Gribblehirst Park
| Gribblehirst Park | |
|---|---|
 A Sequoiadendron giganteum in Gribblehirst Park | |
 | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°52′50″S 174°44′17″E / 36.880445°S 174.7379291°E / -36.880445; 174.7379291 |
| Area | 5.9 hectares |
| Operated by | Auckland Council |
| Status | Open year round |
Gribblehirst Park is a park in central Auckland, New Zealand, close to the suburbs of Sandringham and Morningside. Originally the park was known as Cabbage Tree Swamp.
Description
Gribblehirst Park is a 5.9-hectare park in Sandringham. The park has a mix of playgrounds, sports fields, a half-basketball court, and forested areas. It is accessible by Sandringham Road, Aroha Avenue, and Kenneth Avenue, and is bisected by a pathway named Cabbage Tree Swamp Drive.[1] The park contains a large rose garden near Aroha Avenue and a small section of remnant lava rock forest.[1]
The park is home to Gribblehirst Community Hub, a community centre for the area,[2] the Auckland Central Community Shed, the former site of the Edendale Bowling Club[3] and Eden RFC, a rugby union club.[4]
History
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The area was originally swampland and known to Tāmaki Māori as Ngā Anawai, referring to the water-filled lava-flow caves that formed in the area. The lava caves were created by Maungawhau / Mount Eden and Mount Albert over 30,000 years ago. Tāmaki Māori used the swamp to collect food and materials.[5][1] The area was known to early European residents as Cabbage Tree Swamp, due to the number of tī kōuka (cabbage trees) that lined the swampland.[1]
The Sandringham area was used primarily for dairy farming during the early colonial era. Sandringham, especially the area near Cabbage Tree Swamp, was known to regularly flood. A stone bridge named Gribble's Bridge was constructed near the modern-day park, for traffic to safely bypass areas that regularly flooded.[5] In 1880, the New Zealand native weevil Peristoreus viridipennis was first described in the swamp.[5]
The Auckland City Council acquired fourteen acres of Cabbage Tree Swamp in 1927, donated by the families of early Auckland residents S. L. Hirst and James Gribble.[6][1] After the swamp was drained and the ground levelled, Gribblehirst Park opened on 28 March 1931.[1] The park quickly became a venue used regularly by Kowhai Junior High School, the Auckland Rugby Football Union, Eden RFC, and Mt. Albert Amateur Athletic Club.[5] In 1931, a playground was established at the park, and in 1937 two cricket wickets were formed.[5] In 1938, the Edendale Bowling Club began leasing land at the park.[5]
In 1942 during World War II, a station to clean residents in the event of a gas attack was constructed. This building was later converted into a sports pavilion.[5]
The playground was upgraded in 1974, and again between 1998 and 2007, when a flying fox was added to the park.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Gribblehirst Park". Auckland Council. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ "About Us". Gribblehirst Community Hub. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ "History". Auckland Central Community Shed. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ Hewat, Sam (7 April 2017). "Eden Rugby becomes first community club in Australasia to get a hybrid pitch". Stuff. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei; Truttman, Lisa (2009). "Balmoral & Sandringham Heritage Walks" (PDF). Auckland Council. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ Dunsford, Deborah (2016). Mt Albert Then and Now: a History of Mt Albert, Morningside, Kingsland, St Lukes, Sandringham and Owairaka. Auckland: Mount Albert Historical Society. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-473-36016-0. OCLC 964695277. Wikidata Q117189974.