Whanganui had beautification groups active in the city from the early 1900s, and palms were amongst the trees that were favoured for amenity planting. Phoenix palms were heavily planted from the 1920s (see WGR/G1918 and WGR/G1903), but before then Trachycarpus fortunei and Washingtonia palms were common group plantings. This group of five Washingtonia robusta, or Mexican fan palms [1], were planted in 1911 and their location on Durie Hill, even though not at the top, makes them stand out on the Whanganui skyline. Newspaper articles from 1911 mention work on beautifying the steps to Durie Hill, noting that ‘choice varieties of palms’ were to be planted, and also giving Australia as the source of 12 palms on order. These appear to be some of the earliest palm plantings in Whanganui but in following years many more of these palms were planted, particularly bordering the Whanganui river, giving the town entrance a very sub-tropical feel (Lloyd, M., 2024.)

1. Note that the species box for Washingtonia only gives the option of filifera, California fan palm, but these do appear to be Washingtonia robusta, that is, the Mexican fan palm.
2. ‘Local and general’, Wanganui Herald, 12 June 1911, p. 4; ‘Local and general’, Wanganui Herald, 24 August 1911, p. 4.