Eastwoodhill Arboretum
Encyclopedia
Eastwoodhill is the national arboretum
of New Zealand
. It covers 131 hectares (1.3 km²) and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne
, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook
. Cook's life work would become the creation of a giant collection of Northern Hemisphere
temperate
climate zone trees in New Zealand - a dream that would eventually cost him all his money - buying and importing thousands of trees from New Zealand and British nurseries.
When his health deteriorated in the 1960s, he sold his property to H. B. (Bill) Williams, who established the Eastwoodhill Trust Board in 1975 as a charitable trust
, donating the arboretum to the trust in order to safeguard it for future generations.
Of all the arboreta of the Southern Hemisphere
, Eastwoodhill Arboretum is said to have the largest collection of trees of the temperate climate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It includes some 4,000 different trees, shrubs and climbers, including 170 species currently on the IUCN world endangered species list
.
, New Zealand. In 1910, he established a farm of 250 hectares in the Ngatapa settlement, calling the property 'Eastwoodhill', after his mother's family home in Thornliebank
near Glasgow
.
The first foundations for the present arboretum were laid then. Douglas Cook started creating a garden immediately. He planted trees, but also roses, flowers, shrubs and vegetables.
During the first World War, Cook volunteered to serve in the army. In France, he lost the sight of his right eye and subsequently stayed in Scotland with his family to recover. He was inspired by the gardens and parks of England and also came in contact with Sir Arthur William Hill
, who would later become director of Kew Gardens
.
In 1918, back at Eastwoodhill, Douglas Cook started planting thousands of Pinus radiata for wood production and for fire-wood. He also planted Eucalyptus viminalis and E. macarthurii
. He also started creating parkland with, amongst others, Platanus orientalis
, different kinds of Ulmus, Acer pseudoplatanus and A. platanoides. In this year the lombardy poplars were also planted alongside 'Poplar Avenue' up the later Main Entrance Drive. In 1919 he ordered 1,996 trees and shrubs and in 1920 a total of 3,387, of which some two and a half thousand trees and shrubs were intended for the garden. The plantings included 'Cabbage Tree Avenue' (restored in 2006).
Planting was interrupted for journeys to England in 1922 and 1924 but in 1926 the garden was extended with thousands of tulip
s, hyacinths and peonies
from The Netherlands.
"Then he got serious," said his biographer and former curator Garry Clapperton in an interview with John Mortimer. He started designing Corner Park, and continued with Cabin Park, the Long Road to Poland, Douglas Park and the Cathedral.
started working at Eastwoodhill, eventually staying on for 47 years. He did most of the farming, so Cook had more time for his beloved trees. The planting of the 'parks' (parts of which are nowadays the arboretum) started around 1927. Around this time, the collecting of different tree species also began for Cook. Through the years the number of plant specimen collected reached immense proportions, with about 5,000 different taxa
at the maximum point, at large costs.
Cook "continued to spend up large on plants in the 1930s, far more than the farm earned. In 1936, he spent £85 (about a working man's wages for half a year) at one New Plymouth nursery alone and, by the end of his life, he had spent on average £1000 annually on plants from overseas and New Zealand".
In the 1920s, Cook could still finance the expansion of his property from his other income and funds, but in his mid-fifties, he had to sell 925 acres (3.7 km²) of his farmland to get further money for planting new trees in the 'Circus' park. At the end of his life, Douglas Cook had effectively invested all his money in his arboretum. In 1965, he had a heart attack. He never fully recovered from that and died 27 April 1967.
In 1994, the Act was slightly adapted.
An herbarium was established in 1994.
In 1998, an accommodation wing was ready to cater for student groups, botanists and dendrologist and the plant loving public.
In 2003, a new visitor centre was opened.
The flatter sections are in:
Steep hills and valley sections are found in:
and cultivar
s of trees, shrubs and climbers to Eastwoodhill. A lot of them were imported from well-known English nurseries like Hillier's, Veitch's
and Slococks. He also bought many from nurseries in New Zealand like Duncan and Davies in New Plymouth
and Harrison's in Palmerston North
.
The main focus of the collection is still the trees, shrubs and climbers from the Northern Hemisphere, but nowadays Eastwoodhill has a large collection of native trees, too.
. It contained 3,000 different taxa. After the first version of 1972, the catalogue remained the responsibility of Bob Berry until 1986.
Nowadays the catalogue is fully computerized, and the responsibility of the curator.
at Eastwoodhill are:
The "most dramatic time to visit Eastwoodhill is in autumn, when over 100 oaks, nearly as many maples, liquidambars, ash (Fraxinus), ginkgo, and other deciduous trees are in their full glory, contrasting with conifers and almost 300 camellias."
