Our history and timeline

On 17 June 2008 Grant Robertson (then the Labour Party MP for Wellington Central) organised a meeting of inner-city residents at the St John’s Presbyterian Church at 166-176 Willis Street in Te Aro, to discuss the formation of a residents’ association to consider ideas and issues of interest to their community.

Patrick McCombs from the Mt Victoria Residents Association was also in attendance and provided advice to the meeting on how such Associations worked.

All three Lambton Ward City Councillors participated and were in support (Iona Pannett, Stephanie Cook and Ian McKinnon). During this early period, local resident Gus Charteris facilitated several meetings of the group at the Southern Cross Tavern, Abel Smith Street in Te Aro.

On 8 September 2008 Mark Blumsky (a National Party List MP and former Mayor of Wellington) organised a meeting of Cuba Street businesses and residents at the Tulsi Restaurant, 135 Cuba Mall in Te Aro, to discuss the formation of a Cuba and Surrounds Business and Residents Association to also consider ideas and issues of interest to their community. Two of the Lambton Ward City Councillors participated and were in support (Pannett and McKinnon).

Given the similar objectives of these two groups the parties agreed to unite and on 3 November 2008 at the Southern Cross Tavern, they formed an Inner-City Residents and Business Association. In that same month a constitution for the new entity was drafted and agreed.

Incorporation
On 14 January 2009 the following nineteen people signed the Incorporated Society Application to Incorporate. They were: David Wood, Angus Charteris, Jaimie Frazer, Rev Dr Godfrey Nicholson, Rachel Wilkinson - all of whom became officers or members of the first Committee.

The other signatories were: Janice Galvin, Kim Beaumont, Marion Kiddle, Victoria Quade, and Antony Stratford, Arindam Sen, Chris Gray, Gary Saunders, Guy Marriage, Justin Canty, Lachlan McKenzie, Luit Bieringa, Paul Beaumont and Roger Kiddle (died 9/3/19).

The application was witnessed by Lambton Ward City Councillor and Deputy-Mayor, Ian McKinnon JP. All signatories and the witness were from Te Aro. The organisation was incorporated under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 on 19 January 2009 as the Wellington Inner-City Residents and Business Association Incorporated. It held its inaugural AGM on 19 February 2009 at the Southern Cross Tavern and publicly announced its founding in the Wellingtonian on 19 March 2009.

The Founding Day of the organisation (which occurred at the Southern Cross Tavern) was 3 November 2008.

Our co-founders and first committee
The co-founders of the organisation are acknowledged as Grant Robertson and Mark Blumsky. The first officers of the organisation were David Wood (Chair), Mark Blumsky (Dep-Chair), Gus Charteris (Dep-Chair), Cheryl Ferguson (Secy) and Jaimie Frazer (Treas). The first Committee which included two alternatives, comprised Stella Bridge, Grant Firth, Tony Hiles, Anna Locker-Lampson, Danny McGrath, Rev Dr Godfrey Nicholson (died 28/4/13), Jean Phipps, Rachel Wilkinson and Marten Young.

Our new name
At its 9th AGM held on 26 April 2017, the organisation was renamed Inner-City Wellington.  

See also: About Us | Our Friends & Networks