Mr Oliver Hunter, conservationist, dead

Press, 26 December 1979, Page 4

Mr Oliver Hunter, conservationist, dead

I A Diamond Harbour identity, conservationist. and planter of thousands of native trees and flowers, Mr Oliver IHunter, died last week. He ' was 97. I Mr Hunter was awardee 1 the British Empire Medal in ; 1977, and the Loder Cup and i Senior Bledisloe Trophy, foi i his services to conservation. [ He was born at Church Bay jof Shetland Islands parents, and educated at the Charters Bay School. He never left Banks Peninsula. When he was not planting trees, or encouraging others to plant them, he farmed at Church Bay. Forty years ago Mr Hunter bought eight hectares of bare gully at Church Bay’ and transformed it into a native I forest plantation, which has [now been gazetted a reserve. He built a fence around it, and planted it with native forest seedlings and flowers. I He had a fiercely nrotec- * five love of the bush, and travelled through New Zealand instilling “the doctrine of conservation'’ said his widow. Mrs Mabel Hunter.

I Mr Hunter crusaded; 1 [through the columns of the - ( “Christchurch Star-Sun,”;’ I “The Press,” and the “Lyttel-p ton Times,” garden clubs and; I residents’ meetings, and be- 1 :

sieged nurserymen for appropriate native specie.-, lor the harbour hillsides. He was bewildered when the Lyttelton Borough Council in the 1930 s gave an order to burn more than 3000 native plants to eradicate ;orse. His plan was to plant nore native bush to kill the Mr Hunter's love of native species led him to work for opossum control, and noxious weeds eradication. He gave away thousands of trees and flowers to schools and park boards, and for Arbor Dav plantings, in a manner described in a book of, his published poems, entitled “Country Life in New Zealand”: "For the sake of those around you. let it always be your plan. Though your words mav droop ami wither, plant a flower where you can." Diamond Harbour people remember Mr Hunter as a fit man, a "tremendous worker." and a fine story-teller, often against himself. He is survived by his wife, a son. and a daughter.