Wanganui Chronicle News Today: Obituaries, Crime & Police

The Whanganui Chronicle—New Zealand’s oldest continuously publishing newspaper—has spent 170 years recording life and loss in the Whanganui region. Families and community members now find the paper’s obituary section under the NZ Herald banner, with death notices posting faster on funeral home websites than in traditional print.

Founded: 1856 · Location: Whanganui, New Zealand · Status: New Zealand’s oldest newspaper · Publisher: NZ Herald · Digital Access: PressReader subscription

Three decades of recorded community milestones distilled into key reference points.

Wanganui chronicle news today obituaries

Families seeking Whanganui Chronicle obituaries today have several pathways to find current death notices. The newspaper’s death notice section—now integrated into NZ Herald’s digital platform—provides searchable listings for the Whanganui region.

Latest obituary listings

Recent notices recorded through local funeral homes include decedents spanning 2024 into 2026:

• Sharon Theresa TE WERI-PLUMRIDGE (1956–2026)
• Jill Faith SHEEHY (1961–2026)
• Bruce Harry GEDYE (1936–2026)
• Nancy Eva INGLE (passed away 1 December 2024, aged 88)

These listings come from Dempsey & Forrest Funeral Directors, one of the two primary funeral homes serving Whanganui. The other major provider, Cleveland Funerals, maintains a separate notice archive with detailed service information.

How to search death notices

Three main avenues exist for locating Whanganui Chronicle death notices:

• NZ Herald portal: The official death notice search at NZ Herald’s Whanganui Chronicle page directs users to regional papers.
• Funeral home websites: Dempsey & Forrest and Cleveland Funerals both publish notices immediately, often without the newspaper delay that used to characterize print-only listings.
• Legacy.com: This obituary aggregator compiles Whanganui Chronicle notices including listings for Jean Lorraine CLEVELAND, Winifred Mary HOUGHTON, and Jennifer Anne Jull.

Dempsey and Forrest death notices Wanganui

Dempsey & Forrest Funeral Directors serves as one of Whanganui’s two principal funeral homes, with offices open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm and 24-hour phone availability. Their online notice board provides birth years alongside death dates for 2026 decedents—a detail not always included in newspaper-only listings.

Specific notices details

Current Dempsey & Forrest listings include three decedents from 2026:

• Sharon Theresa TE WERI-PLUMRIDGE: Born 1956, died 2026
• Jill Faith SHEEHY: Born 1961, died 2026
• Bruce Harry GEDYE: Born 1936, died 2026

The inclusion of birth years provides families with more complete biographical context than traditional newspaper death notices typically offered.

Recent funeral announcements

Cleveland Funerals—the second major Whanganui provider—lists additional notices with specific service details. Janet Ferris passed away peacefully on 9 May 2025, with a memorial service scheduled for 11 May 2025 at Cleveland Chapel, Whanganui. Her family included 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

“Much loved wife of the late Bill.” — Family of Janet Ferris

Nancy Eva INGLE died peacefully at home on 1 December 2024, aged 88 years, with a service held at Cleveland Chapel on 7 December 2024.

“Peacefully at home on 1st December 2024, aged 88 years.” — Family of Nancy Eva INGLE

Wanganui chronicle news today crime

Local crime coverage in the Whanganui Chronicle falls under the newspaper’s broader news section, which includes local news, crime reports, weather updates, and death notices. However, recent search results show limited specific police incidents or breaking crime news from today’s edition.

Police reports today

Police activity in the Whanganui region does appear in Chronicle coverage, but current search results prioritize death notices over crime reporting. For specific police incidents, the NZ Police website and local police communications provide the most direct source material.

Local crime updates

The Whanganui Chronicle’s crime section historically covers incidents ranging from minor offences to significant cases affecting the community. The newspaper’s integration with NZ Herald has maintained this coverage under the regional news umbrella.

For residents seeking immediate police alerts, the NZ Police Facebook page and official communications offer real-time updates that often appear in regional media subsequently.

Wanganui Chronicle death Notices last 7 days

Accessing death notices from the past week in the Whanganui Chronicle requires understanding the current publication ecosystem. The Chronicle no longer operates a standalone website—all content publishes through NZ Herald’s platform.

Weekly obituary summary

No explicit April 2026 obituaries appeared in current search results; the most recent notices date from late 2024 and 2025. This lag likely reflects the nature of funeral notice publication rather than any gap in coverage.

Whanganui Funeral Notices uploads listings immediately without newspaper delays, making it the fastest source for recent notices.

Archive access

Broader obituary searches through Legacy.com allow filtering by date range and category, including high school affiliations in some listings. This can help locate specific individuals across extended time periods. For those planning a trip, you can find more information about holiday packages from NZ at Holiday packages from NZ.

Cleveland Funerals at 179 Ingestre Street, Whanganui City 4500 (phone: 06 345 5522) maintains its own chronological archive of notices with service details.

Breaking news Wanganui today Police

Active police breaking news for Whanganui today requires checking multiple sources beyond the Chronicle. The newspaper covers significant incidents but its current digital presence emphasizes death notices over real-time crime feeds.

Stuff Wanganui updates

Stuff.co.nz, owned by the same parent company as NZ Herald (Nine Entertainment), provides Whanganui regional coverage including breaking news stories. The two platforms share content while maintaining distinct editorial identities.

Facebook live feeds

The Whanganui Chronicle Facebook page (@WhanganuiChronicle) shares updates with its community followers, though current posts emphasize obituary information over police activity. Social media remains an immediate channel for community-level news that may later appear in formal newspaper coverage.

For urgent police matters, NZ Police’s official Facebook page and website provide authoritative real-time announcements that regional media subsequently report.

What people are saying

“Much loved wife of the late Bill.” — Family of Janet Ferris, Whanganui

“Died peacefully in Whanganui, with family by her side.” — Family of Gillian Madeline McCARTHY

“Peacefully at home on 1st December 2024, aged 88 years.” — Family of Nancy Eva INGLE

Summary

For those tracking Whanganui Chronicle news today, the newspaper’s obituary section remains its most consistently active online resource. The Chronicle—now operating under NZ Herald’s digital umbrella—continues publishing death notices from local funeral homes including Dempsey & Forrest and Cleveland Funerals. Recent listings span late 2024 and 2025, with 2026 decedents beginning to appear. Breaking crime news requires direct police sources rather than Chronicle feeds. For families and community members seeking death notices, funeral home websites often update faster than newspaper platforms, with services frequently live-streamed for distant relatives.

Residents needing current information should check funeral home websites first for the latest death notices, then NZ Herald’s Chronicle section for broader local coverage. Those seeking police breaking news should follow NZ Police’s official channels directly.

Related reading: Whanganui Chronicle news section · Whanganui Chronicle homepage

Wanganui Chronicle’s latest crime and police reports align with national crime statistics, revealing 38,000 fewer violent crime victims across New Zealand in 2025.

Frequently asked questions