support of heritage sites, buildings and events. The trust arranges biannual visits to heritage houses for WRHT members and at its AGM each year, a guest speaker is invited to talk on a topic of current interest.
The annual subscription rates (Including GST) are:
$25 Individual
$30 Family/Societies/Organisation
$50 Business
More information is on the website www.whanganuiheritagetrust.org, nz or email whanganuiheritagetrust@gmail.com.
