WHANGANUI HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 86, 12 April 1938, Page 8

WHANGANUI HISTORICAL SOCIETY

COMMITTEE COMMENCES

FIRST MEETING HELD At a meeting of the Whanganui Historical Society held last evening, matters in connection with the future activities of the society were discussed. Plans were formulated for the collation of historical matter for the publication of a volume on the history of Wanganui. It was unanimously agreed that Mr L. J. B. Chappie should be chairman and Miss A. M. Blackett was elected secretary, subject to the approval of the Library Committee. It was decided to approach Mr Tamatea McDonnell to cjsk him to act as representative'of the Maori people. Mr W. Morrison, chairman of the Waitotara County Council is to be approachea and requested to represent that body on the society. It was suggested by Mr Chapple that representatives should be secured from city schools and colleges. The society is to meet on the second Monday evening Ol each month.

After discussion it was decided that the area to be dealt with should bo bounded by the northern boundary or the Waitotara County and the southern boundary of the Wanganui County. An application is to be mace to the Wanganui City Council for a grant to enable the society to operate. Mr L. J. B. Chapple stated that he •had been compiling material on Wanganui history for some years with a view to writing a book on the subject. This matter he offered to the society for its purposes. Outlining this work, Mr Chapple said that he had concentrated on later history of Wanganui, following on where Mr Downes had left off in his volume, “Old Whanganui.” He had traced the growth of the schools, the churches and newspapers from their infancies. The decision was made that individuals of the committee should concentrate on certain phases or Wanganui’s history. The material secured will then be sifted and the essential information used in the preparation of a volume.