©I newsletter Queen Elizabeth II National Trust No. 25 MARCH 1992 Ceremony at Mount Pirongia jW ount Pirongia was sharply J I outlined across the Waikato T M. skyline on the morning of ratober 31st, 1991 and this was a cause for rejoicing because on that day a ceremony at the Firth forest covenant had been planned. The ceremony was organised to unveil a plaque in memory of the late E B (Ted) Firth. This plaque had been mounted on a large rock placed in a 5.2 hectare bush area which the Firth family had given to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society in 1977. Ted Firth was a well known figure in the north of the North Island for much of his life. Not only was he the founding member of Firth Concrete, which he with his brother Tony built into a sizeable empire, but he was also a very keen flier of Tiger Moth aircraft. Later he became a flying instructor in the war years during which he became a Squadron Leader. In the twenties he touched the limelight when he “buzzed” the sunbathers on Gwen Firth and Sir Peter Elworthy ~ Ilford Beach in Auckland making next to the plaque. wspaper headlines which lasted for Ieveral days. affect the Mount Pirongia forest. His In the mid-1950s Ted Firth purchased intention was to have as much of this bush and farmland around Mount bush as possible added back to the Mount Pirongia. The main reason for his Pirongia Forest Park. purchase was to stop the then current Ted Firth purchased a total of 140 logging which he knew would eventually hectares which caused immediate halting IN THIS ISSUE New Trust Manager 4 The Kiwi Outback 14 Friends of Hollard Gardens 5 Rhododendron Festival 17 Board Changes 6 Old Man’s Beard 18 2 QEE NATIONAL TRUST NEWSLETTER of the logging. The bush was eventually of Forest and Bird, Dr Philip Hart, spoke added back into the park. In this respect about the history of the Firth bush, he was a man before his time because outlining when it was gifted and during the fifties and sixties the emphasising the importance of the Government was actively pursuing subsequent Trust covenant which linked policies of agricultural development. In the Forest and Bird block with the those days there was no real conservation mountain, so safeguarding that valuable voice in New Zealand. corridor of bush. Looking around at that Because there was no organisation like moment and seeing New Zealand pigeon, the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust to shining cuckoo, grey warbler, kingfisher covenant the other remnants of Firth and tui in the trees behind us, we bush in the farmland areas, Ted Firth appreciated that point. Dr Hart also said donated his prime area of roadside tawa the relationship between the Society ancL and podocarp forest to the Royal Forest the National Trust is becoming stronge^® and Bird Protection Society. It is in this National Trust Chairman, Sir Peter bush that the plaque commemorating him Elworthy followed, summarising the has now been placed. reasons for our gathering together on the In 1985 Mrs Gwen Firth, Ted’s widow, mountain at that moment. covenanted a further 16 hectares of bush “Ted Firth was a man of great wisdom, which has effectively linked the Forest foresight and courage who also made a and Bird area with the Mount Pirongia huge contribution in general bequests to Park. the National Trust and to other The unveiling ceremony was planned conservation areas around New Zealand”, by Forest and Bird together with the he said. Trust to mark the work done by the Firth Sir Peter went on to explain how family, and also the E B Firth Trust (that although we all came from different has made generous donations to the directions our goals and aspirations for National Trust). forest protection were the same. He About 125 people from both expressed the Trust’s appreciation to the organisations and the Firth family Firth family for their generosity and assembled at the end of Waites Road, Te support of Trust and Forest and Bird Pahu. Twenty five children from the Te activities. Pahu School also attended; this school is Sir Peter and Gwen Firth then unveiled part of the National Trust School the plaque and planted two matai trees to Covenant Project with an interest in all commemorate the event. To finish the the covenanted bush areas in the district. ceremonial events, a book, Birds of New The first speaker was Alan Livingston, Zealand - Locality Guide, was presented Chairman of the Te Pahu Board of Mrs Firth. Trustees and a Trust covenantor. He A substantial afternoon tea which welcomed the visitors to the district and included a sausage sizzle and billy tea expressed the district’s gratitude to Ted provided by Arthur and Pat Cowan with Firth for his efforts in enlarging the size the