Visit by the Prime Minister of New Zealand
Mr Jon Stanhope, Chief Minister MLA and the Honourable Mr John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand planted an Agathis australis (Kauri) on Thursday 20 August 2009 at the Arboretum.
Photograph of the Honourable John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand during the tree planting ceremony at the Arboretum.
The ceremonial tree planting was the first to be held on the spine of the Central Valley landscape at the Arboretum. The Central Valley occupies the major existing valley of the Arboretum site, extending from the entry to the crowning ridge line. The valley clearing and series of terraces form an important arrival experience leading to the visitor’s centre to be built in the coming years.
The Central Valley will provide a sculpted landscape – a location for events, informal passive recreation and a setting for a children’s play space.
The visit to the National Arboretum was one of a number of ceremonial events that the Prime Minister Key attended in Canberra during his visit. Other events included a Ceremonial Welcome on the forecourt of Parliament House, and laying of wreaths at the War Memorial and New Zealand War Memorial.
Agathis australis (Kauri)
The New Zealand Kauri is one of the world’s most impressive evergreen conifers, reaching 50 metres with massive straight trunks free of branches to a great height. Kauri trees once grew in vast forests said to have covered a million hectares of the North Island lowlands and Maori people carved the trunks of the Kauri into canoes. During the 19th century much of the Kauri forests were felled and sawed as the tough, durable timber was prized for the spars of sailing ships and later for furniture and general construction.
There is an ancient Kauri tree in New Zealand called Tane Muhara or 'Lord of the Forest' that is thought to be the largest living Kauri at 51 metres tall, with a girth of 4.4 metres in diameter and is clear of branches up to a height of 18 metres. This honoured and now protected Kauri is thought to be over 1500 years old.
Photograph above left: The Honourable Mr John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand and Chief Minister, Mr Jon Stanhope MLA.
Photograph above right: The Chief Minister with members of Te Rere O Te Tarakakao (Canberra and Queanbeyan Maori Culture Club)