Chairman’s Report YE/June 2023

This past 12 months has been relatively quiet. In fact, the 2020 Covid outbreak, and subsequent disruption, has been felt over an extended period. In hindsight, it is clear that it is only this year that things are returning to something that passes as normal. Nevertheless, some progress has been made.

Shakespeare

Thank you, Karen Craig and Isham Redford, for organising, producing, and directing a great Shakespeare play, “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, in the amphitheatre, the “Basin in the Bason”, during the last week in February 2023. The show was well directed and attended and demonstrated, yet again, what a wonderful venue the gardens are for events such as this, extending the attraction of the gardens to a wider audience.

Lakeside Trail

The summer play was followed, on April 29th, by the official opening of the Lakeside Trail which now runs right around the lake adjacent to “Picnic Flat”. The final section, opened by Acting Mayor Helen Craig, runs from the Japanese Tea House, up the hill beside the road and veers left into the trees at the top, leading to a lookout over the lake and down the hill through the trees to the weir. The lookout sports two works by local artist Ivan Vostinar; a contoured seat, and a 5+-metre-tall sculpture “How I Relate with Nature”. Local kaumatua, John Mahi, and entourage, blessed these beautiful works to a sizable and  enthusiastic gathering. John offered us his own take on the sculpture, giving it the name “Wahakore Tika”, which alludes to something from outer space! That certainly has resonance.

The completion of the trail sculpture (well visible from Picnic Flat) has provided incentive to visitors to explore the gardens further and resulted in much positive comment. It has clearly enhanced the value of the gardens in the public eye. Our thanks to Ivan and Loaders Whanganui for a great job.

Website and Facebook Pages

The website, which Lidy Schouw has created from scratch, came live in November 2022. This represents an enormous, and ongoing, piece of work with a blog facility, plant database, interactive maps, various galleries and more. Visitors now have the ability to take a virtual tour through our unique garden areas, view sculptures and become “Friends of the Bason”. And all searchable!!

Thank you so much Lidy. This is a work of art too.

New Bore

It was great to see the council provision of a new bore this year. Water supply and quality has always been an issue, so it was great to see the WDC instal a new bore, which has remedied both deficiencies. While the new, increased pressure has necessitated some reticulation upgrades, water security and quality are now both improved and will allow better management of the plants and gardens generally.

Thank you, Whanganui District Council, for funding the maintenance of this valuable community asset, and recognising the contribution that the Bason Botanic Gardens makes to the wellbeing of the community. And thank you Wendy Bainbridge, for all the planning and work that goes into delivering it
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Donations

The Bason Botanic Gardens continue to benefit from the kindness and generosity of our local community, through donations of both cash and kind. These include individual contributions, bequests, community trusts, corporate and charitable associations. Without this invaluable community support, the considerable and ongoing development of the gardens could not have been sustained.

The BBGT wishes to acknowledge the huge contribution of all of you, our sponsors. Thank you.

The Fulton Hogan team, led so enthusiastically and well by Megan James, have again won the maintenance contract for the gardens. Board member have been impressed with Megan’s team and they are delighted with this result. Congratulations and a big thank you.

For the Future

The greatest duty and pleasure, for me as chair, and for the board, is to be responsible kaitiaki of the gardens. Not just as regards to the physical environment, and the short term, but also for the future of the organisation, the gardens themselves, and the handing of responsibility to generations to come.

I am therefore delighted to introduce for ratification, three new board members today: Jake Wyatt Trillo, Sam
Moore and Fergus Reid. Welcome. You are all well qualified. We look forward to your ideas, your commitment,
and the fresh perspective that your youth will bring to the organisation.

The coming year will be a busy one, with work already underway for:

The installation of a 9-hole Disc Golf course on the top, outer perimeter of the gardens. This project, led by Sport Whanganui will attract a new cohort of users to the gardens.

The installation of large, stainless-steel signage “Bason Botanic Gardens” on the wall at the entrance to the gardens.

The refurbishment and planting of the iris garden with varieties bred by Whanganui’s Jean Stevens in the mid1900’s.

A large Snakes and Ladders pad, courtesy of the Rotary Club of Whanganui, together with seating, close to the Villa Rustica sculpture at the foot of Millennium Hill.

A February concert produced by Joe Dobson of “Undergrand” and Whanganui’s internationally recognised flautist, Ingrid Culliford, where up and coming musicians will get the opportunity to play to an outdoor audience.

The rebuilding/installation of the retaining wall for the Homestead Garden.

Thank you and enjoy the coming year.

Terry Dowdeswell
Chair
Bason Botanic Gardens Trust