John Logan Campbell died on this day in
1912. Who the heck was he, I can hear
you wondering. He was a prominent
businessman and politician in New Zealand.
He came to NZ in 1840 from Scotland.
He is most remembered for his magnificent gift to the people of Auckland
– Cornwall Park. He is buried on the
summit of One Tree Hill which is in Cornwall Park.
You
may wonder why you can't see a tree on top of One Tree Hill. An activist attacked it in 2000 and the tree
had to be removed. Discussions are
ongoing about what sort of tree should replace it. At the rate things are going that might be
resolved in the next decade or so.
So why not replace the tree with the same species that was growing there before?
ReplyDeleteWell, now that's quite a story. The original tree was not a native - and the local iwi (Maori tribes) have yet to agree which native should be planted. They are waiting to get the result of their land claims under the Treaty of Waitangi. The Council has been growing a bunch of different trees of different types at secret locations so that it is ready to pop the agreed type of tree up there. Thanks for your comment
DeleteYou're welcome.There! I've learned something new and unexpected.
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