PARKS IN THE TOWN.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1922, Page 4

PARKS IN THE TOWN.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. CHANGES AT WESTERN PARK. With pipes drawing sweetly and the business of the meeting disposed of, members of the New Plymouth unemployment committee last night reminiscently allowed their minds to drift back to the days when New Plymouth citizens first conceived the idea of public parks. New Plymouth is richly bleseed in the matter of public parks and a picture was drawn of other beauty spots around the town which might be transferred into new havens of delight for the ■pleasure of future generations. Western Park had been mentioned during the transaction of the business in which the meeting was primarily concerned. This later led the Mayor (Mr. F. F. Wilson) to recall the time when Western Park, as it is now known, first came under the control of the Borough Council. “I can remember the time when we used to call the locality ‘Jamtin Gully,’” he said. Old tine and. rubbish of various kinds were dumped where the sports ground now is, whilst a spring had its origin in the vicinity find trickled down Morley Street, making the road well nigh impassable at times. Then a committee was set up to take charge of the reserve, and with the aid of prison labor and a sale of work held in town to raise funds, the work of transformation began. A playing area was made where before a rubbish dump had existed, terraces were hewn out of the clay bank, flowering shrubs were planted out on. the flat ridge, to the north and, in short, a new plaxie came into being. The obnoxious “stream,” too, was diverted and Morley Street, much as it exists to-day, was formed.

And all this work was done for the pay of an extra warder to -keep a watchful eye on the prisoners, excepting, of course, payment for certain necessary expenses. Then the Bowling Club made greens on the top of the hili to the west of the sports ground, thus adding an additional attraction to the park. Tn planting the grounds the idea followed was to plant flowering shrubs so as not to clash with the scheme by which Pukekura Park was beautified with native shrubs and ferns. Then came the war and not very much was done. .But a new lease of life has been given to the work in the last few weeks and attractive improvements are being made. An effort, it is believed, will be made by the committee to finish off the scheme after those who are. at present working there under the unemployment scheme have found permanent work elsewhere. “Do you remember Kawaroa Park, when it was nothing but sand-hills and lupins?” said one. And that-recalled fresh memories. “There’s the making of a. very delightful park at Moturoa,” chimed in another, with reference to the domain scheme recently launched in that suburb. One enthusiast saw here part of the solution of the problem of more football grounds, which will be needed in the near future. “If the negotiations with the Board are successful we will have another park at the other end of the town,” said another in reference to the proposal to make a park at Fitzroy. The good work being done by the Frankleigh Park and Vogeltown enthusiasts at the recently formed Huatoki Park, below the Vogeltown School, was also mentioned,