Pukekura Park
 The main lake at Pukekura, with Poet's Bridge andMount Taranakiin the background | |
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | 10 Fillis Street,New Plymouth,Taranaki |
| Coordinates | -39.0624104, 174.0785908 |
| End names | |
| South Terrace End North City End | |
| International information | |
| Only ODI | 23 February 1992: Sri Lankav Zimbabwe |
| Only women's Test | 12–16 February 1992: New Zealandv England |
| First WODI | 16 January 1982:New Zealandv Australia |
| Last WODI | 18 January 1982:New ZealandvEngland |
| First WT20I | 4 March 2016:New ZealandvAustralia |
| Last WT20I | 22 March 2018:New Zealandv West Indies |
| As of 1 September 2020 Source:ESPNcricinfo | |
Pukekura Parkis a Garden of National Significance,[1]covering 52 hectares near the heart ofNew Plymouth,Taranakiin New Zealand.
History
[edit]The gala opening of New Plymouth's 15 hectare Recreation Ground was held on 29 May 1876. During the day the first trees were ceremonially planted by Miss Jane Carrington, the daughter of surveyorFrederic Alonzo Carrington:an oak for Great Britain, a pūriri for New Zealand, a Norfolk Island pine for the South Pacific Islands and a Pinus radiata for America.[2][3]The ceremonial spade used to plant the trees is held in the Puke Ariki collection in New Plymouth.[4]The Recreation Grounds were renamed "Pukekura Park" in 1907.[5]
The park contains a diverse range of native and exotic plants. Various easy walking trails cross the park and meander along the lake sides, taking in the features of the park. Among these are the picturesque Poet's Bridge,[6]which was opened on 11 March 1884.[7]There is also a man-made cascading waterfall and a fountain in the aptly named Fountain Lake. Row boats can be hired for rowing on the main lake.
Sports and music
[edit]Pukekura Park is a popular events venue.
Cricket
[edit]At the north-western end of the park is acricketground, established in the 1880s which is noted for the beauty of its setting. The first game of cricket there was played in 1892.[2]
After the team's visit to play a two-day game againstTaranakiin January 1936, theMarylebone Cricket ClubcaptainErrol Holmeswrote:
... when we went to the ground, we were struck with its beauty, and decided that it must be one of the most attractive that could be imagined. On three sides it was surrounded by high banks, giving it the facilities of a natural amphitheatre. The pavilion stood on the fourth side which, in turn, led out on to Pukekura Park, famous for its assortment of trees and banks ofhydrangeasalmost as big as houses, while, away to the south, rose the peak ofMount Egmont,snow-capped, serene and splendidly aloof.[8]
The ground has hostedfirst-class cricketsince the 1950–51 season, when theCentral Districts cricket teamwas established and began playing some of its matches there. As of 2021, 55 men's first-class have been played on the ground, with the last match played in 2015. Central Districts men's and women's sides continue to use the ground inList AandTwenty20 cricketcompetitions.[9]
The ground first hosted international cricket in 1982 when threeWomen's One Day Internationalmatches were played on the ground. A women'sTest matchwas played on the ground in February 1992 and later in the same month a single men's international match, aOne Day Internationalin the1992 Cricket World Cup,[9]was played on the ground withSri LankabeatingZimbabwein a high-scoring match by three wickets with four balls to spare. ZimbabweanAndy Flowerscored a century during the match, making 115not out.[10]Three women'sTwenty20 Internationalmatches were played on the ground between 2016 and 2018.[9]
Today the park can only host domestic fixtures because of the small boundaries and lack of international standard facilities.
Other sports and events
[edit]In August 2021, domestic rugby returned to the venue for the first time in 79 years when hostTaranakidefeatedHawke's Bay33–19 in theNational Provincial Championshipin a one-off match.[11]Other Taranaki home matches will be played atTET Stadium.
On the eastern side of the park is New Plymouth Raceway, a horse racing course. Between the racetrack and the park isTSB Stadium,a 4,500 seat multi-purpose indoor stadium which is home to theTaranaki Mountainairsbasketball team of theNew Zealand NBL.
Near the southern end of the park is theBowl of Brooklandsamphitheatre, which commonly hosts music events. The annualWOMADfestival is held at Pukekura Park.[12]
Other features
[edit]Pukekura Park is also home to the popular Tea House on the Lake, which has been situated beside the main lake since 1931.[13]
Pukekura Park is the venue for the annualFestival of Lights,which runs for free every year from mid-December to early February. It has daytime and night time programmes of events for people of all ages, and the festival itself transforms the park into an illuminated wonderland every evening.[14]
In 2007, Pukekura Park was the winner of the "Mayfair" spot in a nationwide competition for places onHasbro's New Zealand edition ofMonopoly.[15]
References
[edit]- ^"Pukekura Park & Brooklands".New Zealand Gardens Trust.
- ^ab"Pukekura Park Timeline".terangiaoaonunui.pukeariki.com.Retrieved24 February2022.
- ^"Planting the first tree in the Recreation Grounds".Taranaki Herald.31 May 1876. p. 2.Retrieved24 February2022.
- ^"Spade, Garden".Puke Ariki Collection Online.Retrieved24 February2022.
- ^"The Recreation Grounds".Taranaki Herald:7. 7 November 1907.
- ^"Poet's Bridge".Puke Ariki.
- ^"Pukekura Park History".New Plymouth District Council.
- ^Errol Holmes,Flannelled Foolishness,Hollis & Carter, London, 1957, p. 133.
- ^abc"Pukekura Park, New Plymouth".CricketArchive.Retrieved4 May2020.
- ^"Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe 1991–92".CricketArchive.Retrieved4 May2020.
- ^"Taranaki Bulls' history-making game at New Plymouth's Pukekura Park a success".Stuff.8 August 2021.Retrieved6 September2021.
- ^"WOMAD New Zealand".WOMAD.
- ^"Teahouse on the Lake".Taranaki.co.nz.Retrieved5 December2023.
- ^Lee, Hannah (7 January 2016)."Pukekura Park 'buzzing' with huge crowds attending Festival of Lights".Taranaki Daily News.
- ^Lee, Hannah (8 April 2016)."Another five-star rating for New Plymouth's Pukekura Park".Taranaki Daily News.
External links
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