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It covers 131 hectares (1.3 km²) and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook
William Douglas Cook
William Douglas Cook was the founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, now the national arboretum of New Zealand, and one of the founders of Pukeiti, a rhododendron garden, close to New Plymouth...
. Cook's life work would become the creation of a giant collection of Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate zone trees in New Zealand - a dream that would eventually cost him all his money - buying and importing thousands of trees from New Zealand and British nurseries.
When his health deteriorated in the 1960s, he sold his property to H. B. (Bill) Williams, who established the Eastwoodhill Trust Board in 1975 as a charitable trust
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
, donating the arboretum to the trust in order to safeguard it for future generations.
Of all the arboreta of the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, Eastwoodhill Arboretum is said to have the largest collection of trees of the temperate climate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It includes some 4,000 different trees, shrubs and climbers, including 170 species currently on the IUCN world endangered species list
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.
Founding
The history of Eastwoodhill Arboretum will remain permanently connected with the life of William Douglas Cook (1884–1967). Douglas Cook, Cookie to his close friends, was born October 28, 1884 at New PlymouthNew Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, New Zealand. In 1910, he established a farm of 250 hectares in the Ngatapa settlement, calling the property 'Eastwoodhill', after his mother's family home in Thornliebank
Thornliebank
Thornliebank is a small suburban village in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, south of Glasgow. It is served by Thornliebank railway station and lies to the east of the M77 motorway.-History:...
near Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
The first foundations for the present arboretum were laid then. Douglas Cook started creating a garden immediately. He planted trees, but also roses, flowers, shrubs and vegetables.
During the first World War, Cook volunteered to serve in the army. In France, he lost the sight of his right eye and subsequently stayed in Scotland with his family to recover. He was inspired by the gardens and parks of England and also came in contact with Sir Arthur William Hill
Arthur William Hill (botanist)
Sir Arthur William Hill FLS FRS , was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a noted botanist and taxonomist....
, who would later become director of Kew Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
.
In 1918, back at Eastwoodhill, Douglas Cook started planting thousands of Pinus radiata for wood production and for fire-wood. He also planted Eucalyptus viminalis and E. macarthurii
Eucalyptus macarthurii
Eucalyptus macarthurii is a medium-size tree endemic to New South Wales, Australia. It is native in the Moss Vale District and South of Jenolan. They surround Bradman Oval, at Bowral....
. He also started creating parkland with, amongst others, Platanus orientalis
Platanus orientalis
Platanus orientalis, or the Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, known for its longevity and spreading crown. The species name derives from its historical distribution eastward from the Balkans, where it was recognized in ancient Greek history and literature....
, different kinds of Ulmus, Acer pseudoplatanus and A. platanoides. In this year the lombardy poplars were also planted alongside 'Poplar Avenue' up the later Main Entrance Drive. In 1919 he ordered 1,996 trees and shrubs and in 1920 a total of 3,387, of which some two and a half thousand trees and shrubs were intended for the garden. The plantings included 'Cabbage Tree Avenue' (restored in 2006).
Planting was interrupted for journeys to England in 1922 and 1924 but in 1926 the garden was extended with thousands of tulip
Tulip
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
s, hyacinths and peonies
Peony
Peony or paeony is a name for plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America...
from The Netherlands.
"Then he got serious," said his biographer and former curator Garry Clapperton in an interview with John Mortimer. He started designing Corner Park, and continued with Cabin Park, the Long Road to Poland, Douglas Park and the Cathedral.
Extension
In 1927, Bill CrooksBill Crooks
William Crooks , known as Bill Crooks was manager of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa, Gisborne, from 1967-1974...
started working at Eastwoodhill, eventually staying on for 47 years. He did most of the farming, so Cook had more time for his beloved trees. The planting of the 'parks' (parts of which are nowadays the arboretum) started around 1927. Around this time, the collecting of different tree species also began for Cook. Through the years the number of plant specimen collected reached immense proportions, with about 5,000 different taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
at the maximum point, at large costs.
Cook "continued to spend up large on plants in the 1930s, far more than the farm earned. In 1936, he spent £85 (about a working man's wages for half a year) at one New Plymouth nursery alone and, by the end of his life, he had spent on average £1000 annually on plants from overseas and New Zealand".
In the 1920s, Cook could still finance the expansion of his property from his other income and funds, but in his mid-fifties, he had to sell 925 acres (3.7 km²) of his farmland to get further money for planting new trees in the 'Circus' park. At the end of his life, Douglas Cook had effectively invested all his money in his arboretum. In 1965, he had a heart attack. He never fully recovered from that and died 27 April 1967.
