HAMILTON GARDENS NEW ZEALAND

Proposed Renaissance Jetty Creating a WORLD CLASS GARDEN

Hamilton Gardens Development Project 2015 - 2018 FORTY YEARS AGO HAMILTON GARDENS WAS A BLEAK LANDSCAPE. IT WAS THE SITE OF A FORMER VICTORIAN RIFLE RANGE AND DOG DOSING STATION AND WAS COVERED IN BLACKBERRIES WITH SEAGULLS CIRCLING ABOVE. IT WAS THE CITY’S RUBBISH DUMP.

However, in 1980 an ambitious plan to transform the land into a world- class garden was approved. It was decided that Hamilton Gardens would not become a botanical park, instead its concept acknowledges there is a story to tell about gardens, their development over time and across cultures, and their use.

Old fashioned botanic gardens, museums and galleries have generally focused on displaying collections. However Hamilton Gardens is more like a modern museum where artefacts or plants are used to tell a story and engage the visitor.

With minimal budgets, volunteers and community groups have dedicated thousands of hours and resources to transform the barren 54 hectare site into a free public park. Today, Hamilton Gardens has five garden collections with 21 themed gardens.

Hamilton Gardens’ concept is internationally unique and it has a growing international reputation. In October 2014 the Gardens was awarded International Garden of the Year by the International Tourism Council.

IT IS OUR VISION TO CREATE AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED WORLD CLASS GARDEN. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. Waikato’s most visited tourist destination

Award winning garden

Free access public park

Loved by Hamiltonians

Focal point for community

Approximately one million visitors each year

E AG WHO VISITS <20 60+ 8% HAMILTON GARDENS 21% 20-29 18% 50-59 E FROM 11% ER H 30-49 W20% 42% Internationals 50% 30% Hamiltonians Out of town 57% 43% NZ visitors FEMALES MALES

Japanese Garden of Contemplation The PARADISE GARDEN The CULTIVAR GARDEN COLLECTION OUR GARDENS COLLECTION illustrates the includes displays that contain plant gardener’s desire to create collections demonstrating the story Hamilton Gardens has five paradise on Earth. The English of plants that have been bred for the garden collections, each word ‘paradise’ derives from the garden. including several themed Old Persian ‘pairidaeza’, meaning • Rogers Rose Garden simply ‘enclosed garden’. gardens. • Rhododendron Lawn • Chinese Scholar’s Garden • Hammond Camellia Garden • Japanese Garden of Contemplation • Victorian Flower Garden • English Flower Garden

• Modernist Garden The FANTASY GARDEN COLLECTION • Italian Renaissance Garden illustrates the use of fantasy and • Indian Char Bagh Garden imagination in garden design, and the use of garden design to

stimulate fantasy and imagination in The LANDSCAPE GARDEN visitors. COLLECTION focuses on landscape • Chinoiserie Garden Indian Char Bagh Garden garden traditions that have been inspired by different philosophical • Tropical Garden perspectives throughout history. • Tudor Garden Landscapes as artefacts contain a richness of expression and a subtlety, which can illuminate our PROPOSED: relationship with the natural world. MANSFIELD GARDEN, • Bussaco Woodland SURREALIST GARDEN, • Park Cemetery PICTURESQUE • Echo Bank Bush GARDEN AND • Valley Walk Bussaco Woodland • Hillside Lawn CONCEPT GARDEN

The PRODUCTIVE GARDEN COLLECTION is a group of gardens that illustrate the relationship between people and productive plants. They demonstrate that the process of gardening can be understood from the perspective of nature as well as of culture. • Te Parapara Maaori Garden Tropical Garden • Herb Garden • Kitchen Garden • Sustainable Backyard

Tudor Garden Te Parapara Destination Playground

Maze Court

Mansfield Garden Lawn Court Surrealist Garden Information Centre Picturesque Garden Concept Garden Tarot Court Renaissance Jetty

HERE IS OUR PROJECT “Hamilton & Waikato Tourism is responsible for the marketing and OUR VISION IS TO CREATE AN promotion of the region to international and domestic visitors INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED WORLD and fully supports Hamilton City’s CLASS GARDEN. application for funding for completion of the Gardens. This is the single The proposed development includes four themed gardens and most transformational opportunity associated infrastructure: for the city, where the community’s Mansfield Garden Tarot, Lawn & Maze Courts most loved asset can finally realise Surrealist Garden Destination Playground its full potential and provide an

Concept Garden Information Centre extention enduring legacy for the community, be enjoyed by visitors far and wide, Picturesque Garden Car park extention and deliver positive economic and Renaissance Jetty social benefits in return.”

