Sarjeant Gallery

Henry Sarjeant, a Whanganui farmer and businessman, left money in 1912 for a public art gallery, and the building that opened in 1919 on the crown of Queens Park is a domed neoclassical structure in Oamaru stone, designed, it seems, by a young student, Donald Hosie, in the office of Edmund Anscombe, who won the open competition - unusually ambitious for a provincial town of that size, which is part of why the collection grew to be one of the more significant public holdings in the country, particularly in photography and works on paper. The building was closed in 2014 as earthquake-prone and stayed shut for the better part of a decade while an extensive redevelopment added a new wing and strengthened the original; it reopened in late 2024. Whanganui itself has a long artistic association, including a substantial glass-blowing community, and the town's river history runs through the collection. Entry is free.

History

Henry Sarjeant left money to the city in 1912 for a gallery, "for the inspiration of ourselves and those who come after us", and the cruciform neo-classical building, with four galleries around a central space under a dome, opened in 1919. Local iwi gave it the Māori name Te Whare o Rehua, "house of inspiration", in 1995, and after ten years of redevelopment it reopened on 9 November 2024 (Wikipedia, Sarjeant Gallery).

What to look for

• The 1919 domed building - neoclassical Oamaru stone on the hill.
• The collection - strong in photography and works on paper.
• The new wing - added during the decade-long redevelopment.
• Queens Park - the hilltop setting above the town.

When to go

Any season - indoors and free. Check current exhibitions and opening days, since the programme changed with the reopening.

Before you go

The building reopened only recently after a very long closure, so older guidance about it is out of date. It is a provincial gallery - the collection is good but the shows are modest in scale.

Nearby

The Whanganui Regional Museum is in the same park; the river and Durie Hill are below.

Key facts