Trust established
Although Eastwoodhill in the 1960s was often praised for its important collection of plants, many people worried about the future of his unique park, especially after Cook got older and started having health problems. In 1965 Heathcote Beetham Williams (referred to as H. B. (Bill) Williams), an entrepreneur from Gisborne, bought the property off Cook with the intention to keep the collection in order, and to guarantee that everyone with interests in plants and trees will be able to visit the arboretum in the future.Eastwoodhill Trust
In 1975, the "Eastwoodhill Trust Act" passed parliament and the Eastwoodhill Trust Board could be founded. Next, H. B. Williams donated Eastwoodhill to the Board. Williams agreed to the vesting of the property in a Board to be established under a private act, "in the belief that a body so constituted offers the best prospect for the maintenance and development of the arboretum".In 1994, the Act was slightly adapted.
Trust Board
The Trust Board currently has 6 members who represent the following institutions:- Ministry of Conservation
- Williams Family
- Gisborne District Council
- Poverty Bay Horticultural Society
- East Coast Farm Forestry Association
- Friends of Eastwoodhill
Objectives
The objectives of the Trust Board are, according to the Act:- "to maintain and develop Eastwoodhill as an arboretum"
- "so far as it is consistent with its primary function (...) to make Eastwoodhill available to the public for its education and recreation"
Management
- Until 1974 Bill Crooks was manager of the arboretum.
- From 1974 to 1982 his task was done by Dan Weatherall.
- 1982 Kevin Boyce was nominated curator. He was curator till 1985.
- 1985 - 2001 Gary Clapperton was curator.
- 2001–present Paul Wynen, Dipl. Arborist is curator, with Maurice Hall appointed as manager.
Friends of Eastwoodhill
Shortly after the establishment of the Eastwoodhill Trust, a group of volunteers started to make contributions to the development and maintenance of the arboretum. From 1984, a garden group began caring for the Homestead Garden. In 1985 an organisation was formed to sustain visitors' interest, to build support, to gain donations and to provide information for visitors. The organisation is called the Friends of Eastwoodhill. The 'Friends' publish a newsletter four times a year.Buildings
The Douglas Cook Centre for Education was opened in 1992 as a venue for seminars.An herbarium was established in 1994.
In 1998, an accommodation wing was ready to cater for student groups, botanists and dendrologist and the plant loving public.
In 2003, a new visitor centre was opened.
Layout
The arboretum is divided into a number of 'parks'. Each of these parks has its own style and name.The flatter sections are in:
- Corner Park, the first park that was systematically planted by Douglas Cook from 1927 onwards
- Burnside
- Pear Park, planted by Douglas Cook from 1950
- Circus, planted from 1959
Steep hills and valley sections are found in:
- Cabin Park, planted by Douglas Cook from 1934
- Douglas Park, partly planted by Douglas Cook from 1945 (Basinhead and Blackwater from 1961)
- Orchard Hill, planted from 1955
- Glen Douglas, last area that Douglas Cook started in 1963 when he was 79 years old
- Springfield
- Mexico Way
- Canaan
- Turihaua Park
- Three Kings
- Millennial Wood
Collection
Douglas Cook brought a total number of about 5,000 different speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s of trees, shrubs and climbers to Eastwoodhill. A lot of them were imported from well-known English nurseries like Hillier's, Veitch's
Veitch Nurseries
The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into two separate businesses - based at Chelsea and...
and Slococks. He also bought many from nurseries in New Zealand like Duncan and Davies in New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
and Harrison's in Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
.
The main focus of the collection is still the trees, shrubs and climbers from the Northern Hemisphere, but nowadays Eastwoodhill has a large collection of native trees, too.
First catalogues
In the beginning of the 1970s, the first catalogue of trees, shrubs and climbers were prepared by Bob BerryBob Berry (dendrologist)
Robert James Berry is a New Zealand dendrologist who founded Hackfalls Arboretum at his farm in Tiniroto, Gisborne. The arboretum is now known for having one of the largest collections of Mexican oaks in the world. During the 1950s and 1960s he was in regular contact with William Douglas Cook,...
. It contained 3,000 different taxa. After the first version of 1972, the catalogue remained the responsibility of Bob Berry until 1986.
Nowadays the catalogue is fully computerized, and the responsibility of the curator.
Specializations
The most important generaGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
at Eastwoodhill are:
- CamelliaCamelliaCamellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
, with about 270 taxa - RhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, 220 + 250 azaleas - AcerMapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
, 90 taxa - Quercus, 80 taxa. In the 1990s, large numbers of acorns were collected; three nurseries were supplied with ten thousands acorns of red oak (Quercus rubra) and scarlet oakScarlet OakQuercus coccinea, the scarlet oak, is an oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae. The scarlet oak can be mistaken for the pin oak, the black oak, or occasionally the red oak. On scarlet oak the sinuses between lobes are "C"-shaped in comparison to pin oak , which has "U"-shaped sinuses...
