Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve
Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve
Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve photographed looking south towards Cass Peak.
Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve is located in Christchurch, New Zealand
Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve
The location of Kennedy's Bush Reserve south of Christchurch.
LocationPort Hills
Nearest cityChristchurch
Coordinates43°37′43″S 172°37′16″E / 43.6287°S 172.621°E / -43.6287; 172.621
Area130 hectares (320 acres)[1]
Elevation400 m (1,312.34 ft)
Created1906
FounderHarry Ell
EtymologyNamed after Thomas Kennedy
Operated byChristchurch City Council

Kennedy's Bush Scenic Reserve is a public conservation reserve in the Port Hills south of Christchurch, New Zealand. It sits above the suburb of Kennedys Bush on the northern side of the hills, just north of Ōrongomai / Cass Peak.[2] The reserve is covered in dense native bush, and at 130 hectares (320 acres) it is the largest remaining patch of native bush on the Port Hills.[1]

Ecology

In 1906 a survey found 96 species of flora in the reserve.[3] Today the reserve still contains a wide variety of native species of plant. These include ferns, grasses, trees and climbing flowers, as well as and some threatened species including native speargrass, kānuka, rōhutu,[4] and tōtara.[5]

Native birds are present in the reserve, including korimako,[5] riroriro, kererū,[1] and pīwakawaka.[6] Tūī were also present during the early 20th century.[7]

Pest control has been ongoing in the area as far back as 1920, when more than 4000 rabbits were trapped in the area.[8] Multiple agencies and community groups have been working to eliminate pest animals in the reserve since the 1990s.[1] Pest species include rats, feral cats, mustelids and possums.[9]

History

The area was originally owned by Thomas Kennedy from 1856, who harvested timber from the forest. Beginning in 1900 politician Harry Ell began a campaign to preserve access to walking tracks[10] and the remaining remnants of native bush on the Port Hills. In 1903 he was instrumental in getting the Scenery Preservation Act through parliament.[11] In 1906 with a subsidy from Prime Minister Richard Seddon and some additional fundraising, he was able to purchase 50 acres (20 ha) of the bush and release it as Crown land.[12]: 309 [13][10] The remainder was acquired by the Scenery Preservation Board after 1908 from landowners including Heaton Rhodes.[14]

There was a fire that destroyed 50 acres (20 ha) of the native forest in 1931,[12]: 315 [15] though it mostly only damaged the fringes of the forest.[16]

The reserve contains a number of walking tracks, and is accessible from the Crater Rim walking track.[17] In 2023 a carpark and lookout was opened in the reserve on the south side of Summit Road,[18][19] opposite the Sign of the Bellbird, with a cost of NZ$370,000.[20]

The reserve avoided sustaining major damage during the 2017 Port Hills fires.[21]

Management

Since 1947[22] the reserve is owned and administered by the Christchurch City Council, despite technically being outside of Christchurch City.[23]

Sign of the Bellbird

Sign of the Bellbird
The Sign of the Bellbird, overlooking the Canterbury Plains.

Harry Ell had a vision of a road along the Port Hills, with tea rooms at regular points for visitors to rest at. The first of these was a stone cottage at the top of Kennedy's Bush, which was finished in 1914[24] and opened in 1915.[25] Designed by Samuel Hurst Seager,[24][12]: 310 [14] it was built from red stone quarried on location.[12]: 310 [14] The first caretakers were the Potters, and then the Wilsons from 1915.[24][12]: 310  Ell initially named the resting place Orongomai, which is the te reo Māori name for Cass Peak.[26] In 1922 the location was renamed to be the Sign of the Bellbird.[24][12]: 311  The buildings were the site of a post office and telephone bureau until 1922.[12]: 311 [24][27] Ell died in June 1934.[12]: 317 

The buildings were abandoned in 1942. By the mid-1940s it was in a state of disrepair and had been the target of vandalism.[24] In 1947 the Christchurch City Council took over the reserve and began to restore the buildings with a government grant.[12]: 317  The buildings were further maintained in 1958, with a new roof built for the dining room.[28] Some buildings were demolished and an open-air shelter for walkers was constructed using the original stone.[27] The roof caught fire in 1967[29] and was rebuilt in 1971.[30] A fire destroyed the roof again in 2015[31][27] and this was replaced in 2017.[27]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Holder, Kay (23 September 2014). "Christchurch's top five walks". Stuff. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Canterbury Maps Open Data: Kennedy Bush". Canterbury Maps Open Data. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Kennedy's Bush: Dr Cockayne's Visit: His Description of the Plants". The Lyttelton Times. 28 March 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  4. ↑ Kelly, GC. "Kennedys Bush SR (KEND)". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 Martin, Yvonne (25 January 2018). "Best short loop tracks in Christchurch's Port Hills". Stuff. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Kennedys Bush Scenic Reserve Check List". iNaturalist. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Marriner, George (2 March 1907). "Animal Life in Kennedy's Bush". The Lyttelton Times. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  8. ↑ "Summit Road Reserves Board". The Lyttelton Times. 17 June 1920. p. 9. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  9. ↑ The War on Pests (Report). Environment Canterbury. April 2009. p. 31. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  10. 1 2 Pawson, Eric. "Ell, Henry George". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "The Scenery Preservation Act". New Zealand History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ogilvie, Gordon (2009). The Port Hills of Christchurch (2nd ed.). Christchurch: Phillips & King. ISBN 9780958331562.
  13. ↑ "Kennedy's Bush poster". New Zealand History. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 "The Summit Road: Progress of the Work". The Lyttelton Times. 20 June 1914. p. 18. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  15. ↑ "Kennedy's Bush burnt Out: Blaze on Hills: Farmer's Fire Gets Away". The Press. 10 October 1931. p. 14. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  16. ↑ "General News". The Press. 12 October 1931. p. 8. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  17. ↑ "Kennedy's Bush walks and tracks". Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Spurdle, John (21 June 2023). "Port Hills lookout officially opened". Otago Daily Times Online News. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  19. ↑ "John Jameson Lookout". Summit Road Society. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Construction of new Port Hills lookout gets green light". Otago Daily Times Online News. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  21. ↑ Mitchell, Charlie (17 February 2017). "Port Hills fires: Decades of conservation work up in flames". Stuff. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  22. ↑ "Summit Road Reserves: Transfer to City Council: Area of 400 Acres Involved". The Press. 8 November 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  23. ↑ "Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2016". Article 8 (Note), Bylaw of 1 September 2016 (PDF). p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Sign of the Bellbird". Canterbury Stories. Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Summit Road Association: Meeting of Executive". The Lyttelton Times. 13 February 1915. p. 12. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  26. ↑ Cowan, James (1925). Maori Folk Tales of the Port Hills (PDF). Christchurch: Whitcombe & Tombes. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Heritage Buildings: Sign of the Bellbird". Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  28. ↑ "At the Sign of the Bellbird". The Press. 16 July 1958. p. 14. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  29. ↑ "Council News in Brief". The Press. 20 May 1969. p. 26. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  30. ↑ "Roof for Sign of Bellbird". The Press. 19 July 1971. p. 16. Retrieved 2 January 2024 – via Papers Past.
  31. ↑ Stewart, Ashleigh (7 September 2015). "Suspicious fire at Sign of the Bellbird". Stuff. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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