Farm passes to Trustees in 1943.
As an interim measure while members of the family were still alive the
farm
was run by trustees. It had become run down because it had been
leased out
with no overall management plan for the land. Under the management of
the
Trustees the dairy herd was built up, gorse was cleared, efforts were
made
to control the rabbit and possum population, and some radiata pine and
Douglas fir plantations were established on blocks of land unsuitable
for
grazing.
Establishment of the Orton Bradley Park Board in 1972
In his will Orton Bradley stated that once the last beneficiary of the
will
had died, the administration of the estate should pass to a board
which
would develop the property as a national park.
Bradley stipulated that the board should include several local mayors
and
the chairmen of two local county councils, the president of the
Canterbury
Horticultural Society, the President of the Canterbury Automobile
Association, and the curator of Christchurch City Botanical Gardens.
With
local body reorganisation a number of these positions have ceased to
exist.
The present board includes representatives of the Royal Forest and
Bird
Protection Society of New Zealand Inc., the Forestry Association, the
Arboretum Society, the Automobile Association, the Banks Peninsula
District
Council, The Christchurch City Council, Lincoln University, a
landscape
architect, and co-opted members with an independent chair.
Since the early nineties the farm and the Park have been run
separately.
There is a separate manager for the park living on site.
Interview with Warner Russell, the present park manager
Warner Russell explained the recent developments at the Park and some
of
the future plans.
Current use of the farm
The farm land is leased to a partnership who are running 3000 stock
units -
sheep and cattle. Part of the lease agreement is that the walking
tracks
in the farm remain open and the trees remain under the Board's
control.
At present there are 100 hectares of pinus radiata and Douglas fir
plantations. It is hope that this area will be increased as the
funding
for the park does not meet the expenditure. Some forestry income is
derived from felling every five years.
The picnic grounds
|
Picnickers in the Park
Photo source Orton Bradley Park
|
At present 40,000 to 50,000 people a year visit the picnic grounds.
They
pay an entry fee of two dollars per adult, fifty cents per child, or
five
dollars per car. The Board hopes to expand the picnic area.
Day trips by parties and groups from organisations
Many organised groups visit the Park for walking or to explore the
fauna
and flora or their interest in the history. The old school has been
moved
from across the road and serves as a shelter for visiting parties in
bad
weather.
Park closed 15 August to 15 September
Because of the lambing season the park is closed to the public for a
month
in the spring.
Camping facilities for schoolchildren
Parties of children from schools, churches or voluntary organisations
are
permitted to camp, but they must be largely self sufficient, with
their own
tents and cooking equipment. Toilets and running water are
provided.
The adventure playground built last year is a great attraction for
children.
Many Scout camps have been held in the Park over a long period. The
YMCA
held a camp in January, and space for camps in the park was fully
booked in
February and March.
Preservation of the historic buildings in the park
Warner Russell paid tribute to the tireless energy of the volunteers
and
the continued help from the Scout movement which has had links with
the
Park for many years.
The staff and volunteers have tried to preserve Orton Bradley's
engineering
projects and interesting historic buildings in the Park. They have
been
faced with problems.
The original buildings
These include a millshed and workshop, stables, dairy, and blacksmiths
shop.
Homestead destroyed
In 1901 a new homestead had been built of kauri and lined with
macrocarpa.
It held the records of the Bradley family's occupancy of the property,
and
their books, photographs and furniture, but all were lost when the
house
burned down in 1967.
Wood samples saved
150 wood samples had been collected and labelled by Orton Bradley and
mounted on a board. Luckily just before the fire the board had been
sent
to Lincoln University for the samples to be re-identified as the
labelling
had faded and become illegible.
Damage to buildings and trees in the 1968 storm
The staff had kept Orton Bradley's old millshed running and were using
it
for small jobs like cutting firewood, but the big storm in 1968
damaged
much of the machinery. That storm also flattened many of the trees in
the
park.
