SOME HISTORIC TREES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22419, 4 June 1938, Page 16

SOME HISTORIC TREES

——♦ Botanic Gardens And Hagley Park RECORD COMPILED FOR DOMAINS BOARD Among the records of the Christchurch Domains Board is a complete list of the historic trees .in Hagley Park and the Botanic Gardens. Some of these trees could not be easily identified by the ordinary visitor—and some indeed were only , very vaguely identified until the present' record was compiled by the curator (Mr J. A. McPherson) about two years ago. Since a new tree will be planted on June 15, near , the museum gate, by the Governor-Gen-eral (Lord Galway), the record has some immediate interest. The new tree, a ginkgo, will replace a monkey puzzle (Auricaria) planted by the Marquess of Normanby (Governor of New Zealand, 1875-1879). This monkey puzzle became diseased and was removed in 1936. In a brief history of the park and gardens compiled by him recently, Mr McPherson says that it is doubtful if any area in the Dominion of similar size to the Botanic Gardens contains so many treea of historic interest. Many of the details about the trees were supplied or confirmed by Sir George Harper, whose assistance was obtained by the curator. The ;tree with the oldest associathe Prince Albert Edward oajr, now 75 years old. The record states that this tree, close to the river and south-west of the-archery lawn, is in splendid health. It was planted on July 9, 1863, to comtnemOrate the marriage of King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales. It' was the first tree to be planted in the gardens, before any trees were planted in the park. . A Royal Request Other oaks were planted in different parts of Christchurch on the same day as the Prince Albert Edward oak, and two of these are still growing in the grounds of the West, Christchurch High School. The oak in the gardens is now one of the largest trees there. The circumference of the trunk is more than 10 feet. A strange condition was made by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, who planted five trees in the city on a single day, in 1869. He specially requested that the English oak which he planted on. the front. lawn of the Botanic Gardens should ■ never be touched with knife or axe. For a good many years this condition was faithfully observed, though the tree badly needed pruning; but later primings have improved its condition considerably. It is now a wellgrown tree. Only one remains of the tour other trees planted by the Duke of Edinburgh—a cedar of Lebanon, a Cedrus deodara, and a totara all died. The survivor is a Wellingtonia gigantea. As it was remarked by a former curator, the possession of five Royal trees “was too much honour for one garden to sustain.” Coronation Memorials On the front lawn near the Hereford street gates is a large monkey puzzle, in good condition, which was planted in 1871 by Sir George Bowen, then Governor of New Zealand. He planted four other trees —an oak near the north-west corner of the enclosure near the Christ’s College grounds, which was cut down in 1893 and replaced by an elm;- an evergreen oak which is still standing on the grass plot hear the hothouses; and two others. Two trees, a cedar 'of Lebanon and an oak were planted by the Marchioness of Normanby. The cedar stands on the lawn near the museum path, and the oak, now a fine tree, ,is at the end of the archery lawn. - The marriage of King George V, then Duke of York, was commemorated on June 6, 1893, by the planting of an oak on the triangular lawn near the curator’s residence. This tree was planted by Mr H. P. Mur-ray-Aynsley, chairman of 'the Domains Board at that time. Another memorial tree is the fine oak hear the north-east corner of the rose garden, planted in August, 1902, in honour of the, coronation of King Edward VII. The coronation of King George V is commemorated by an oak near the south bridge, planted by Mrs H, J, Beswick. There are many other trees of historic interest. More than 30 are mentioned in the record; but there are others which cannot now be identified. More recent notable plantings were that of a kauri on the archery lawn by the Duke of Windsor (then Prince of Wales) in 1920; and an English beech by King George VI (then Duke of York) in !927. ■ - .