OLDEST OAK IN NEW ZEALAND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 January 1926, Page 5

OLDEST OAK IN NEW ZEALAND

AN INTERESTING CONTROVERSY

The controversy about the oldest oak in New Zealand has brought to light a specimen which, being now over a century old, may with some safety be accorded the title. The tree is in the grounds of the old Anglican mission station at Wnimate North. Recently an oak which formerly stood at Petone, having been planted there by Mr J. Hewlett Percy, in 1842, was claimedby a son of Mr Percy as the oldest in NewZealand. This assertion is challenged it. the Auckland Herald by a correspondent, Mr W. Johnstone, who stated that at a former Wesleya'n mission station at Waima, Hokianga. there was an enormous tree, 80ft high, planted by the Rev. John Warren in 1840. It now appears that the Wesleyan oak when it first snrnuted had an Anglican rival sixteen years old, not a great many miles away. This tree was" raised from an acorn grown in Dorset, and planted at Paihia bv the Rev. R. Davis, one of the early C.'M.S. missionaries, soon after he arrived at the Bay of Islands in the brig .Maquarie on 15th August. 1824. A few years later M" Oavis's house at Paibia was burned down. The tree, which stood nearby, was saved by being covered with wet blankets. In 1831 -Mr Davis removed to Waimate. taking with him his treasured tree, which he replanted where it now stands. Its presence there in 187)5 was noted by Captain Fitzroy. R.N., afterwards Governor of the colony, who wrote in. his journal : "A thriving young English oak near Mr Davis's house augured well. for where English oaks succeed very many other useful trees will certainlv grow. A living healthy English oakwas a sight too rare near the Antipodes to fail in- exciting emotion.' When nearlv 20ft high, the tree had much of its lower bark destroyed bv sheen which had been penned around it. Mi; Davis, in the hope of saving its life, cut it off about 3ft. from the ground. It sprouted again, and is now rather over 50ft. high, and the branches have

a spread of raver 00ft. The trunk-, however, is only 7ft-. high, measuring 10ft 9in in girth. .