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Auckland is getting a new regional park with one of the largest collections of kauri trees in the country.
The $10 million gift from Rosemary Platt, widow of renowned nurseryman Graeme Platt, includes more than five hectares of land in Greenhithe.
The council will work with local iwi to develop the site, which includes a forest grown from the seed of Tāne Mahuta.
Auckland is getting a new regional park with one of the country’s largest collections of kauri trees after a $10 million gift from an influential family.
More than five and a half hectares of land in Greenhithe, on the city’s North Shore, also a sanctuary for other rare tree specimens, will be protected as a regional park in perpetuity, Auckland Council said.
The Kyle Rd site has a forest grown from the seed of Tāne Mahuta, New Zealand’s largest living tree, and is also home to a genetic replica of the famous kauri.
It has been gifted to the people of Auckland by philanthropist Rosemary Platt, the widow of renowned nurseryman Graeme Platt.
Auckland gets new regional park at 81 Kyle Rd, Greenhithe, a $10 million gift from Rosemary Platt, widow of nurseryman Graeme Platt. Photo / Auckland Council
He is credited with convincing generations of gardeners to plant natives and was a supplier for the Auckland Botanic Gardens.
Mayor Wayne Brown said he was “delighted to be able to accept this impressive ... property on behalf of Aucklanders”.
Brown said: “This is an overwhelmingly remarkable gift to the city. We will honour accordingly the vision and meticulous work Mrs Platt and Mr Platt have put into it since they bought it back in 1983.”
Rosemary Platt said her late husband would be “thrilled that his passion for ancient trees ... will be enjoyed by our community as they stroll amongst these and appreciate their rich history”.
Auckland gets new regional park at 81 Kyle Rd, Greenhithe, a $10 million gift from Rosemary Platt, widow of nurseryman Graeme Platt. Photo / Auckland Council
The land has a series of open spaces connected together around a pond. It also has a three-bedroom home and a workshed. Both are made from exotic timbers and have heritage bricks salvaged from His Majesty’s Theatre on Queen St.
The site will be developed in line with the Auckland Botanic Gardens Management Plan, with carparking, signage and toilets needed before it can open to the public at an unspecified time.
The council will work with local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki and Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei on the project. Both iwi have historical connections to the area, with Tauhinu Pā once standing nearby overlooking Oruamo, Hellyers Creek.
The Platts' connection to the area began when they opened Platts Native Plant Nursery in Albany in 1974. It quickly became the most popular supplier of quality native plants, Auckland Council said.
Graeme Platt sourced a selection of speciality trees from countries once part of ancient continent Gondwana. It now has more than 1000 mature trees from New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands and South America.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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