assistance of Roy Dench, followed. of Mount Pirongia Park. Later most of the guests walked up the The Mayor of Waipa District Council, nearby airstrip and wandered into the Bruce Berquist, acknowledged the work bush and into Pirongia Park. On this done by the National Trust in the old exceptional day the views over the whole Waipa County and mentioned the very of the Waikato from the top of the airstrip good relations which the Council and the were magnificent. Trust have always enjoyed. Mr Berquist The day concluded with Sir Peter being gave an assurance that the Council is flown back from the nearby airstrip to committed to continuing support for Waikato Airport by Robert Folkerts, the protection of the natural landscape. lessee of the bush areas of the Firth The Chairman of the Waikato Branch property. In the process he gave Sir Peter QEII NATIONAL TRUST NEWSLETTER 3 a flight around the mountain and over highlighted how conservation was now much of the Waikato including one of the appreciated by so many, including an up prize covenants, Lake Maratoto, which lies and coming generation of school children. near the airport. We are all grateful to the Firth family This warm and friendly occasion, for their enthusiasm for the day, and for where Trust covenantors and Forest and letting us enjoy the fruits of what they Bird members mixed congenially, was the had achieved on Mount Pirongia. highlight of 1991 for the Trust in the Waikato. It showed that conservation of the land was not only rewarding but it Stuart Chambers could be an enjoyable business as well. It Waikato - Regional Representative Euan McQueen Retires uan McQueen retired as General Manager of the National Trust in E December 1991. He came to the Trust in July 1988 after a varied career including university teaching, and nine years as Assistant General Manager of the Railways Corporation. During his time as General Manager, the Trust, as was the case with all publicly funded agencies, experienced financial constraints. At the same time the Trust had reached an age and stage where its management and accountability had to be reviewed; a computer based Euan McQueen. information system was introduced and other changes were made with the aim of contact with landholders, both those with developing the already well established open space covenants on their properties ^ost-effectiveness of the Trust to match and prospective covenantors, as well as a «kie limited funding available. range of organisations in Wellington and Euan took a particular interest in the elsewhere that needed to be more aware two Trust garden properties, Tupare and of the work of the Trust. “I leave the Hollard Gardens. The Advisory Trust with some sadness”, he said. “I Committee structure was reformed, and doubt that I have ever worked with a clear management guidelines set for the group of people with such commitment to future. In 1990 he helped foster the the cause as is the case with the Trust establishment of the successful ‘Friends of Directors and staff, especially the Regional Hollard Gardens Trust’ with the aim of Representatives and Garden staff who involving local people in the Gardens and beaver away on their own and produce their development. such great results.” One of Euan’s strong interests was to Euan leaves the Trust with the best establish and maintain contact with a wishes of the Directors and Staff for a wide range of individuals and varied and rewarding retirement and organisations “spreading the word” of the thanks for his contribution to the work of work of the National Trust. This included the Trust. 4 QEII NATIONAL TRUST NEWSLETTER New Trust Manager Announced Tim joined the Trust in 1987 as Landscape Architect after 3 years with the Department of Lands and Survey and later became Project Manager with responsibility for implementing the Trust’s computer-based information system. He has been Acting General Manager since Euan McQueen’s departure. ' _ Announcing the appointment, Sir Peter Elworthy said: “The Board met on Thursday 13 February and accepted a recommendation from their selection committee not to appoint a manager from outside the National Trust. The Board concluded, after interviewing applicants, that the management of the Trust should be handled by a Trust Tim Porteous. Manager and that fund raising should be concentrated on as a separate t the February Board meeting the activity. National Trust Chairman, Sir The Board decisions reflect confidence A Peter Elworthy, announced the by the Board in the ability of Tim appointment of Tim Porteous as the new Porteous as Trust Manager, and of the Trust Manager. current staff, Wellington based and Tim has a B.A. in Geography, a regional, to handle the Trust’s activities.