Affection for Auckland Inspires Many Generous Gifts

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21647, 13 November 1933, Page 31 (Supplement)

Affection for Auckland Inspires Many Generous Gifts

lirorOHOnT New Zealand and 1 iirtlicr afield, Auckland is renowned lor tlie generous and even lavish gifts tliat its citizens liave made to the l i-imi in 111) it y. Duellers in other parts of New __ Zealand have often remarked upon the local patriotism which Auckland inspire in its people, a patriotism that has'in ,t no trace of parochialism. This, feeling, Strang l ' to -say, is not confined to Aiieklandors horn ami bred; it is equally strong in the citv's adopted children. Alter a few years' residence, tlie Southerner who has made his home lie re invariably sings Auckland s praises when rev i-.its the South. What is more, the name lot ing sentiment may he lound persisting in form"' Am i landers who have gone to live elsewhere. a> witness the splendid generosity of such men as .1, I. .Mackelvie and Moss Davis. Auckland's many benefactions conic niostlv niidei two heads—amenities and charities. The latter need no explanation, lor even the happiest ol cities h.is the poor, tlie sick, the aged jind the orphan in its midst. Cit'ts for amenitTes, on her hand, seem to spring from the jilready-nientioned local patriotism in its purest fori n - lion nt eons nature lias provided Auckland ttith one ol the loveliest settings jmaginable. No one who has traversed the circle of the year within her bounds can forget the green tolcanie hills, the clitf-fringed shore, the calm, sheltered harlour and the blue gulf with ils main islands. .Man inevitably at times and in various places has marred this beauty, jso. as the city has grown, many have felt an urge to presort e for the people their birthright ol' sunshine, fields and trees by creating parks and open spaces. 1 lie same motive is seen in tlie efforts of others to parallel natural loveliness in the realm of art by public gifts of beaut nn! things. It may even be said to have inspired charity through the subconscious feeling that in such a city as this no one should he allotted to live in preventable misery. Willi some exceptions, two very notable, educational gilts in Auckland have lagged somewhat. but there are signs that in tlie new era tins form ot benevolence will take its rightful place. One happy feature of public benefactions in Auckland is that they have not been conliiicil to the really wealthy. Kven a brief perusiial of the records contained in newspaper files shows that every large gift or bequest is paralleled bv numbers of smaller ones —a few hundred pounds to some institution, a picture or two to tlie Art (■ a 11 ery. a lifetime's collection of Maori articles for the museum, a section of land for an open space or children's playground. Sometimes silch gifts are veritable widows' mites. Not long ago the Auckland Hospital Hoard received a sum ol !_'•> " lor the children's hospital.'' It had been left by a very old man, a former inmate ot the Auckland infirmary, ami repiesented nearly all he had in the world. Among all the city s benefactors, Sir John J.ogan Campbell will always bold a unique place. 11 is whole lite Irom young manhood was bound up with the city, whose birth he had witnessed and which was his home for 7'2 years. The splendid gifts that he made in his lifetime and the legacies that he bequeathed were a true'expression ol a delightful personality and of the deep and romantic love he bore to Auckland, its people and the "young nation," cf ulnch he ol ten spoke. Sir John's feeling for Auckland can best be understood Irom the pages of his delightful but little-read book. Poena mo. This gay and glamorous account of his early adventures lie ur.jie for his children, and published with some diffidence in 1881. little imagining that a great length of days still stretched before him. All through t lie book it is clear that the image of Auckland as he first knew it. a fern-clad w iKiel ne.ss. never left him. and that the gradual development of the city, as memory unrolled it, had for him an unending fascination.

In his prini«\ Sir .John did much to help forward the material welfare of Auckland by service upon many public bodies and by helping i.i found new commercial enterprises. Jt is known that lie gave much to public causes, but all tli.it is on record is that he founded and maintained for a number of years at his own expense an art school, until others could take over the responsibility.

In IS'OI, when over 80 years of age. Sir John Agreed to assume the mayoralty of Auckland for the three months embracing the visit of the present King and Queen, then Duke and Duchess ot Cornwall and York. This occasion ho took for earning out a long-cherished wish, to present to the public the beautiful tract of 2-'io acres, the north, and east of One Tree Hill, and comprising with the existing One Tree Hill Domain, practically the whole of this iinif|Ucly beautiful extinct volcano and old-time Maori stronghold.