Sponsorship and Funding Plan for Hamilton Gardens Hamilton & Waikato Tourism Chief Executive Kiri Goulter

Funding applications 31% 57% Commercial sponsorship Community fundraising and THIS IS A $7.033 12% targeted rates MILLION PROJECT

CONCEPT GARDEN

A significant new movement in garden design appears to be the conceptual gardens which have effectively become an extension of conceptual art. Not necessarily practical or beautiful but making a statement or a message that the viewer must decipher. Like most well known examples this garden will refer to the landscape in which it sits with the theme of an old whakatauki subtitle - “He peke tangata, apa he peke titoki” (The human family lives on while the branch of a titoki falls and decays).

MANSFIELD GARDEN

It is proposed to recreate the early 20th Century NZ Garden described in Katherine Mansfield’s famous short story ‘The Garden Party’. Elements included from her description will be recreated such as the tent on the tennis court in front of a karaka hedge, the lily pond and the long tables covered in crisp white table cloths with 15 kinds of sandwich and cream puffs. The garden will include the frontage of a late 19th century villa and planting that was popular at that time.

SURREALIST GARDEN

This will include many conventional garden features, however everything will be five times the normal size. The large lawn of this garden will also be suitable for concerts and special events. However what will really set this garden apart are the giant topiary figures that have become known as the ‘Trons’. These mysterious, surrealist figures will range in height from five to nine metres and occasionally, just out of the corner of your eye, you might even see them move. The oversized flowers may even talk to you.

PICTURESQUE GARDEN

The popular 18th Century picturesque garden movement was inspired by painting and a new appreciation for wild romantic landscapes. While these gardens usually respected the site and local flora, they often introduced an artificial site history such as Arcadian ruins and hermit’s caves set in a natural landscape. The garden will border the Waikato River providing visitors with occasional views down to the river. ASSOCIATED INFRASTRUCTURE

The number of people visiting Hamilton Gardens is growing steadily. With anticipated growth in the number of visitors and vehicles, resulting from the new gardens, we need infrastructure to meet this demand. We will create the following infrastructure to support our planned gardens:

Upgrade the Information Centre to enable increased retail offering, and improve visitor engagement, increased sales and promote regional and local attractions. Tarot Court Extension of the Turtle Lake car park to accommodate existing demand and cater for anticipated higher numbers of visitors staying longer and provide additional space for tour buses. The installation of security cameras to improve the safety of people and the city's assets. Information Centre pic to come A destination playground – with a focus on high quality, imaginative, sustainable and accessible play spaces with a theme reflecting the gardens. A Jetty below the Italian Garden Renaissance Pavilion improving access to the heart of the gardens from the river to an adjoining jetty in the central city. The privately run Waikato River Explorer already provides a river experience but Lawn Court industry sources advise these two jetties could become game changers.

Hamilton Gardens has been created around a spider network of paths and courtyards. Visitors explore the Gardens along meandering paths that deliver mysterious surprises at every turn.

This “spider” circulation system brings visitors back to a central area before they explore another garden. Three more central courts are proposed to separate the individual gardens, with between four and six gardens leading off them (including existing gardens). The three proposed courts include the Tarot Court, Lawn Court and Maze Court. Maze Court

Proposed Renaissance Jetty HOW THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED Partnership between local government, central government and the community

Hamilton Gardens has a long history of successful partnership funding. All existing 21 gardens have been developed based on a shared funding model of general rates, sponsorship and community fundraising.

Hamilton City Council will lead the project and contribute $2.4 million via a specific targeted rate

Support from the local members of parliament (MPs) and we seek further support from central and local government

Community support via funds raised from philanthropic funding organisations, donations from individuals and sponsorship from businesses.

WHAT IT WILL ACHIEVE “Tourism New Zealand Become a ‘must-see’ visitor destination and an internationally recognises the profile-raising significant tourist destination for New Zealand potential that comes with Increase economic benefit to the city’s economy of $14.5 million Hamilton Gardens being voted per annum (current estimate $8.9 million). Contribute to Waikato’s top of its field internationally. one billion dollar tourism industry The recent “International Visitors are attracted to Hamilton and encouraged to stay longer Garden of the Year 2014” title, within Hamilton and the wider region won at the International Garden Employment of local contractors and workers in a significant Tourism Awards in France helps community development project, contributing to the economic to promote the attraction and benefits of the local economy region. In addition, we're The positive image and reputation of Hamilton is enhanced pleased to learn that Hamilton nationally and internationally Gardens is ambitious for future Increase the quality of life of Hamilton residents through more growth supported by its product recreational, social and cultural opportunities; included space for community activities and events development programme.”

