PROGRESS AT NAUMAI PARK

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1926, Page 2

PROGRESS AT NAUMAI PARK

PLANTING OF NATIVE SHRUBS. WORK OF PARK COMMITTEE. Naumai Park, the latest addition to Hawera’s reserves, is presenting a very interesting appearance at present, and promises to be a very pretty spot in the near future, tvhen the many native trees and shrubs have grown a little more. From the road the view is very deceiving, since the prettiest part of the reserve is situated at the rear portion of the park. A walk through the reserve, however, shows hosts of native plants, which would otherwise pass unnoticed. Many of the plants are yet young, but in time they should present a pleasing sight, judging by the way they are growing and the general lay-out of the park will further add to the interest of the visitor. In March last, as the result of representations made to the Hawera Borough Council, a committee consisting of Messrs L. A. Taylor, G. Watts, C. M. Haggett and E. Garnett was given the management of the park for three years with power to make any improvements they should consider necessary. Already the committee has accomplished much good work. Two seats have been donated to the park, one by the New Zealand Clothing Company and the other by George Syme and Co., while the two gates which were recently erected were donated by the Egmont Box Co. The total area of the park is 3J acres and several long winding paths run the length of the reserve, along the edge of a pond for the greater distance. On either side of the paths all kinds of native shrubs and trees have been planted, some of them fairly high while others are very young. Some portions of the reserve were planted with muricata only a week ago to provide shelter, and these are all doing very well. Amongst other native shrubs arc mountain paims, taupata shrubs, kowhais, several members of the coprosnia family, native birches, veronicas, korOmikos, New Zealand mustard trees (horopito), limits, rangioras, lancewood, ngaio shrubs, about 300 cabbage trees and hosts of others. A special bank is devoted to ferns of the small variety, along the lakeside many stately mamakus, brought from Whakamara, are doing splendidly. There is also a large silver fern whose fronds extended to a radius of fully ten feet when it was brought from the bush. Altogether 60 mamakus and ferns of the larger varieties have been put in and not one has died. The committee also intend erecting a fern-house shortly, and for this purpose a suitable site has already been excavated. A donation of 50 trout was made to the committee by the Hawera Acclimatisation Societv some time ago, and these are doing well. There are also two Muscovy ducks secured from New Plymouth and five Canadian geese, tw-o of which were donated by Mr. C. Goodson, on the lakes. The committee has undertaken a very big task in setting out to plant the ■reserve with native trees and to trans-, form what was previously a bare and ugly hillside into a park, but already the results of their labours are to be seen on every hand and before very long Naumai Park will no doubt be a favourite resort of the public. FOSTERING SCOTTISH DANCING. During the past winter there has been a great revival in Scottish dancing in South Taranaki. This is due primarily to the work of Mr. N. Hannah, who has organised dancing classes and given lessons once a week during the winter months without personal remuneration. “I consider there’s not a more classical dance in the world than the oldtime Scottish dance,” said Mr. Hannah in conversation with a News representative yesterday. “There is absolutely nothing that anyone can take exception to.” The dancing classes have been held in the A. and P. buildings and as many as 40 persons have been present on occasions, but on an average about 30 have attended the classes. The last Scottish dance held in the Savoy last week marked the end of the season and the programme was composed of old-time dances and Scottish songs. Mr. Hannah has been asked to conduct a class again next season, and there are prospects of an even larger attendance next year, many dance-lovers from Okaiawa, Eltham and the intermediate districts having intimated their intention of attending. A UNIQUE RECORD During the 18 years that Mrs. Harvey has been in Hawera and has interested herself in maternity nursing she has had no less than 1313 babies born at her home. This in itself is a wonderful record, and a member of the Department of Health has stated that it constitutes a record for New Zealand. Added to this, how’ever, is the interesting fact that Mrs. Harvey lias not been in High ■Street for ten years, while during the last four years she has not been outside her gate. Interviewed by a News representative yesterday Nurse Harvey gave some interesting sidelights on maternity nursing. Before coming to New Zealand, she said, she had worked amongst the slums of London. She instanced cases where there were no baths in the houses and she had to wash babies in frying pans. In Manchester, Nurse Harvey was a district nurse under the scheme promoted by a society of ladies in 1883. She said that frequently the society lent articles of apparel and necessaries to the poor and needy during illness and in m..ny cases the patients took the articles and pawned them until all such articles lent were branded by the society. The nurses visited the various homes and attended during sickness and, as an instance of the strict discipline, Nurse Harvey stated that the nurses were not allowed to sit down or even have a drink of water while on duty. “I have nursed all sorts of babies, in England and Germany, on the Continent and finally in New Zealand,” Said the nurse, “and even on the boat coming OUtd’;. .;<■!;. • ■ .