430 Transactions. 



Crovernment Domain." The Town Reserve and the Government Domain 

 here referred to were later disposed of in other ways, but Hagley Park still 

 remains. In the same issue of the Lyttelton Times was an account of a 

 cricket match in Hagley Park between the married and the single men of 

 the settlement. A subscription was taken up during the afternoon to make 

 a proper ground and fence it in, " the present place being rough in the 

 extreme and very difficult to play on." A sum of £30 was collected, which 

 was presumably spent in this way. In a later issue was an advertisement of 

 races to be held in Hagley Park on Easter Monday of the same year. This 

 was accompanied by the statement that the course had been much improved 

 since the last races held there. Again, on the 25th December, 1852, apjjears 

 an account of the "farewell breakfast" tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Godley 

 on the eve of their departure for England. This took place in Hagley 

 Park in the spacious marquee which had been erected for the Horticultural 

 Exhibition, of which no other mention can be found. 



It would seem, therefore, that the Park was early used for one of the 

 ])urposes for which it had been set aside — namely, as a recreation-ground 

 for the townspeople ; and to a certain extent the ground must have been 

 prepared for this, cleared of some at least of the thick growth with which 

 it had been covered when the town was first laid out. Details, however, 

 as to this are lacking. Stock of all kinds were freely pastured on this 

 ground, for the action of the Association in charging for the right to 

 pasture on Hagley Park provoked the complaint from one correspondent 

 that the price of milk was high enough as it was without any extra charge 

 in consequence of rents dairymen had to pay. Later on the long grass 

 was cut, and haystacks were a common feature in the parks. 



In 1855, by the Canterbury Association Ordinance before referred to, 

 the Superintendent was given power to set aside what land he thought fit 

 for plantations, gardens, &c., but nothing seems to have been done in this 

 direction before 1864. On the 10th May, 1864, a public meeting was held 

 in the Town Hall for the purpose of forming the Canterbury Horticultural 

 and Acclimatization Society, and it was decided that Hagley Park was a 

 suitable site on which to form a botanic garden. The Provincial Govern- 

 ment was approached, and a Commission, consisting of Messrs. Hall, 

 Sewell, Miles, and Hill, was appointed " to promote the cultivation and 

 planting of the Government Domain in connection with the objects of the 

 Acclimatization Society." 



In early days the Commission (later known as the Board) acted as 

 an advisory committee to the Superintendent, but in 1872 the power of 

 administration was vested in the Board itself. The various Acts of 1872, 

 1881, 1895, 1908, and 1911 have all dealt with the administration of this 

 Christchurch reserve, and have further defined the extent of tlie Board's 

 authority over the land. 



At the first meeting of the Commission it was unanimously agreed that 

 the ground under control of the Commission should be trenched and 

 ])lanted without delay. The Government Gardener, Mr. Barker, under- 

 took the supervision of the work for the Commission. The portion of the 

 reserve decided on as suitable for acclimatization and horticultural pur- 

 poses was that lying between Christ's College grounds and the river, and 

 steps were taken to have this fenced off with Van Diemen's Land palings, 

 trenched and dug, w^hile the Provincial Secretary was requested to have 

 the cattle removed which were then depasturing the ground. Due attention 

 was paid to the requirements of the Acclimatization Society as to aviaries 