Work of volunteers
Volunteers, who are members of the Orton Bradley Historical Society,
work
every Monday repairing and renovating the buildings and machinery in
the
Park. They have spent many hours repairing the millhouse and it is now
possible to visit on an open day or a Monday afternoon and see the
system
in operation and have your questions answered.
One of the oldest buildings in Canterbury
|
Old stone cottage dating from 1848
Photo source Peter Hunt
|
Visitors can view the stone cottage built in 1848 - one of the oldest
buildings in Canterbury. The Manson and Rhodes families build it for
their
shepherds when they were leasing the land from the Maori before
permanent
European settlement in the area.
Collection of articles of historical interest
Many articles used in homes or on farms in the past have been
collected by
volunteers and can be viewed. They await their place in future
historical
displays. Items range from a horse drawn mobile spray tank, a
separator, a
cheese press, and a grass sieve to washing and sewing machines, a lead
coated sink bench, tobacco tins and an old piano accordion.
At present they are stored in the old stone cottage, the machine shed
which
came from the leper station of Quail Island and the milking shed, all
surrounded by a stone paved yard.
There is also a cemetery for farm dogs which have died since 1950.
Help from the Scouts
Scouts helped with the planting of trees and with repair of the
millshed,
the water race, the water wheel and associated systems. This support
has
continued for many years. Their next project was assisting with the
removal of the school from its site beside the beach across the road
to a
new site, first in the golf course next to the Park and finally to the
Park
itself. Once it was in its new site the scouts helped with the repair
and
restoration of the old building.
A major project for the volunteers
|
The house with its stone wall - both built by volunteer labour
Photo source Peter Hunt
|
Within the last five years the volunteers completed a major project
involving thousands of hours. In March 1998 they completed the
building of
a house which is a copy of the first house of Dr Moore. It is built
of
local macrocarpa and provides a focal point for visitors to the
historic
complex.
In 1998 the stone wall was built with stones from the creek - another
time
consuming project.
Future plans for the house
The house will be put to good use.
The information centre will contain information on tracks and on fauna
and
flora.
Displays are planned to serve as an educational unit, following the
sequence of activities in the area - whaling, felling the bush,
dairying,
the flax mill, the cocksfoot industry, the quarry, and sheep and
cattle
farming.
In the building housing the old machinery there will be a display of
farming in the eighteenth century. In the boardroom the history of
the
Bradley family will be shown and in the kitchen, bedroom and living
room
historical furniture.
Trees in the park
The arboretum
This is about twenty minutes walk from the Park buildings. A sign on
the
entrance drive points the way. Clear information boards indicate
the
location of different types of trees which include Persian, Japanese
and
black walnut trees, coastal and dawn redwoods, cedar of Lebanon, atlas
and
deodar cedars, and swamp cypresses.
It is maintained by the Arboretum Society.
The rhododendron garden
|
Rhododendrons in the Park in flower
Photo source Peter Hunt
|
This has been developed and is maintained by the Canterbury
Rhododendron
Society. There is a special rhododendron day in late October. This
beautiful garden is featured in a separate NZine article.
The camellia garden
A camellia garden was planted by Harold Wilson and is maintained by
the
Park staff.
More vegetation
The Board plans to vegetate Waterfall Gully with more native trees and
plants. For jobs of this type they get some assistance from workers
on
Periodic Detention.
Functions in the Park
Multi sport quadrathlon
A quadrathlon was held on 24 January. It consisted of a swim in the
harbour, kayaking round Quail Island, cycling over Gebbies Pass and
back
and running eleven kilometres (nearly nine miles) around the top of
the
Park. A hundred contestants took part.
Music Festival
On February 28 a large crowd estimated at 1200 people gathered in the
park
for easy listening music including barbershop singing groups.
Founder's Day - December 5, an open day
On Founder's Day the historic buildings are open with working
displays of
the machinery. Volunteers are on hand as guides. Stalls sell local
crafts
and a sausage sizzle sells lunch for visitors.
