Happy 150th birthday to Christchurch Botanic Gardens!

8 July 2013

Happy 150th birthday to Christchurch Botanic Gardens!

Christchurch Botanic Gardens tomorrow celebrates 150 years of flourishing in the heart of the Garden City.

Events to mark tomorrow’s anniversary include a ceremonial tree planting, an announcement of photo competition winners and the creation of a time capsule.

Mayor Bob Parker says from a solitary oak planted on 9 July 1863, the Gardens have grown to feature one of the finest collections of exotic and native plants in New Zealand and attract more than 1 million visitors a year.

“Through the ups and downs of the last 150 years, the Gardens have remained a jewel in the centre of Christchurch, a permanent monument to the beauty of the natural world and a symbol of growth and renewal.”

A ceremonial tree planting on Armstrong Lawn (near the Peacock fountain) at 4pm on Tuesday acknowledges the importance of the Gardens to Christchurch over the last 150 years and members of the public are warmly invited to attend.

A Ngāi Tūāhuriri kaumatua, young Gardens apprentices and a year five Enviroschool pupil, Nfagie Yansaneh from Wharenui School, will be involved in the planting. This reflects the role of Ngāi Tūāhuriri as the Māori tribal authority (manawhenua) with guardianship (kaitiakitanga) over this part of the city and the importance of the next generation for the Gardens’ future.

Hundreds of budding and seasoned photographers are waiting for the results of the Botanic Gardens 150th photo competition. Prize judges Mayoress Jo Nicholls-Parker and Press Illustrations Editor Richard Cosgrove have chosen from a short-list of the 743 photos entered and the results will be announced at an event on Tuesday evening.

The competition was launched in July last year so photographers have had all four seasons to capture the splendour of this beautiful public space.

“Generations of Christchurch families have spent time in the Gardens over the last 150 years and taken a photo to capture a special moment in time or the beauty that surrounds them. The great response to this competition reflects our community’s fondness for the Gardens,” says Mayor Bob Parker.

A time capsule being buried in a secret spot in the Gardens for the next 150 years will contain a “bank of memories”. Newstalk ZB listeners have been suggesting items to include and 10 competition winners will attend the event and fill the capsule.

ENDS

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