ENGINEER'S SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 201, 25 August 1937, Page 11

ENGINEER'S SCHEME.

FORMATION OF ARBORETUM. RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION. A scheme for the development of the Auckland Domain was prepared by the city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, three years, ago, and it is now recommended for adoption by the Town Planning Committee. The scheme proposes replanning to close li miles of the existing 3} miles of drives, and to construct three-quarters of a mile of new drives,, The roads to be closed include the road from George Street,..passing along the eastern edgg of the'playing fields in the Outer Domain, the road 15 chains long from the rafiin drive tjMb'e nursery gardens, the access road to the morgue, and the service roads to the Winter Garden and to. the implement sheds. . Vehicles at Cenotaph. In the original scheme '.'ft- -was proposed to close the road in liront of# the Cenotaph to vehicles ahdcbttViirt it 'intd a pedestrian way, but the Town Plan-

ning Committee now proposes that this road be retained and the road immediately in front of the Museum be closed. Other main features of the scheme are:— Conversion of the whole lower area northward of the main drive from the ponds to Parnell (except for the propagating and nursery gardens) into a New Zealand botanic garden and arboretum of 52 acres. Formation of an arboretum for exotic trees and shrubs in the 17J acres below the hospital. Virtual abolition of flower gardens. Formal planting of the slope in front of the Museum with pohutukawa trees. Cricket Ground Stand. Construction of 8J miles of new paths and closing of 3} miles J Erection of a grandstand in the Cricket Ground to seat 8000 people. Removal of the tea kiosk to a site across the main drive. Slight enlargement of the two sports grounds and levelling of the Cricket Ground surface. Abolition of the Titoki Street tennis courts and croquet lawns. The original scheme provided for the formation of dignified entrances, with the principal one in Stanley Street, but since then the new gateway at Park Road provided in the gift by the late Mr. William Elliot has been erected. Among the new paths to enable pedestrians to enjoy the beauties of the .Domain bush is one which it is proposed to construct actoss the area from the Parnell end of Domain Drive to Kari Street, off Grafton Road, on a comparatively level grade, traversing the proposed botanic gardens and arboretum.