ENDOWMENTS FOR

On Juno 11 1,0 asked (1.0 Duke to accent on Mm" ; ,r the jieoplo of Now Zealand, a deed' übich lie had signed the day hoforo, vesting tho .nd in trustees lor all time. Ho also asked iea\o to name the properly Cornwall Park. To tho document Sir John added the following memorandum: " I sign this deed on the Cist anniversary o, hVT 1 ' ' U V of Waion.u, «<'■ to » Hires of the Hauraki Gulf, and entered ..... • x . (>rc ' st to <"<rvo with inv axe tho . m in which afterwards 1 made mv way to Wait.'nata 0 J,(,11, ' K,,rpa > o in' tho Since that (lay it has boon my fortune to l»« P'osent at the foundation of the oolonv of •un| V Jv i'' ' t r watl '* l Mltl ' «IwponinK interest *.... •'"♦•etioii the growth of my adopted eoiiny, and to share as well its strides and its vi< iss,tudos and its now well-founded and in(leasing prosperity. "Superintendent of the Province of Auekiiieinher of tho .Ministry formed "Hen a hospons.ble Government replaced the i «vstorn ol provincial administration, to me "OW as duel Magistrate of Auckland, has fallen the honour ol presenting our city's welcome to

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall iinil \(»rk. I fins has my whole lile been not merely co-extensive, but in closest association witii the development of this eit\ iind colony. As an abiding memorial of the deep gratitude and warm affection I bear to this, the country of my adoption, I have therefore desired to present •Cornwall ' Park to be a place of public resort for the recreation and enjoyment, of the people of New Zealand. The visit of Their Royal Highnesses aflords, 1 have thought, a fitting occasion for the presentation of this gift, which I now make with no other desire than that the park may be of real and lasting benefit to the people whose prosperity 1 have shared, among whom 1 have lived now for til years." In the remaining 11 years of his life Sir John made gifts totalling I'M).000 to provide a free kindergarten and a creche in the city, a nursery at .St. Mary's Homes, Otahuhu, and a new wing at the Children's Home. On his death in June, 1!)12, he left public bequests totalling L'7ti,()oo. These included 000 to the Cornwall I'ark trustees and £'20,000 to Auckland I'niversity College as an endowment for a chair of agriculture. Sir .John had long held that to develop the natural resources of Auckland to the full, science must be applied to farming, and young farmers must have scientific instruction. The chair is now located

at Massey College, ] > alnierston North. As this is predominantly a dairy college, the donor's purpose is being thoroughly carried out. Closely parallel with the gifts made by Sir John Logan Campbell are those of his friend and business associate, Sir Arthur Myers. Always a generous giver to charity, Sir Arthur co-operated with the City Council in acquiring six acres of laud between Cp|ier Queen Street and Grey's Avenue. By this means, what had been an overgrown and unsightly gully was converted into a beautiful park. Sir Arthur bore the whole cost, and also erected in the park a fine modern free kindergarten for the littl- children of I lie central city area. Some years earlier. Sir Arthur had presented the city with a clock for the tower of the riearl.voonipleted Town Hall—a fitting memorial to his own service as Mayor. Sir Arthur was also a benolaetor ol the Auckland Karitano Hospital to the extent <»t f.",()!)().

In the held oi culture, particularly of art iind literature, Auckland owes an immense debt In some half dozen men who, by their generosity, have greatly enriched tho city's resources. Sir George Grey, in 1 HB'2, presented to Auckland bis magnilicent library of some ].>,()()() volumes, including a great range of ancient manuscripts in many languages, early

printed books, and literary rarities. lie also gave many documents and autograph letters, paintings hy old masters, other objects of art and Maori relies. To this, in 1012, -Mr. Henry Shaw added a splendid collection very similar in character and especially rich in hooks upon art. On his death in Kngland in ISSo, Mr. J. T. Maekclvie, who had lived in Auckland from ]S(j7 t.) 1572, herpieathed to the city his collection of paintings and art objects, together with a large sum of money in trust for the erection of a gallery and the purchase of further pictures. The city provided a gallery and the endowment fund, under careful management, now yields an income approaching CIOOO a year. A large collection has been built up, and there are means for adding greatly to it in years to come. The generosity of two brothers, the late .Mr. William Keys ami Dr. T. \Y. Leys, and their descendants, has provided the western suburbs with a line library, the Leys Institute. Other kindred gilts ami bequests are those by Dr. .1. K. Klain, of !_'<>-">()() for the establishment of the Klam School of Art; the Town Hall organ, presented by Sir Henry Brett: the collection of Maori paintings by (L Lindauer, presented to the city by Mr. H. K. Partridge; the recent bequest of a magnificent collection of Oriental art to the Museum hy Mr. H S. Darlley: and

