‘Rangiora bush’ to be reality again

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33693, 16 November 1974, Page 22

‘Rangiora bush ’ to be reality again

Rangiora is to have up to 20,000 new native trees and j shrubs—part of a bold scheme to return 11 acres of the original site of Rangiora’s native bush into a forest and bush reserve, interspersed with open areas of lawn for informal recreational activities.

The planting is a cherished voluntary project, being led by Cr D. A. Franklin, of the Rangiora Borough Council, who is also a research officer with the Forest and Range Experiment Station.

Cr Franklin is shown In the illustration being helped by another enthusiast for the scheme, Cr B. R. Hassall (left). Mentioned variously as| being of 350 acres and 550

i .acres, the native bush wich 1 flourished in the area until • the late 1850 s was probably 1 the primary reason for the i settlement at Rangiora. The >|Ngai-Tahu Maoris apparently ) had a storehouse near the

Rangiora bush, near which Charles Torlesse built the first Rangiora house in 1851. Land taken up by Torlesse, a surveyor-explorer, and his fellow surveyor, John Boys, contained much of the native bush, which provided timber for building and fuel. Major exploitation of the bush did not begin until 1856, when several pitsawyers arrived and leased blocks from land owners,

whose sections contained bush. Three springs The new park is situated between Percival and King Streets at the southern end of the town. Basic landscaping has already been done with hillocks formed by spoil from other works. The name chosen for the park — Matawai — means source of springs or water. 1 The park is the site of three 1 major springs, feeding into a 1 miniature lake, which will 1 be landscaped to be a cen--1 tral focal point. The over all development ‘ of the park is following a ■ plan prepared by the Landscape Development Service of Lincoln College. The proposal provides for entry to the park to be by way of a winding through link between King and Percival Streets to a paved parking area for more than 80 cars adjacent to a circular pavilion; a picnic area is included; a children’s playground; a nature study area; and large open playing area in front of the pavilion. It may take 15 or 20 years before the native trees and shrubs have developed sufficiently to give the park something of its final character, making it a place of beauty in the town. Landscaping with hillocks has been done to provide both visual interest and a varied habitat and climatic aspects for differing varieties of bush. Kauri growing The development of the area as a nature reserve was conceived by the town’s previous Mayor (Mr L. E. Farr), and it was at his instigation that the council of the day bought the area. Although the South Island is not a natural habitat of the kauri, planting of the park was started in May, 1972 by the present Mayor (Mr J. A. McKenzie) planting a 4ft kauri, which has grown 18in. Kauri have been successfully planted as far south as Stewart Island and several planted in Matawai park are apparently growing well. White pine will be a major feature of the replanting and these should do well, because the area was originally predominantly a

white pine bush, said Cr Franklin. A couple of white pines — regeneration from the old bush — were removed just a few years ago to make way for the widening and extension of John Street. White pine trunks were unearthed, also during street excavations nearby. It will be a long time though, before these and many of the other larger species are seen in their full glory, because of their relatively slow growth. It could be something like 50 to 100 years and even longer. Working bees Many working bees have been held with the help of Cr Franklin’s fellow Forestry staff and some councillors, in particular Cr Hassall. Already, 2500 plants have been put out and another 4000 to 5000 have been potted for transplanting in the next year or two. The first plantings were made from “wildings’’ (natural seedings) gathered from the bush, said Cr Franklin. Some of the direct transplanting from the natural habitat to the park “was not done with too much success” but this has been overcome by going through the intermediate stage of potting before planting out. As weel, many plants have been successfully propogated from seeds gathered in the bush. The project has been something of an experiment too and those involved have been “learning as we go.” Redevelopment had been done in other places* but usually in association with some standing bush, said Cr Franklin. The significant thing about Rangiora was that the project was starting from scratch, which was a little more difficult. For this reason some of the plantings being made now were “nurse” trees — kanuka (a tall tea-tree), matipo, and wineberry — ail of which are hardy, capable of standing on their own in bare conditions, and then providing protection for more delicate young plants. Varied ‘forest*

The west half of the park will eventually be a “forest” of various types of beech, while on the wetter east side, podocarps — white

pine, matai, totara, and rimu together with other species such as kowhai, finefingers, broadleaf, lacebark, and ribbonwood will predominate. The project has been remarkably free from damage by vandalism but two of 20 kowhais and six corokia given by the Rangiora Lions Club in 1972 were pulled up. A kauri planted by the Rangiora Brownies last year was wrenched out and died in spite of being replanted. Art display .One hundred and thirty paintings by the Soviet artist, Nikolai Ryorikh, will be exhibited for the first time in Moscow at the end of this month to mark the centenary of his birth. The painter’s son brought the works from India, where Ryorikh spent much of his life after emigrating to the United States in 1920. Ryorikh died in 1947.— Moscow, Nov. 14.