Heritage Talk - Whangārei Quarry Gardens

Stone quarry to five-star public gardens.

Thomas Nance, manager of the Quarry Gardens, will take you through the varied history of the 25-hectare site in the Western Hills of Whangārei. From a stone quarry developed in the 1940s by Hardie Brothers that supplied the district with roading aggregate, to five-star public gardens, created and managed by volunteers. Thomas will also talk about the challenges of maintaining public gardens on a difficult site with rock falls, fires, flooding and slips.

Image above shows an overview of the Whangārei Quarry Gardens in 2011.

Image below shows the stone quarry, developed by Hardie Brothers in the 1940s.

About Thomas Nance

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Whangārei born, Thomas spent most of his working life as a commercial mariner. Managing a public garden was an unlikely career move but one that has had unexpected rewards. As an artist, qualified landscape designer and general doer, Thomas has found the opportunities at the Quarry Gardens a good fit for his interests and skills. Thomas returned to Whangārei after living overseas and has found himself at the helm of a challenging project of rebuilding the Whangārei Quarry Gardens after the damage caused from Cyclone Gabrielle.

When

Location

Cafler Suite, Forum North, 7 Rust Avenue, Whangārei, 0110, View Map