A Fund for the Future of the Wellington Botanic Garden.

Safeguarding one of our city’s most precious ecological treasures.

Begonia House, Wellington Botanic Garden.

It is easy to find a part of yourself in a corner of the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā.

The duck pond plays vivid echoes from our childhood, and memories of cautiously dipping our feet in the antique fountain are instantly conjured when we pass by the Lady Norwood Rose Garden. Our mothers frequented Begonia House and our grandmothers spent long summers picnicking by the Soundshell. While our children play on Glenmore Meadow, our ancestors lie peacefully in the adjacent Bolton Street Cemetery; overlooking the bustling city that came after they left. It is a space that belongs to all of us.

A place for recreation and discovery

The story of the Garden officially began in 1869 with the introduction of the Botanic Garden Act. Its foreword was penned by naturalist, Dr James Hector, who a few years earlier had floated the idea for a public park.

His vision was to convert the 25-hectare site, which straddled the town belt and central city, into a space where the public could engage with flora and fauna; both exotic and endemic, and to create opportunities to acclimatise new plant species. A striking juxtaposition to the Garden we know today, this first chapter included an onsite zoo, which housed monkeys, emus and pheasants before the Wellington Zoo opened in Newtown in 1906.   

More than 150 years on, the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā has established itself as a landmark destination and a must-visit for visitors and locals alike. While the zoo has gone, the recreational, botanical, and ecological focus remains. A member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Garden has taken its place as a world leader in ecological preservation. It is Carbon Zero accredited and has embarked on many projects to support biological ecosystems, manage pests, minimise waste and increase species diversity.  

Overlooking the Soundshell, Wellington Botanic Garden.

Introducing new audiences

The latest chapter of the Garden’s story also saw Management bolstering their recreational and educational offerings; a mechanism to introduce new audiences to its many wonders. Hundreds of primary students tour the Garden each year and staff have stepped up their capacity to deliver compelling educational experiences through the Discovery Garden; their own ‘living classroom’; a 1500 square metre facility, which showcases the many ways that plants sustain human life.     

The Discovery Garden is a good example of how the Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden contributed with funding and volunteer support to make this valuable educational facility a reality for Wellington. Other ways they contribute to the rich tapestry of the gardens includes regular lunchtime lectures, curriculum-based secondary and University guided walks and musical performances in the Begonia House.   

The Friends are an incorporated society and registered charity that has supported the Botanic Garden’s historical, social, educational and scientific endeavours for thirty-one years. They do this by providing funding, volunteer support, advocacy and other complementary activities. These include monthly educational lectures, numerous guided walks for the public and educational sector as well as musical performances. The key objective of the Friends is to support the Garden.   

The Friends have helped shape the Garden as the destination site it is today. We have come a long way since Dr James Hector first put pen to paper. This sustained development is a testament to unwavering backing from Wellingtonians.

Friends President, Mazz Scannell says, “the Friends’ mission is to promote and support the development of the Botanic Garden ki Paekākā, to raise funds and support Garden projects, and to foster public interest in its scientific, educational, cultural, and recreational functions.”

In line with this mission, the Friends made the decision to establish a fund in partnership with Nikau Foundation in 2019. 

Mazz says, “the objective of the Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden Endowment Fund is to create a reliable funding stream through which we can ensure the ongoing development of the Garden. For us, this removes the stress of having to rely on the success of that year’s fundraising or sponsorships. We know the money is there, growing and ready to support the exciting projects we have coming up.”  

These projects, which are set to include sponsorship of an artist in residence and funding innovative scientific research at Victoria University, serve to enhance the Garden, ensuring that this precious Wellington icon continues to grow and flourish long into the future.

Mazz says, “the role of the Friends is not to maintain the Garden. Rather, together with our members and Garden management, we identify and fund opportunities for its development to create an even better public space to pass down to our children.”  

With such projects planned and funds growing to support them, the Friends are safeguarding the future of the Garden; creating a precious heirloom for future generations to inherit, love and cherish. 

To find out more about or to donate to the Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden Fund, click here.