(Quercus coccinea) a year. Also, pin oakPin oakQuercus palustris, the Pin oak or Swamp Spanish oak, is an oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae.-Distribution:...
s (Quercus palustris), english oaks (Quercus robur) and mongolian oaks (Quercus mongolica) from Eastwoodhill were sold via commercial nurseries. - PrunusPrunusPrunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
, 80 - Pinus, with 35 taxa
- MagnoliaMagnoliaMagnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
, 40 - MalusMalusMalus , the apples, are a genus of about 30–35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Other studies go as far as 55 species including the domesticated Orchard Apple, or Table apple as it was formerly called...
, about 50 - Abies, 30
- SorbusSorbusSorbus is a genus of about 100–200 species of trees and shrubs in the subfamily Maloideae of the Rose family Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, service tree, and mountain ash...
, 44 - Juniperus, 30
The "most dramatic time to visit Eastwoodhill is in autumn, when over 100 oaks, nearly as many maples, liquidambars, ash (Fraxinus), ginkgo, and other deciduous trees are in their full glory, contrasting with conifers and almost 300 camellias."
Homestead garden
Close to the entrance of the Arboretum the Homestead Garden is found. It dates from 1910, it covers 1 hectare (0.01 km²), and is maintained by volunteers since 1984. "An ongoing project, the garden provides a fitting introduction to the arboretum and is full of interesting plantings aesthetically combined in a unique setting".Awards and merits
- In 1977, Eastwoodhill was the first arboretum in the world which was awarded as "a collection of outstanding merit" by the International Dendrology Society, with a bronze plaque set in rock commemorating the award.
- In 2004, the New Zealand Garden Trust recognised the Arboretum, including the Homestead Garden, as a Garden of National Significance.
- In 2005, Eastwoodhill was officially recognized as the National Arboretum of New Zealand, "a title used alongside the colours of the seasons for promotional fund-raising activities.
- In 2009, Eastwoodhill has won a Gold Award on Ellerslie Flowershow in ChristchurchChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, with the exposition 'Acorn to Oak', designed by Debra Stewart.
Literature
- An. (1975/1994) - Eastwoodhill Trust Act 1975 (including the amendments made in: Eastwoodhill Trust Amendment Act 1994)
- An. (2007) – Eastwoodhill, the colours of an arboretum. Publ. by Eastwoodhill Inc., Ngatapa, Gisborne. ISBN 9780473124717. This book contains a collection of photographs by Gisborne Camera Club Inc. Design and Production by Gray Clapham. Photographic co-ordination: Stephen Jones. Introductory essay: Sheridan Gundry. Botanical descriptions: Paul Wynen.
- Berry, John (1997) - A Man's Tall Dream; The Story of Eastwoodhill. Publ. by Eastwoodhill Trust Board, Gisborne. ISBN 0473045613
- Clapperton, Garry (1992) - The Story of William Douglas Cook. Eastwoodhill Trust Board, Gisborne
- Clapperton, Garry (1998) – 'Hearts of Oak; The Oaks of Eastwoodhill' in: New Zealand Growing Today, Kumeu, New Zealand, ISSN 1171 7033. April 1998, p. 36 – 43
- Collier, Gordon (2008) – New Zealand Gardens of Significance – Guidebook. Publ. by The New Zealand Gardens Trust, Warkworth New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-86967-091-7
- Friar, Jillian and Denis (1996) - New Zealand Gardens Open to Visit. Publ. by Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers Ltd, Auckland New Zealand. ISBN 1-86958-343-4
- Mortimer, John (1997) – 'A Magnificent Obsession' in: New Zealand Growing Today, Kumeu, New Zealand, ISSN 1171 7033. April 1997, p. 45 – 51
- Wynen, Paul (2003 (?)) - Plant collection strategic plan. Internal document of Eastwoodhill Arboretum. Gisborne
Catalogues of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, made by Bob Berry
- Berry, R. J. (1972) - Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa; List of Trees and Shrubs. Tiniroto, Febr. 1972. (3-ring folder) ii+77 pgs. (cyclostyled) + (grid-)map 33 x 21,5
- id. 1976
- Berry, R.J. (1978) - Eastwoodhill Arboretum. Tree and Shrub List. 39 pgs.
- Berry, R. J. (1980) - Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngatapa; List of Trees and Shrubs. Tiniroto, Febr. 1980. ii + 41 pags. + (grid-)map
- Berry, R. J. (1982) - Eastwoodhill Arboretum; Catalogue of Trees, Shrubs and Climbers. Tiniroto, March 1982. v + 38 pags. + (grid-)map (A4)
External links
- official website of Eastwoodhill, National Arboretum of New Zealand