MAORI LEGEND OF THE TREE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 264, 6 August 1942, Page 4

MAORI LEGEND OF THE TREE

Governor-General’s Reference

ARBOR DAY CEREMONY In an address before plantlug a tree at the Arbor Day ceremony in Central Park, Wellington, yesterday, the Gov-ernor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, drew the attention of the gathering, more specially the children, to the old Maori legend of Tane, the son of Rangi (the sky) and Papa (the earth). The legend, lie explained, described how Tane had separated his father and mother by standing-on his head and holding the sky away -from the earth with bls feet. Tane thus became the lord of the trees. His Excellency referred also to the importance of tree-planting, and said that if one-half or one-quarter of the children in New Zealand were to plant a tree on Arbor Day each, year it would be a great advance. He took great pleasure in planting the tree provided on this occasion, he said, for it was an English lime and he had limes in his garden in England. In his introductory speech, the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop, said that the idea of Arbor Day bad its inception in Nebraska, 70 years ago. The Idea was taken up by the Government in New Zealand, and in 1892 an act was passed fixing Arbor Day as an annual ceremony, with a public halfholiday. The planting of trees, however, was given up, but people tried to retain the holiday. It nevertheless fell into disuse. The mayor pointed to the increasing growth of trees on the hills surrounding Wellington as evidence of the good work now being done in- the direction of repaying nature for the damage done when their original verdure was ruthlessly stripped from them. After the Governor-General and Lady Newall had each planted a tree, similar 10-year-old limes were planted by the mayor and mayoress; the chairman of the reserves committee, Mr. Duncan; on behalf of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry; by the United , States Minister, Brigadier-General Hurley; the United Kingdom High Commissioner, Sir Harry Batterbee; the Canadian High Commissioner, Dr. W. Riddell; the chairman of the-Wel-lington Harbour Board, Mr. W. H. Price; the president of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Mr. Hope Gibbons; the president of the Wellington Horticultural Society, Mrs. Knox Gilmer; the president of the Wellington Beautifying Society, Mr. Fletcher; the chairman of the Wellington Technical College Board, Mr. W. Appleton; and Crs. Fraser' and Stevens.

WADESTOWN CEREMONY An Arbor Day planting ceremony .was held at the Izard Memorial Park, Wilton Road, Wadestown, yesterday moruiug, under the auspices of the Wellington Beautifying Society, the Wadestown Cpttagc Garden and Beautifying Society, and the Forest and Bird. Protection Society of New Zealand, in conjunction with and under the supervision of the reserves department of the Wellington Citv Council. . Speakers were: The president ot the Wellington Beautifying Society, Mr. HS. B. Fletcher; the mayor, Mr. Hislop; a representative of the Wadestown Cottage Garden and Beautifying Society. Sir James Grose; the president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society, Captain E. V. Sanderson; the convener of the hills committee of the Wellington Beautifying Society, Mrs. A. J. du Pont. Trees were planted by the mayor, Sir James Grose, Captain Sanderson, Mrs. I. E. Y. Seddon. Mrs. D. Aitken, Mrs. W. H. Stevens, Mrs. D. Stafford. Mrs. A. Sinclair -Mrs. Le Fevre, Mrs. Parlane, Miss M. Cooper, Miss M. R. Barry, Miss Kain, the headmaster of the Wadestown Public School, Mr. C. E. Feltham, and four pupils of the Wadestown School. , The Kowhais were donated by the Wadestown Cottage Garden and Beautifying Society, Mrs. A. J. du Pont, and Miss M. Cooper. WELLINGTON COLLEGE At Wellington College yesterday morning, after an address to the piipus and.staff by.the headmaster, Mr. W. A. Armour, a pohutuknwa tree was planted by Mr. L. W. McKenzie, a member _ot the board of governors, and a past, chairman of the board. Mr.- McKenzie stressed the responsibility which‘must necessarily fall on the shoulders of the younger generation in making the new order after the war a reality, and expressed the hope that the tree just planted would be an ornament in the grounds of Wellington College. There were also present, Mr. W. H. Field and Mrs. Knox Gilmer, members of the board, and Mr. W. JjL Denton., an ex-member of the board.