Hamilton Gardens claims Parks Forum Award

The Te Parapara traditional Maori garden at Hamilton City Council-owned Hamilton Gardens has won an Excellence Award at the annual Parks Forum Awards.

The Parks Forum Awards, held this month in Adelaide, celebrate the work of organisations, project teams, managers and individual staff in managing parks and communicating their value to communities.

The Te Parapara garden won a commendation award in the Cultural Excellence category, with judges noting the extensive work which had gone in to capturing and recording the history of local Maori in the region, and the commitment required to make the garden productive.

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker says the award celebrates the success of a team who have created awareness of the city’s history and heritage.

“Hamilton’s Te Parapara garden is a beautiful example of this city celebrating its history, in an interactive and accessible way. The work of those involved is reflected not only in winning this award, but also the legacy that is the iconic Hamilton Gardens.”

Hamilton Gardens Manager Peter Sergel says: “Te Parapara is the first serious attempt to recreate a pre-European Maori garden. This award really recognises the achievement of the late Harry Puke, Wiremu Puke, the Te Parapara Garden Trust and all of their advisors.”

The Te Parapara garden project began in 2003, and was formally opened in two stages – in December 2008 (for the first stage), and late 2010 for the second stage. The garden covers approximately 2500 square metres, and tells the story of the Tainui Waka landing, and the subsequent cultivation of crops by early Maori – including native species, as well as plant and vegetable species they brought with them.