Wadestown celebrates 125

Posted on 19 October 2006

Article from The Wellingtonian, Oct 19, 2006

WADESTOWN KICKED off its 125th jubilee celebrations last weekend with the installation of ten street banners on WadestownRoad,profiling the art work of local children. Children aged from four to eleven years old entered in the art competition, where they were required to draw something they liked about Wadestown.

Well over 150 entries were received, covering local sights such as the Wadestown Road play park, local bus stops, the school, churches, native trees and birds, the hills and familiar faces. The three judges, councillor Ian McKinnon, Reverend Sharon Ensor, and Reverend Tric Malcom, selected the winning artworks.

"It is wonderful to see children's colourful and imaginative artwork on our streets" says councilor McKinnon.
"This is a most appropriate way to celebrate a suburb's history, through the hearts and minds of its children. It is important for children to be partoftheir community, to feel that real sense of belonging."

The 10 winning entries, have been made up into street banners by local business Flagmakers, and will decorate Wadestown's main road over the coming months. Wadestown is one of Wellington's first sub-divisions. It was settled by John Wade, who gave his name to the suburb, in 1841. The banner competition was organised by the Wadestown Presbyterian Church, St Luke's Church and Wadestown School and was funded by the Wellington City Council.