Gisborne Botanical Gardens
Encyclopedia
Gisborne Botanical Gardens is a public garden in Gisborne
, New Zealand
, that dates back to 1874. The Gisborne Botanical Gardens nowadays occupy 5.1 hectare (0.051 km²) between Aberdeen Road and the Taruheru River
. There are still many trees remaining from the early period.
There is also a Gisborne botanic garden in the town of Gisborne, Australia
.
In that year a recreational reserve of 2.55 hectare (0.0255 km²) was created, just outside the city boundary beside Taruheru River. The site developed into Gisborne's first recreation reserve, where cricket
was played, until 1901, when Victoria Domain became the home for cricket.
Between 1915 and 1920 an area of native bush was planted.
By the 1960s the poplars which were planted in the early days of the gardens were mature. The row of trees along the river front was known as Poplar Avenue. The Botanical Gardens was developed as formal Botanical Gardens by this time, with ornate grand entrance gates and wide pathways and rows of flower beds. During the late 1960s the park was managed more as a park.
In 1972 a “free flying” aviary
was constructed. During the 1970s the Gardens were shifting to a 'Botanic Garden' again, rather than a park as Council had decided in the 1960s.
In 1978 Mr and Mrs J.B. Grieg bequeathed their Cacti collection to Council. A glass house was built in the Botanical Gardens to provide space for this collection.
In 1994 the Gisborne District Council adopted the concept of developing three sister gardens, in relation to the sister cities of Gisborne around the Pacific Rim
.
Nowadays the Gisborne District Council, the Friends of the Botanical Gardens and the Gisborne Sister Cities Committee are working to improve and develop the Botanical Gardens.
Other gardens include:
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...
, 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...
, that dates back to 1874. The Gisborne Botanical Gardens nowadays occupy 5.1 hectare (0.051 km²) between Aberdeen Road and the Taruheru River
Taruheru River
The Taruheru River is a river of the Gisborne Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows predominantly southeast from sources close to the settlement of Ormond before flowing through the city of Gisborne. Here it meets the waters of the Waimata River, and the combined waters flow to the...
. There are still many trees remaining from the early period.
There is also a Gisborne botanic garden in the town of Gisborne, Australia
Gisborne, Victoria
Gisborne is a town located approximately northwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As it is close to Melbourne, but in attractive countryside, it is proving an increasingly popular place to settle. The town was named after Henry Fyshe Gisborne , the first Commissioner for Crown Lands of the...
.
History
The Botanical Gardens is Gisborne's oldest reserve. It was set aside in 1874 as a public garden.In that year a recreational reserve of 2.55 hectare (0.0255 km²) was created, just outside the city boundary beside Taruheru River. The site developed into Gisborne's first recreation reserve, where cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
was played, until 1901, when Victoria Domain became the home for cricket.
Between 1915 and 1920 an area of native bush was planted.
By the 1960s the poplars which were planted in the early days of the gardens were mature. The row of trees along the river front was known as Poplar Avenue. The Botanical Gardens was developed as formal Botanical Gardens by this time, with ornate grand entrance gates and wide pathways and rows of flower beds. During the late 1960s the park was managed more as a park.
In 1972 a “free flying” aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
was constructed. During the 1970s the Gardens were shifting to a 'Botanic Garden' again, rather than a park as Council had decided in the 1960s.
In 1978 Mr and Mrs J.B. Grieg bequeathed their Cacti collection to Council. A glass house was built in the Botanical Gardens to provide space for this collection.
In 1994 the Gisborne District Council adopted the concept of developing three sister gardens, in relation to the sister cities of Gisborne around the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
.
Nowadays the Gisborne District Council, the Friends of the Botanical Gardens and the Gisborne Sister Cities Committee are working to improve and develop the Botanical Gardens.
Plant collections
There are three so called sister city gardens:- Australian garden – the first “sister city garden”, commenced in 1997, to honour the relation with Gisborne, VictoriaGisborne, VictoriaGisborne is a town located approximately northwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As it is close to Melbourne, but in attractive countryside, it is proving an increasingly popular place to settle. The town was named after Henry Fyshe Gisborne , the first Commissioner for Crown Lands of the...
. - Japanese garden – the garden that is inspired by the relation with Nonoichi, IshikawaNonoichi, Ishikawais a city located in Ishikawa, Japan.As of February 2011, the city has an estimated population of 51,976 and a density of 3,830 persons per km². The total area is 13.56 km²....
. - Palm Desert garden – for the third sister city, Palm Desert, CaliforniaPalm Desert, CaliforniaPalm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
. This garden also holds the Cacti Collection (partly in the Glasshouse). This presentation is part of a collection bequeathed to the city by the late Mr & Mrs J. B. Greig in 1978.
Other gardens include:
- New Zealand Native Bush garden
- Riverside garden
Works of art
There are some art works, for instance 'Desert Haiku' - a gift from the people of Palm Desert. It was created by Michael Watling in 2001. The andesite boulders from Te Puke represent the mountains around Palm Desert. The composition reflects Gisborne's connection to Japan. The stones take the classic haiku form of five, seven, five.Trees
Some important trees in the Gardens are:- Quercus palustris - the pin oakPin oakQuercus palustris, the Pin oak or Swamp Spanish oak, is an oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae.-Distribution:...
from south east Canada and eastern USA. - Quercus robur - the common oak from Europe.
- Platanus acerifolia - the London planeLondon PlanePlatanus × acerifolia, the London plane, London planetree, or hybrid plane, is a tree in the genus Platanus. It is usually thought to be a hybrid of Platanus orientalis and the Platanus occidentalis . Some authorities think that it may be a cultivar of P...
from Europe. - Ginkgo biloba - the maidenhair tree from China.
- Ulmus carpinifolia var. variegata or Ulmus minor subsp. minor - the smooth-leaved elm
- Cedrus atlantica var. glauca - the blue Atlas cedarAtlas CedarCedrus atlantica, the Atlas Cedar, is a cedar native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco . A majority of the modern sources treat it as a distinct species Cedrus atlantica, but some sources consider it a subspecies of Lebanon Cedar Cedrus atlantica, the Atlas Cedar, is a cedar native to...
- Liriodendron tulipifera - the tulip tree
- Araucaria bidwillii - the bunya bunya from Queensland
- Araucaria cookii or Araucaria columnarisAraucaria columnarisAraucaria columnaris, the Coral reef araucaria, is a unique species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia in the southwestern Pacific....
- Captain Cook's pine from New Caledonia - Tilia x europaea - the Common, or European lime
Literature
- an. - Gisborne Botanical Gardens, Draft Management Plan. Gisborne District Council, Gisborne 2008.