AUCKLAND'S PARKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14586, 24 January 1911, Page 6

AUCKLAND'S PARKS.

SOME SUGGESTED AREAS.

THE NEED FOE AIR SPACE.

The principal thing the Hon. G. Fowlds did, 'when ho returned to Auckland, was to tell the city what it already knewthat it needs parks. His was a necessary speech, for it- pointed straight to a fact that the people of the city were in danger of overlooking too long; and the approval of his kindly criticism, that has since been expressed, has shown clearly that the Minister read a very proper lesson.

It is clear that round about the city of Auckland, as a whole, there is an abundance of open space. The great Waitorn ata Harbour alone brings a draught of fresh air along the city front. Each of the volcanic peaks that stand prominent upon the landscape in the purlieus of the city is a' park in itself, and a ventilating shaft; and to their summits people climb to woo the breezes and have the cobwebs blown away. Tho populous areas which, constitute what should be Greater Auckland, extend patch from the city outwards, with ranch less thickly-peopled ground between. But the need for parks is not the need of the great area; it is the need of tho populous parts themselves. Within each of those patches, each itself a town, there is too little of variation. Tho houses crouch together in their little .sections in monotonous array from street's end to street's end; some now and comfortable, others old and vastly inconvenient, but all alike in being close together. For some respite from this monotony of congestion, one looks in vain for grassy spaces set about with trees. It is always a mile or two to a park, always a long way to wheel a perambulator or lead a toddling child., even, on a hot day, a long way to drag one's weary feet. And now, for some parts of Auckland, this state of things is fixed. It is too late to try to purchase blocks of land to make reserves of them, for all the desirable places have long been putting rents earned by the thicklystudded houses, into the pockets of the landlords. But there are places where tho houses _ have not _ yet covered the countryside, where judicious action may yet secure land for public playgrounds, but where the builder is striding about, leaving a domicile at every step, and where it will speedily be too late.

There are two areas in Auckland where the population is fast increasing. Remuera is one; Takapuna is another. In both these places there is still open land Which might be taken for the public use. The Hobson Bay reserve, which the Harbour Board is about to lease to the Rerhuera Road Board and the Parnell Borough Council will serve both those districts, and Newmarket as well; but Remuera might justly claim a park-right in what is known as the polo grounds, in Market Road. That, with the present park of Mount Hobson, would be more or ess sufficient. St. John's Lake is another space available to Bemuera. The lake itself is to be vested in the Road Board, and it is surrounded by a large area of Church property. A& the district develops, the Orakei native reservation might be made to contribute towards the open , spaces where recreation might be had. Parnell's needs will be fairly met by Hobson Bay and the Domain. Newmarket has the Domain within easy reach, and a small reserve in the angle "between Manukau and Victoria Roads, but otherwise it is said that land is too dear to purchase for. additional parks. Epsom, of course, has One-tree Hill, and Sir John Logan Campbell's munificent gift, Cornwall Park. Surely a big enough space jointly for a suburb to have at its door; But the Gardner estate, abutting on Cornwall Park, would make an extra reserve if one were needed. Remuera, of the districts mentioned, seems to present the most urgent problem, . for it is estimated that houses are being built there at the rate of 140 or 150 a year. That heavily built district that constitutes rev Lynn, Archhill, and Eden Terrace, has two reserves at present; and can only see one other area that might be used—part of the abattoirs site.

As to the land " over the water," people interested in the future of Takapuna say that there is need for haste in securing an area that in days to come will provide a breathing-place in a populous neighbourhood. There is no doubt that Takapuna will shortly be very thickly built upon, and it is considered that " Adams's Bush" should be secured for a park. The bush is about 36 acres in extent, and consists largely of puriri, lying at the intersection of the North cote and Lake Roads. Alongside is Quick's Estate, which would provide fiat ground.for recreative purposes. In Northcote the only domain is Kauri Gully, which is too steep for popularity as a recreation reserve, but it deserves to be better known among the people of the city. The residents of Northcote are • very anxious to have the small tidal basin on the east side of the point given to the borough to be reclaimed and made into a reserve; but they have been disconcerted by the refusal of the Harbour Board to give more than a long lease. The citv, which has not previously beenreferred to, can do nothing in the matter of providing more parks. It can .scarcely increase its air-spaces by. the widening .of its narrow streets. But it hap been proposed by far-sighted people, to whom the magnitude.of the proposal does not detract from the promise of the scheme, that the waterfront, now an ugly panorama of harbour works, factories and unsightly buildings, shall be metamorphosed. " In the future they see Auckland bounded on the harbour side by a broad esplanade, which shall enafele the people to walk along the water's edge undeterred by any of the present obstructions, from Campbell's Point (or beyond) to the far end of Ponsonby. Such a scheme, if carried out, would remove some part of the reproach so often levelled at Auckland, that man has done so much to make ugly what nature had made so beautiful.