UNIVERSITY WALK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19255, 20 August 1924, Page 2

UNIVERSITY WALK.

A BEAUTIFUL WAR MEMORIAL. THE WORK NOW STARTED. For many reasons the decision to let the University war memorial take the form of a shaded ornamental walk right round the University buildings is to he regarded as a peculiarly happy one. The improvement itself, apart from its admirable commemorative purpose, is one that is urgently needed. In view of the status that the Otago University holds in this city and province its buildings have a fair claim to be regarded as the most important and imposing in Dunedin. During the last 20 years the University Council has spent tens of thousands of pounds in erecting new and handsome buildings to meet the evergrowing demands on its accommodation; but there has been no corresponding improvement in the surroundings of the institution. These for the most part are the same dilapidated fences and untidy banks that disfigured the University a score of years ago. The carrying through of the plans for the War Memorial Walk will put an end to all this, and give to the University a setting in keeping with its dignity and importance, and that will display to some purpose its striking architectural features.

The Memorial Walk has been so long discussed that all friends and well-wishers of tho University will be glad to learn that the work has now actually been put in hand. The scheme is primarily intended to commemorate the effort of the University of Otago in the Great War, and to perpetuate for all time the answer then given by so many connected with the University to the call to service. It will keep in mind the fact that many of those who wont gave their lives and that many who returned will carry to the end the scars of their honourable service. From the configuration of the blocks in which the University is situated and the intersection of the Leith it is not possible exactly to surround the University buildings, but that general conception will be followed as closely as possible. Tho walk will be bordered witli trees and shrubs, and apart from the actual formation of the path a certain amount of concrete wailing, bridging, fencing, and hand-railing will be necessary. The total length of the walk will lie almost three-quarters of a mile.

IJoginning from the School of Mines, a three or four-foot asphalt path will follow up the bank of the Leith past the front of the main University block of buildings up to the professors’ houses in St. David street. It is "reliable that this part will be planted with Japanese flowering cherlies and native flowering shrubs. It is not desirable to have here trees large enough to screen the buildings from Castle street. It is intended to have at some part of the walk a huge memorial stone, and an appropriate place proposed for this is on the slope in front of the main entrance steps facing the Leith. The City Corporation is at present working out from one of its quarries a great block of stone for this purpose. The path will pass through the bottom of the garden attached to one of the professor’s houses, and on to St. David street, where an entrance gate will be erected just by the bridge. It is in St. David street from the bridge to Leith street and right along Leith street from St. David street to Union street that the work has actually been commenced. Here the corporation employees are busy picking up half the width of the street next the University preparatory to laying it down in grass and planting it with English beeches and other ornamental trees. A new channel and kerbing will be necessary at tho outer edge of the grass. The footpath will remain where it is at present. This part of the work was put in hand only at the beginning of last week, and excellent progress has been made.

The Walk will continue along Leith street on (lie other side of Union street till it meets the Leith again. This part in front of the Home Science School is in A very rough condition at present, and will require to be formed by the corporation shortly. The council, through its officials, has been giving the scheme all possible assistance, and will doubtless have the formation work carried out in conformity with the rest of the plan. The four tennis courts which have occupied all the ground about the Home Science School have left a flve-foot strip between their netting and, the street line, and this in due course will be planted. Probably about this point the footpath may be in the centre of the grass strip, instead of at the side. The walk will continue up the bank of the Leith round the lower lawn tennis courts till it almost meets the Union street bridge again. On the other side of the Leith also a considerable extent of Walk is planned. It is intended to surround with a shaded path the whole of the triangular unused area just by the sharp bend of the river. One path will follow the right bank of the river to the Union street and another will go straight through past the present lawn tennis courts to the Castle street tram loop. Another little path at the back of the houses in Castle street will join these two. Such is a brief outline of the scheme and of the route that the walk will follow. That it will form a very beautiful and appropriate tribute to the memory of the men and women of the University who did so nobly in the Great War can scarcely be questioned, and that it will eventually add greatly to the appearance of an institution in which this community take a peculiar pride is equally certain. So far subscriptions from past students, professors, and friends of the University have been coming in fairly well, and already quite a third of the estimated cost of £ISOO is in hand. There is reason to believe that the expense will lie kept well within the estimate, but it will bo seen that there is ample opportunity yet for those in sympathy with the scheme to have an active share in it.