BLANDFORD PARK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22058, 14 March 1935, Page 15

BLANDFORD PARK

Sir, —Could any reader inform me exactly how and wljv Blandford Park came to be in existence? Surely this area, with its ramshackle and unpainted buildings and its-unsightly iron fence, nuist be the ugliest sportj ground in New Zealand. It is remarkable that the civic taste of Auckland has permitted this eyesore to remain without any effort toward improvement, apart from the original mistake of allowing it to have been carved from the bush of Grafton Gully and to despoil a desirable residential area. The Parks Committee of the City Council, the Town-planning Institute, and those interested in beautifying work must bo aware of the disgraceful condition of this property. If it is nonpaying, and its users have not the finances to make the place presentable, then there is all the more reason for action on the part of the civic authorities. If the property is leased, there is still no excuse for the lack of supervision which permitted the holders to erect something of the sheerest ugliness. It would be interesting to see how far such a project would be advanced to-day, when, fortunately, there is a more enlightened public spirit! Now, when the provision of suitable approaches to the Domain is important, the disgraceful state of this park should be considered. That is why the public should learn something of the history of this shocking area, and what is proposed for its future. Olosenga.