Auckland Botanic Gardens

About

Auckland Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden in the New Zealand city of Auckland. It is located in the suburb of Manurewa, in the Manurewa Local Board Area. The garden covers 64 hectares (160 acres), and holds more than 10,000 plants. Land for the garden was purchased in 1968, developments started in 1973 and the garden opened to the public in 1982. Since its establishment, the garden has been owned and operated by Auckland Council and its predecessors Auckland Regional Authority and Auckland Regional Council.

The Auckland Botanic Gardens is the site of the former Nathan family estate established in 1910, where David Lawrence Nathan constructed a large summer house at the property, which he referred to as "The Hill". By 1920, the family made the estate their permanent home. In 1923, a fire demolished the homestead, which was replaced with a brick Basque-inspired building in 1925, designed by D. B. Patterson.

During the second world war, two military camps were established at the estate: Top Camp and Grande Vue Camp, both occupied by American marines on rest duty, and later by New Zealand troops. After the end of the war and the sudden death of David Nathan, his wife Simone Nathan decided to move to Israel, and rented the estate. During the construction of the Auckland Southern Motorway, the section of the estate to the west of the new road was subdivided, and became the suburb of Hillpark. The family ran the estate as a farm, until the land was sold to establish the Auckland Botanic Gardens.

Adjacent to the 64 ha (160 acres) gardens is Totara Park, a 216 ha (530 acres) nature reserve managed by the Auckland Council. The park includes areas of regenerating native bush, recreational spaces and farmland.

The first concept for a botanical garden in the Auckland region started in 1926, when members of the Auckland District Horticultural Society suggested such an attraction for Auckland. In October, 1928, a report was forwarded to the then Parks Committee of the City Council with recommendations. This was approved by the committee. The committee recommended to put aside part of the Auckland Domain for the purpose. "Since then, very little further has been done". In 1945, Churchill Park was considered.

In the 1950s many sites were investigated for housing a botanic garden. In 1957 V. J. Chapman, professor of botany at Auckland University College, drew attention to the fact that Auckland, alone among New Zealand's chief cities, had no botanic garden. He pointed out that the city could acquire 80 acres (320,000 m 2 ) of land at the Tamaki property of the university.

In 1960 an ad hoc committee was formed to try to find a suitable site and to secure its development as a botanic garden. In 1963, it became clear that land at Tamaki was not feasible. The search continued. In 1964, an area of land in the Manurewa suburb was examined with positive results.

On 9 February 1968 the Auckland Regional Authority acquired 42 hectares of land from the Nathan Estate in Manurewa, and the Manukau City Council bought the remaining 40 hectares of the estate, since the property was offered as a whole. The land was leased for grazing until 1970. Soil tests were carried out. These proved that the area was most suitable for a botanic garden.

A scientific advisory committee prepared the first master plan for the gardens. This was adopted by Council in March 1972. On 19 February 1973 the then Auckland City Councillor, Tom Pearce, turned the first sod. A nursery was established at the eastern end of the Hill Road frontage.

In 1982 the Auckland Regional Authority bought approximately 20.5 ha from Manukau City and accepted from it a gift of 2.2 ha to give the gardens a northern frontage onto Orams Road.

23 February 1982 the gardens were officially opened by David Bellamy. At that time the facilities included a visitor centre, the courtyard, the carpark and public toilets. The plant collections were confined to the southern parts of the gardens.

In 1983 the Sir John Logan Campbell Lecture Building was erected. In 1986 an entrance at Katote Place was constructed in memory of Mr. Harry Beaumont, a former member of both the Auckland Regional Authority and Manukau City Council, and a strong promoter of the establishment of the gardens. That same year the Unitec Horticultural Classroom and an associated demonstration home garden were opened.

A review of the role and activities of the gardens was undertaken in 1988–89 by a working party.

In the early 1990s a covered courtyard and the Friends Horticultural Reference library were opened. Redevelopment of garden collections were undertaken in the 2000s such as the Heritage Rose Garden, New Zealand Rose Garden and the South African garden. A new significant addition to the garden was the opening of the Threatened Native Plant Garden by the Prime Minister Helen Clark on 29 September 2001. This was followed by another significant development of a new Children's Garden, formally opened by the Prince of Wales on 10 March 2005. On the same year a new Visitor Centre building was constructed and opened.

A biennial sculpture exhibition (Sculpture in the Gardens), showcasing selected large-scale public sculptures, commenced in 2007 running for 3 months over the summer season. Another round of garden redevelopment occurred in the late 2000s with a major revamp of the Edible Gardens into themed rooms and a second stage added to the Children's Garden. From 2010 onwards, a series of low-impact and water treatment/ stormwater design initiatives were added around the garden such as two living roof buildings, vegetated swales, rain gardens and riparian planting around the central lakes.

This location was also used in television series Power Rangers Dino Charge, turned into Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum and later in 2016 changed to Amber Beach Dinosaur Zoo.

In 2024 the Auckland Council spent $12 million on a 1.6ha property bordering the gardens on Hill Road, which was intended to be developed into housing, however is now being developed as an extension to the gardens.

In the first years after the opening in February 1982, visitor numbers were relatively stable at around 100,000 visits per annum. 1988: 143,000. From 1988 to 1994 a rapid increase took place (numbers counted over the season July to June):.

Annual visitation to the gardens reached 969,000 people in 2009/2010 and has increased to around one million people each year ever since.

The first concept for a botanical garden in the Auckland region started in 1926, when members of the Auckland District Horticultural Society suggested such an attraction for Auckland. In October, 1928, a report was forwarded to the then Parks Committee of the City Council with recommendations. This was approved by the committee. The committee recommended to put aside part of the Auckland Domain for the purpose. "Since then, very little further has been done". In 1945, Churchill Park was considered.