the ninny art treasures arid historical relics sent from London l>v the late Mr. .Moss Davis. Seven Auckland public institutions owe much to lier|uests by .Mr. Kdward C'ostley, who died in ISS.'I, leaving {JS.>,OOO to lie divided among them in equal shares. Some, including tho Auckland infirmary and the Sailors' Home, were virtually founded with the money so provided. Another most fruitful benefaction is that of Mr. .lames Dilworth, an early Auckland resident who, in 181 H, left an estate of £IOO,OOO for the maintenance and education of orphans or children of persons of good character in straitened circumstances. The Dilworth School lias a splendid record, and prospects of still greater usefulness. Among the largest public bequests in Auckland's histor.v is that of Mr. David Dingwall, vvli", in 1027, left £ 10.'{,000 for the establishment ami endowment of -an orphanage which has since been erected at Papatoetoe. Another splendid charitable legacy was that of £70,000 made in 1008 by Mrs. Kllen Kiiox. Of this £20,000 was used to establish the Knox Homo for Incurables at Taniaki. The Ale xandra Convalescent Home at Filerslie occupies a property that was presented to the Auckland Hospital Hoard in 1007 by Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Smith. The Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage, I'emuera, owes its existence to ;i legacy ol C.'ioOO by Mr. .lames Leslie in ISSS. A splendid charitable gift was that of Lady Hrett and the other legatees of Sir Henry Brett, who presented Sir Henry's old home and its beautiful grounds at Takapuna to the Anglican Church (or a girls' home. Sir Henry himself lelt nearly £OOOO in charitable and other public bequests. The Wesley Orphanage, Mount Albert, occupies a properly presented by Mrs. M. Caiighey Preston and Mr. A. C. Caughey and enjoys an endowment of over £21,000 left by Mr. William W'mstone. Mr Caughey, in addition to many ot her gil ts ami bequests, presented his home at Mount Albert to the Plunket Society for a Karitaiie Hospital. The late Mr. John Court is remembered particularly for his gilts to the children of Auckland, lie presented the elephant Jainuna to the /mi in order that the little folk might ride upon her back, he also provided play apparatus in Victoria and (Jrev Lynn Parks, paid for many camp holidays for children from tho city areas and left a trust fund of £SOOO for charity. Indirectly connected with the city is the gift by the late Mr. .lames Trounson of 97") acres of magnificent kauri forest in the Kaihu Valley as a permanent reserve. The value of trie property has been estimated at £OO,OOO. No list of piib'if gilts would be complete without mention of the generous spirit that has been shown by the trustees of the Auckland Savings Hank to the community in which their depositors reside. From 100(3 to the present time the bank lias distributed over £ 1 •''»(),000 to various worthy objects, charitable, educational, and cultural. It contributed £">0,000 to the cost of the War Memorial Museum, £IO,OOO each lo Auckland Cniversity College and tho Seddon Memorial Technical College, and has given smaller sums to many other institutions. Through the liberality of individual citizens the City Council has obtained three beautiful public reserves outside its own boundaries. These are Cornvvallis Park, of 1027 acres, given in 1011 by Mr. J. M. MeLachlan; Titirangi Park, of •"■() acres, given in 101.*? by Mr. Henry Atkinson, and Kaitarakihe Park, of 701 acres, the gift of Mr. Wesley Spragg. An amenity enjoyed by thousands every year is the winter garden in the Domain. The first of its two glass-houses was erected from the profits of tho Auckland Exhibition of 19K5-1 1. The second, with the connecting paved court, was provided by Mr. William Klliot and 2X other Auckland residents at a total cost of £9ooo. Among other parks and open spaces given or bequeathed by private individuals are Outhvvaite Park, in Carlton Core I'oad, lelt to the Borough of Newmarket by Miss Isa Oiithwaite; Potter's Park, a fine playing area of seven and a-half acres in Dominion I'oad, presented to the Mount I'.den Borough by Mr K S Potter; Waikovvhai Park of •'!! acres, on the Manukau shore, and an area of bush at the Three Kings, given by the Wesley Training College Trustees for the use of the public; Craigavon Park, of .'!() acres, at Blockhouse Hay, given to Auckland City bv Mrs. M. Caughey Preston. The Selvvyn Domain, Mission Hay, owes its existence to tho public spirit of the Melanesiau Mission Trustees, who interpreted liberally their legal obligation to set aside an area of the Mission Hay Kstate for public reserves. The catalogue of public gifts might be expanded almost indefinitely. To make it even approximately complete would exhaust tho space of several articles. Hut enough has been said to show that Aucklanders really love their city and gladly give of their substance to make it year by year ever a fairer uid happier place.