New readers …. Welcome to a brief history of our project.
In 1990 the Whanganui Riverboat Restoration and Navigation Trust Inc was established to bring back to life a unique piece of New Zealand's heritage, the paddle steamer Waimarie. The Trust stabilised the Whanganui River bank and rebuilt the Hatrick Wharf, where Waimarie had sunk in 1952. In 1993 a team of keen volunteers successfully salvaged waimarie and moved her into the Whanganui Riverboat Centre for restoration. This building has also been restored and now houses the Riverboat Museum, with its fascinating collection of river related photographs and artefacts. Waimarie is the centre piece in the building and restoration is well under way.
The Trust plans to have Waimarie operating again as a tourist cruise vessel in January 2000 and, appropriately, Project Waimarie has been adopted as Wanganui's official millennium project.

From Paddlewheels February 1998