Speech
Eden Garden Society
I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language. Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the afternoon (Sign)
I then specifically greet you: John Carden, President of the Eden Garden Society and members of your committee; Karen Lowther, Manager of Eden Gardens; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.
It has been a great pleasure for my wife Susan and I to accept the invitation to attend the opening of the Eden Garden Society’s new visitor’s centre. I have been given the privilege of opening this new facility, but before doing so I would like to speak a little of the general significance of this event.
Susan and I being here today, rests on a number of pillars. First, I join a number of predecessors as Governor-General since the establishment of these gardens in the 1960s in serving as Patron of the Society. It is fortuitous that Susan is an accomplished gardener, lending weight to our support because no one who knows me would attribute a green thumb – except, perhaps, in the respect that as Governor-General for a a little more than four years, I have planted sufficient numbers of trees to make me eligible to apply for carbon credits!
Secondly, in being happy occupants of Government House Auckland, Susan and I are literally neighbours, sharing a common fence line. We personally know a number of your Society supporters and one of your committee members, Gill Coulam, is a friend of many years standing.
The contiguous boundary, however, underscores a third point, and reflects the shared history of the two properties. This site, which was a quarry abandoned in the 1920s, was purchased by the owners of Birchlands (the former name of Government House) Sir Frank and Lady Mappin, to add to their property.
When in 1962 the Mappins offered the House to the Crown for use of the Queen’s Representative, the Government of the day happily accepted the proposal. However, it demurred at the deal including an abandoned quarry in the grounds and what is around us became part of what is now the Department of Conservation’s estate.
The Government’s reluctance about this site was not shared by others. Two years later, a farsighted horticulturalist, Jack Clark, and 15 fellow enthusiasts, took on the task of converting the overgrown wilderness, replete with abandoned truck and car bodies and decades of rubbish, into the world class garden it is today.
That hard work, and countless hours put in by a literal army of volunteers, has created a tranquil oasis only a short drive from the hustle and bustle of the central business district. Aucklanders are fortunate that their region's fertile volcanic soils allow for an abundance of native and exotic flora. They are also fortunate that their city is populated with a number of passionate gardening enthusiasts.
This new visitor’s centre adds a further dimension to the 2.2 hectare site. It brings all of the administration for the garden and society into one site, a reception place for visitors, rooms for education sessions, and a tea room for volunteers.
It is volunteers who make these gardens so special. The garden stands as a testament to their inspiration and hard work. The beautiful trees and flowering shrubs make it one of the treasures of Auckland of which the wider community can be justly proud.
I suspect gardeners have long realised what New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield meant when she said: "Grow things. Plant. Dig up. Garden. I feel with all the force of my being that 'happiness' is in these things."
And on that celebratory note, it gives me great pleasure to declare the Eden Garden Society’s new visitor centre officially open.
Having opened in all the realm languages, I will now close in New Zealand’s first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.