Be part of the Selwyn story. Whether you’re with a community group, business, or school, this is your chance to get involved. Download the toolkit, share your experiences, and see how locals are shaping the district’s story. Your contribution makes Selwyn’s story stronger and more visible.
Places without a story get overlooked. Places with a clear, strong story get noticed. Selwyn needed its own identity, something that reflects who we are, what we value, and why our community stands out. It’s about telling our story clearly, proudly, and in a way everyone can join.
More than 250 local leaders helped shape the Selwyn District Council Economic Development Strategy — and they all pointed to the same thing: Selwyn did not have a clear identity. The current destination brand, Selwyn From the Land, did not speak to businesses, and it did not carry the ambition of the new strategy.
To deliver the other big moves in the plan, we needed a place-based brand that told a stronger story about who we were, where we were heading, and why it mattered.
Our approach flipped the traditional branding process. Instead of starting with logos and colours, we began with people — gathering stories, local values, and what made each place unique. By testing ideas through real experiences like murals, events, and campaigns, the brand naturally emerged from the community itself. It was a bottom-up process that built a brand people recognised as their own.
Why does Waikirikiri Selwyn need a story? “Places with no story get forgotten. Places with a strong story get chosen.” This journey is about our unique identity that tells the world who we are and why we’re special. Our story will help us show up proud and united. Our businesses deserve to be in the spotlight. Our people and places deserve more recognition. “If you don’t shape the story of your place, someone else will—and it might not include you.”
Travelling across Selwyn from Castle Hill to Leeston to meet locals and walk the land, grounding the visual identity in real stories, textures, and pride.
Working with mana whenua, we built a shared story of abundance.
We don’t just dream of a better future — we make it happen.
The triangle mark was pulled from the Whata (Māori storehouse) and linked to the mountains. A flexible mark that communities can personalise, turning one symbol into many local stories under a shared Selwyn identity.
Locals captured Selwyn on disposable film cameras, then co-designed colours, imagery, and layouts! Filling the mark with their own stories and imagery.
Partnering with local businesses to trial the visual identity in real campaigns and refine it through lived use.
An online ‘logo maker’ empowers community and council to use the system consistently and creatively.
Next step! The identity comes alive through stories and campaigns.
What makes Selwyn, Selwyn? Waikirikiri Selwyn is a place of many parts – from alpine towns to coastal villages, spread across the plains from the Southern Alps to the sea. That richness is our strength, but it can make it hard to show the world who we are. This project set out to change that. By creating a clear visual identity for the district, we can share our story with confidence, spark local pride, and help visitors feel the spirit of the district from the moment they arrive.
To develop this identity, we asked one simple question: what could only happen here in Selwyn? To find the answer, we listened to the community – across our townships from Arthur’s Pass to Leeston – and began weaving a story that reflects the people, the land, and the energy that make Selwyn unlike anywhere else.
Everywhere we went, the word that stood out was abundance.
Abundance refers to the diverse expanse of the region, which is home to bountiful forests, wetlands, waterways, and some of the country‘s most fertile soils. Māori migrated to the region based on reports of this abundance – the cabbage trees, weka, eels, and flatfish – and today, this landscape is still renowned for its food production.
Although the food and resources may be different and the methods of storage have somewhat changed, the concepts are still the same. The land and waterways still provide, the land is productive, and there are signs of abundance.
But it’s more than kai that grows here. It’s businesses, families, ideas, ingenuity, and a community that chooses to make Selwyn home. We have an abundance of not only natural resources, but also many intangible resources – the knowledge, innovation and communities – that thrive here.
Waikirikiri Selwyn is a place full of vibrancy and energy. In a place that’s rapidly diversifying, abundance lets us celebrate many forms of success, identity, and contribution.
In Selwyn, people look out for each other. You’re greeted with a smile in the supermarket or a wave down the street. Long-time locals or new arrivals – everyone belongs. Here, the jug is always on, and neighbours back each other in practical, everyday ways.
We’re growers, creators, thinkers, builders, and doers. We talk straight, back ourselves, and pitch in where it counts. We don’t just dream of a better future, we make it happen.
Selwyn isn’t about the hustle. We’re growing fast, yes, but we’re choosing a home that balances ambition with space to breathe, work, and enjoy life. Think small town feel with big city access.
The Waikirikiri Selwyn toolkit is here for anyone in the community. It’s practical, easy to use, and ready to help you tell your story. Take what’s here, make it your own, and help spread the word about what makes Selwyn special.
If you don’t shape our district’s story, someone else will. This is your chance to showcase local businesses, people, and places. Getting involved means showing up proud, contributing to a shared identity, and making sure Selwyn’s story includes you and reflects the community you know and love.