Akaroa Historical Overview - Christchurch City Council

seasonal interest and high colour. Permanent structure was provided by four Phoenix
canariensis (Canary Island date palms) which were fashionable seaside plantings at that
time but were also often associated with memorial structures. These were not part of the
original landscape scheme but appear in the grounds in the 1930s(refer figure 6.25).
The landscape was slightly modified in later years with the addition of a trellised
boundary on its northern edge. Historically the memorial was physically connected to the
foreshore and the adjacent women’s rest room by a cruciform pathway system and views
of the sea were possible through the site from Rue Lavaud. These views and the visual
relationship between the site and the foreshore were closed down when the
Meterosideros excelsa (pohutakawa) hedge bounding the reserve on its western edge
was allowed to reach its current height. The form of the planted beds and the use of
roses in these beds has remained a consistent feature of the Memorial Gardens through
time(refer figure 6.26).
Figure 6.25. The War Memorial garden is an interesting blend of native and exotic planting and
has changed little over time. The Plunket Rooms behind the memorial were constructed in
1933 and it is assumed that the palms date from around this time.
Ref: Postcard, Private collection, J. Pyle
Figure 6.26. Akaroa's War Memorial grounds in 2009.
AKAROA HERITAGE OVERVIEW : SECTION 6 YEARS OF STABILITY 1900 TO 1950 PAGE 113