Craigieburn – Celebrating a Conservation Legacy

The Dunedin Amenities Society and City Council will be holding an open day at the Craigieburn Reserve on Saturday 10 December 2011 beginning at 10:00 am. The day will mark the official opening of the newly developed historical interpretative trail developed by the Society for the reserve. It will also be an opportunity for the community to see the archaeological conservation undertaken on some of the early colonial structures that remain on site. Mayor Dave Cull will officially open the site in a short ceremony and visitors will have the opportunity to explore further.
The Craigieburn property was purchased jointly by the Dunedin Amenities Society and the Dunedin City Council in 1950 from the Sherriff family who had farmed the area since the early 1860’s. Descendants of the Sherriff, Rankin and Tanner families placed their own personal protection on the mature Rimu and other native trees growing on the site in the 1880’s. Such protection by settlers was very rare in colonial New Zealand and by doing so the family created an important conservation legacy for the city. There are now 52 mature rimu on the site that range in age from 250-550 years old and they make a very significant contribution to the city’s biodiversity and landscape.
The Dunedin Amenities Society hopes people will come and see and enjoy one of Dunedin’s historical and environmental gems. The reserve has now been linked by new walking track to Ross Creek and includes an interpretative walkway that gives the historical background to the site. The completion of these stages of the project has created permanent public access to the area and allows people to enjoy the commanding views of Ross Creek, Leith Valley and the remaining city area. Information and directions to the site are available from the Dunedin City Council’s events calendar and the Society’s website