Additional educational and resources for children and families Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Connection with the Waikato River is increased and support for the Kevin Bowler Hamilton City Council’s River Plan (a 30 year vision for transformation of the Hamilton section of Waikato River). PROJECT GOVERNANCE GROUP PROJECT TEAM

Her Worship Mayor Julie Hardaker. Dr Peter Sergel: Director of Julie Hardaker has been the Mayor Hamilton Gardens. Project Lead for of Hamilton since 2010. She was the Hamilton Gardens Project. previously a partner in the Hamilton Dr Peter Sergel is a qualified law firm McCaw Lewis Chapman. landscape architect who developed Mayor Hardaker is a certified a unique concept for the Hamilton commissioner under the Resource Gardens site in 1979. He has Manager Act and has held many subsequently designed each garden board positions. She has a keen and still oversees all design detail.. interest in history, art and the Since 1995 Peter Sergel has been environment. the Director of Hamilton Gardens overseeing all aspects of the park’s management and development and is project lead for the Hamilton Gardens Development Project.

Councillor Margaret Forsyth. Lucy Anastasiadou-Hobbs: Margaret Forsyth has been a Community Group, External Councillor for Hamilton East since Funding Manager. 2010. Margaret is a current Lucy worked at Auckland City assistant coach for Kia Magic Council, moved to Hamilton where netball team and a former Silver she worked at Netball Waikato, Fern. As the Chair of the External Swimming Waikato as the Funding Subcommittee, Margaret’s Executive Officer, held contracts role with Hamilton Gardens with her own sponsorship and Development Plan is to monitor marketing business (Triowins). and approve the funding and Lucy’s role in this project is to sponsorship plan of this project. implement the sponsorship and funding plan and ensure that the targets are met to complete all stages of the project.

John Dobson: Executive Director Helen Paki: Community Group PWC and Chairman Hamilton Business Manager and Project Gardens Development Trust Inc. Coordinator for the Hamilton John Dobson is an Executive Gardens Project. Helen has Director in the Hamilton office of successfully managed and PWC having retired as a partner supported a wide range of projects after 33 years in December 2013. in the areas of Change He has many years experience as Management, Community and a Trusted Business Advisor to a youth initiatives and events, number or significant clients and Long-Term and Annual Planning; leads the Hamilton Corporate Asset Management, Structure Plan Finance Practice with implementation and business and responsibility for corporate finance financial projects within the services to the New Zealand wide Community Group including private client practice. John is management of over $45m annual Chairman of the Hamilton Gardens budget. Helen’s role in this project Development Trust Inc. is to provide on-going support to ensure effective fundraising; community engagement and completion of the overall development project, within timeframe and scope.

Lance Vervoort: Hamilton City Amanda Graham: Business Council General Manager Development Manager of Hamilton Community. Lance has Gardens. Amanda is the considerable experience in leading responsible for events and key community infrastructure sponsorship recognition for the projects such as the acquisition Hamilton Gardens Project. Prior to and development of 5 of Auckland's this Amanda was Managing wonderful regional parks and the Director of a professional award winning Visitor Centre at the conference organising company for Auckland Botanic Gardens. 18 years, organising events throughout New Zealand. During her career Amanda successfully delivered a wide variety of events including raising sponsorship, delivering the promise and managing the on-going sponsorship relationship. “The concept is, by far, the most exciting I have seen in my twenty year career as a researcher in the field of garden tourism. Hamilton could join the ranks of the five international destination gardens... this is because the vision, as stated, is indeed unique in the world and visually spectacular.”

Central Connecticut State University World authority on Garden Tourism Professor Richard Benfield

Japanese Garden of Contemplation

Italian Renaissance Garden “Waikato-Tainui supports Hamilton City Council’s application for funding to WE NEED further develop the Hamilton Gardens as this would promote our ultimate goal and vision of enhancing our environment. The YOUR Hamilton City Gardens provide an enriched environment that enhances the SUPPORT city and gives the community and visitors a place to enjoy.”

Waikato-Tainui Chief Executive Parekawhia McLean

www.hamiltongardens.co.nz [email protected] Hungerford Crescent Cobham Drive (SH1) Hamilton INSPIRATION TRANSFORMATION