New gardens celebrate cultural connections and new millennium

Halswell farmland has been transformed into botanic parkland. This photograph shows the Canterbury garden in the foreground and sister city-theme gardens further back. A boardwalk will be built around the pond to allow close views of wetland bird species and provide wheelchair access.

People are being encouraged to "make a day of it" and attend the official opening on Saturday, 17 February of seven special new gardens in Halswell Quarry Park.

There is a Canterbury native plant garden and unique gardens representing each of Christchurch’s sister cities: Adelaide, Australia; Christchurch, England; Gansu Province, China; Kurashiki, Japan; Seattle, USA and Songpa Gu, Korea.

The big project has been developed by Gardens 2000, one of 14 advisory groups of Turning Point 2000 (set up to coordinate events and projects for the new millennium and 150th anniversary of the founding of Canterbury). There is a Sister Cities’ Gardens working group, chaired by horticulturalist John Taylor, and the Council Parks Unit will manage the gardens.

Funds have been contributed by the Council, The Community Trust, Lottery Grants Board Millennium Fund and private donors.

At 1.30pm on 17 February the Governor General, Sir Michael Hardie Boys, will officially open the gardens.

Ian Leggat, chairman of the Turning Point 2000 Trust Board, Garry Moore and officials from the sister cities will also speak. It will be the first time official delegations from each sister city will be in Christchurch at the same time.

Cultural performances will be put on after the speeches and official duties.

Halswell Quarry Park is about 10.5km from Cathedral Square. Drive south along Lincoln Road to Halswell Road and onto Kennedy’s Bush Road. Parking, off Cashmere Road, will be signposted.

Related links: Sister Cities website, Sister Cities' Gardens, Garden Parks of Christchurch