FROM THE HILLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1396, 23 March 1912, Page 9

FROM THE HILLS.

THE FUTURE OF WELLINGTON. AND'ITS TOWN BELT. (CoXTRHVCTED.) A pioneer has just passed awny in Mr. William Moxlmni, a man who at one'limo. owned a substantial portion of that thick-' ly-populated suburb of Wellington known as Kclburne—to strangers (hose terraces anil ehistevs of not liiiiHcturosqiio residences v.-hich cling 1 to the western hills anil beyond. It only a matter of sixteen years since that suburb was known colloquially as ".Moxham's Kami," and all excursion lo lis vicinity was considered a wildly adventurous dav's outing by the boys of Wellington, la tlioso days the idea of (lie Jielhurne hills over becoming a plnco of resilience for anyone, leave alone a fashionable suburb, was not eutcitaineil. The wind was bad enough in town, but what would it be on the tops of those hills? It would be a little Überia—a bleak, remote spot to be shunned by human beings and given over to the cattle and the tree winds of Wellington. Since. JS!l(i, however, Wellington, forced by the congestion of (he Hats below, anil persuaded by a certain inborn or native craving for the higher altitudes, assisted not inconsiderably by the fresh nir reform movement as a prevention and cure for diseases of the lung", entered upon its hillcliiiibiu. 1 ; epoch. On His fiir/.e and manuka, stiub hillsides above 'Wellington Terrace, residences sprang up as (|iiickly and irregularly os if "some giant hand had thrown against (he hills a peel; or two of knu>e-seod. I'urlhor akuig the ridge I'itchctt's b'arm came under the public eye as a desirable quarter for a suburb, and a ye.ir or (wo saw Brooklyn firmly planted,' and with the complelion of the Kclburne tramway the bare hill-tops above mid-city gave quick, easy access to, and opened'up, many broad acres for residential selection, 'i'his suburb grew and grew as if by enchantment, until now, if anyone in rown looks against the evening sky I) catch "the last faint glow of (iiiivering day,'' ha will find the ridge outlined by n very desirable-style .of suburban residence.' This grovlh ffas not peculiar to the western hills. The foothill land of .Mount Victoria were the first- to be captured, and afterwards the -steep faces of Oriental Bay and lioseneath were commandeered by the hill-dwellers. AH round growth continued until practically all the land was 'secured in residential allotments, and then, and only then, did it occur to the authorities to tunnel the hills in order to open up the lands beyond.

The Town Belt. The stranger, however, who sees things with a new eye, is apt to say: "That is not so—look-at all those, bare Hatches right rrund—they are.not very attractive, aud ere not biiilt -pan.'-' "Ah,""said the local man, "that is our Town licit, vested forever in the city."

"Well, the city doesn't seem to do much with it. .Do the people 'use. .it, as 'playground:" "Not very largely.'" "Is anything done with it more than was done." forty years ago':"

"lleallv. I don't think so. They ..did plant; a few trees once—see those dots." "YVoll,', r inight say the stranger, "your bare brown hills arc not'very attractive."

The tenor of "this entirely supposititious convursiVtiuti really reflects what a great many visitors to AVelluiglon -think, and ninny citizens deprecate the neglect- of the city's magnificent "wasto"-belt, which at present grazes a. few horses and cows. Evervuodv. is agreed that our Town Belt is largely wasted at • present.- - If -"one sneaks to a. Mayor, a City Councillor, or a'mere ratepayer they;will" each- and everyone cast' a despairing eye Mount Victoria, and with a sigh will agree that something ought to he done, but (hey do not lcno-.v exactly what. A couple o£ years ago a .rough track was cut from tho Conslablo Street ridge-to the signal'station' at Mount Victoria "ns an encouragement to walkers. That track is rather rougher to-day, and every storm helps it back lo a state of'nature.

An Idea. The idea has heen suggested that a road—a proper road—around _ tho holt would result.in (he city possessing a drive second to none in any city in New Zealand—a road that would nractieally encircle the city, and at the same time would bo within easy dislmice, of nil the city hill-ion outlooks. The bio; obstacle to its consideration would be the cost of such an undertaking. What might be done (0 provide for tho cost is to set asido a. strip of tho belt wherever tho topography of the land permits,' cut it up into suitable areas with a limitation of frontage, and lease ill? same 011 Ion? terms with a building clause (which would have an inllurnco on the style of residence to bo erected). The income from these lea.sed lands would more than defray (lie cost of the road, and would throw a good portion of the belt into occupation, whilst- improving its appearaneo "iQ per cent, and not really damaging ils present value as a reserve. The presence dl' a handsome terrace of houses facing a decent v-oad. commanding an uninterrupted view of (he city and harbour, would help to throw into use. Vhe rest ef the belt for pleasure purposes. With the city (van;'.-.ay extended to and along the now road, no one would be incinvenienced, and the city would ?ain- immensely in attractiveness. .Admitting- that there are dilliculties in every big scheme of the sort, (here is th" germ of an idea in it for the engineers. Beautifying the City.

Wellington heal a Beautifying Society a few years ago. It died a pathetic.death —of inanition. Beautifying a city means many things, one of which is the planning out of a, town, and this is where the idea above quoted may be uf service. No one. will deny that the appearance of Wellington has been enhanced by the dotting of our bare-sided hills with pretty residences. No one can «ay that tho frrowih of Kolburue. Cioldie's Brae, Brooklyn, and l'osenoath lias not given a wealth of life and colour to the encompassing hills, which beyond being hills' had no native attraction of their own. So it would be with the Town Belt. Tho broad belt of laud—comprising some 070 acres—would surelv look much moro attractive if "starred" or terraced by pretty residences fronting (on the tooside, of course) a broad parade practically encircling the city. It would add considerably to the beauty nf tho city, and would be the means at least of keeping the belt free of gorso and other noxious weeds. .'..,'