Whanganui was one of the first cities to be founded in New Zealand. Whanganui, meaning 'big bay' or ‘big harbour', comes from the great river that flows through it.
The Durie Hill Underground Elevator was built to provide residents of the garden suburb easier access to the growing city. Built in 1919, it is New Zealands only public underground Elevator and is still used on a daily basis by locals and visitors.
Access is through a long pedestrian tunnel and then you’re welcomed aboard the elevator for the 66 metre ride to the top of the hill and it only costs $2!
the Durie Hill War Memorial Tower stands adjacent to the smaller Durie Hill Elevator Tower, and for those willing to climb the spiral of another 176 steps, even more impressive views can be seen from the top! The decision to build a war memorial to the fallen was made in 1919 but the location was fiercely debated by the townspeople of the time. This is the tower and memorial built from the first proposal. The alternative was to build a war memorial more central to the town and in the end both projects went ahead. The second memorial is the Cenotaph located in Queen’s Park.
The Durie Hill War Memorial Tower can reached via the Durie Hill Underground Elevator, a short walk from the city centre – do them both together!
This tower is a real testament to the builders of the time and registered as a Category 2 Historic Place. The tower is the official Wanganui Memorial to the 513 people from the district who died in the First World War and is constructed of cemented marine sandstone containing shell fragments (simply called shellrock) from a nearby quarry. It is 33.5 metres high (104 feet) and the rock is estimated to be more than 2 million years old.
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