Vineeta Rao
Auckland, March 8, 2025
A North Shore woman donates over five hectares of ecologically significant land to the Auckland Council to create a regional park for everyone to enjoy.
A lifetime of conservation culminating in an extraordinary act of generosity has resulted in Auckland getting an ecologically significant new 14-acre regional park.
Rosemary Platt made this donation to the City through the Auckland Council, which in turn, committed to protect the botanical site at Greenhithe as a Regional Park in perpetuity for future generations to enjoy.
The Council valuation of the gifted land is estimated at $10,190,000.
Mayor Wayne Brown said that the newly acquired land will become an important destination in the Auckland regional parks network once it can be opened to the public.
“We will honour accordingly the vision and meticulous work Mrs Platt and her late husband Graeme Platt have put into it since they bought it back in 1983. Thanks to Graeme’s pioneering expertise in horticulture, this property has become an impressive sanctuary of open space and rare tree specimens that are not found anywhere else,” he said.
The Platt family
Long-time residents of the North Shore will remember the Platt family for their plant nursery of the same name, set up in 1974 in Albany. They rapidly gained a reputation as experts on native trees. In fact, visitors to the Auckland Botanic Gardens who admire the collection of native shrubs and plants continue to benefit somewhat from Graeme’s expertise as the Platt nursery supplied the seeds and trees at the time.
Mrs Platt said that her late husband believed in harvesting seeds from the best parent stock and travelled the length of the country to source it. One reason why Ms Platt’s gift is so extraordinary is because the property contains one of the finest collections of Kauri trees, including a forest grown from the seeds of Tāne Mahuta, New Zealand’s largest known living Kauri tree. The Platts also managed to replicate the genetics of the enormous tree, known as the ‘God of the forest.’
“He would be thrilled that his passion for ancient trees such as kauri and its relatives from other countries will be enjoyed by our community as they stroll amongst these magnificent trees and appreciate their rich history,” Ms Platt said.
Graeme Platt’s Botanical Collection
In 1983, the couple purchased the block of land at Greenhithe to build their family home.
Mr Platt also began work on his arboretum or tree collection, sourcing speciality trees from countries that formed the ancient continent of Gondwana, of which New Zealand was once a part.
Today his legacy features more than 1000 mature trees from countries including New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and South America.
The idea of New Zealand as a sort of ‘Moa’s Ark,’ heroically carrying a treasure chest of ancient biological marvels after separating from the main supercontinent, has been around since the 1960s. Botanists and the more ambitious gardener have always liked to use it as a sort of theme, showcasing the commonalities of the countries (New Zealand, South America and Australia along with Africa, India, Antarctica, New Caledonia and New Guinea) who share the same geological foundation of Gondwana.
The Platt family’s work and legacy are inspirational to many.
Rosemary’s generosity
Auckland Botanic Gardens Manager Jack Hobbs said that many rare and special trees are showcased in this “absolutely remarkable collection,” including several that are threatened with extinction in their natural habitats. It is hoped to establish a volunteer programme to help care for these threatened species.
“I met Graeme about 45 years ago and it is fair to say that his intellect and charismatic ability to inspire others with his passion for native plants made a huge impression on me. I regard him as one of the greatest influences on horticulture in this country, particularly through his promotion of the virtues of our native flora, and I am delighted his legacy continues with the gifting of this remarkable property,” he said.
“Rosemary is also a remarkable person, and her kindness and generosity in gifting this property is the most significant gesture I have encountered during my 50-year horticultural career,” he said.
In addition to her magnificent gift to the City, Mrs Platt has also purchased artist James Picknell’s sculpture Moo from the Auckland Botanic Gardens’ Sculpture in the Gardens exhibition.
Moo reflects the arboretum’s farming past and will go on display at the Greenhithe site.
The future plans
While there is no public access to the site at present, the initial council assessment recommends the site become a future satellite botanic garden. The next step will be to develop a plan for the new parkland to support its future use and enjoyment by the public.
Essential infrastructure like additional car parking, signage and toilets will be needed before the site can open to the public.
An Enduring Legacy
But while the Platt family’s gift to the city will be remembered with gratitude for decades to come, Rosemary is happy that future generations will be able to enjoy the legacy of their hard work.
“As properties become smaller and lives become busier, I think that public access to nature and open space is becoming even more important. I am thrilled to know that this property will be cared for by the council so that people can find peace and respite amongst the trees,” she said.
Vineeta Rao is an Indian Newslink Reporter based in Auckland.
