\ Herriott. — Hisfnri/ of Hagley Park. 431 



and ground fo'i pasturing any animals. Native plants were offered by a 

 gardener at Akavoa at the rate of 6s. to 14s. per hundred, and £30 was 

 voted to be disbursed in the purchase of the same. Dr. von Haast pre- 

 sented seeds he had received from Sir W. J. Hooker, Director of the Kew 

 Gardens, and other private individuals made presents of seeds and ])lants. 



A vote of £1,000 had been granted by the Provincial Government for 

 the carrying-out of the work, and at the outset the finances appeared to 

 be in good condition. 



Frequent gaps occur in the minutes of the first few years. In 1867, 

 however, it is recorded that Mr. Barker asked to be relieved of his duties 

 as Government Gardener, and the late Mr. J. F. Armstrong was elected 

 as his successor. Mr. Armstrong acted as curator till 1889, and during the 

 greater part of his twenty-two years' service he was assisted by his son, 

 Mr. J. B. Armstrong, who had charge of the nursery work. 



History of the Domain. 



The Domain when Mr. J. F. Armstrong took over the management 

 presented a very different appearance from that of to-day with its trim, 

 orderly beds and wide green lawns. A paling fence separated it from 

 Antigua Street, and close to it was a very thick belt of willows and poplars. 

 Over a hundred were taken out from the frontage between Worcester and 

 Hereford Streets. The Museum building and the Gardener's cottage had 

 not then been erected. Three sand-dunes were very conspicuous, one 

 occupying the site of the present Museum, a large one where the first 

 grove of pines {Pinus Pinaster) now stands, and a smaller one between 

 these two. Those behind the Museum have since been levelled, but the 

 knoll on which the pines stand still shows something of its original form. 

 All these sand-dunes were covered with fern, amongst which showed an 

 occasional Discaria. A huge shingle-pit occupied the greater part of the 

 area now covered by the wide front lawn, and supplied much of the metal 

 for the city streets. There were no flower-beds of any kind. A few of 

 the older trees were there then ; the tall Eucalyptus on the river-side near 

 the Gardener's cottage was one of these, and the Prince of Wales's oak 

 farther down the path. 



It may be of interest to note that the oldest of the trees planted in 

 the Domain and Park, such as the sycamores, oaks, and elms, were imported 

 from England as trees. They came out in big wooden cases, having been 

 removed from the English nurseries during the resting season. On arrival 

 after their six months' journey they were at once put into the river to 

 revive before planting. The stronger of them lived, and grew when planted 

 out, but many died. As soon as it was possible all trees for planting in 

 the Domain were raised in the nursery of the Domain either from seed or 

 from cuttings or layerings. This work, as mentioned above, was in the 

 charge of Mr. J. B. Armstrong, and trees of his raising may be found in 

 all parts of the Park and Gardens. The line of wellingtonias extending 

 from the river to Riccarton Road by the United Tennis and Bowling Club's 

 grounds were all raised from seed in 1873. The beautiful Oriental planes 

 in the avenue leading to Riccarton Road were reared as cuttings, and the 

 limes of the South Park as layerings, in 1873 and 1874. In addition to 

 the work of raising seedlings and trees for the Domain and Park, thousands 

 of young trees were distributed from the Christchurch Gardens to various 

 public bodies in all parts of the colony. In 1881 it was estimated that the 

 number that had thus been gratuitously distributed by the Domain Board 



