Commemorating 150 years of the Oamaru Public Gardens
Published on 12 October 2026
On 30 September 1876, the Oamaru Public Gardens were formally opened with the planting of a copper beech tree. One hundred and fifty years later, on Saturday 10 October, Mayor Mel Tavendale was joined by David Welton and Caitlyn Kitto of Green By Nature, Rob Douglas of the North Otago Tree Planting Association and the community to plant a commemorative tree.
The weeping ash, donated by the North Otago Tree Planting Association and purchased from Statement Trees, replaces a tree that fell in high winds last year.
Mayor Mel Tavendale, before the planting, spoke, “On behalf of our community, I offer heartfelt thanks to the North Otago Tree Planting Association for the generous gift of this tree, and to Statement Trees, our local nursery, from which it was purchased. I also warmly acknowledge Green By Nature for preparing the site and for the care they will give this tree as it becomes established.
Today, we honour all those whose vision, hard work and generosity have shaped these gardens over the past 150 years. Like them, we plant not only for today, but for people we may never meet — for the children and families who will one day rest beneath these branches and enjoy the gardens we have cherished.
May this Weeping Ash put down deep roots, grow with strength and grace, and stand as a living symbol of our gratitude for the past and our hope for the future.”
The Mayor’s full remarks are available below:
"Tēnā koutou katoa, and thank you for gathering with us on this very special occasion as we celebrate 150 years of the Oamaru Public Gardens.
For a century and a half, these gardens have held a special place in the heart of our community. Set aside as a public reserve in Oamaru’s earliest surveys, they were formally opened on 30 September 1876 with the planting of a copper beech tree. Since then, generations have walked these paths, enjoyed the beauty of the changing seasons, and found here a place for recreation, reflection and connection. They have provided the backdrop for countless wedding photographs — and have probably seen more nervous grooms, carefully arranged families and high heels sinking into lawns than anywhere else in Oamaru.
How fitting, then, that we mark this milestone in the same way the gardens began — by planting a tree. This Weeping Ash, Fraxinus excelsior ‘Pendula’, is a strong-growing deciduous tree that can reach around 15 metres. In the years ahead, its graceful, drooping branches will form an umbrella-shaped crown — which, given Oamaru’s changeable weather, may prove to be a very useful quality indeed. Its dark green leaves may also turn a beautiful golden yellow in autumn.
On behalf of our community, I offer heartfelt thanks to the North Otago Tree Planting Association for the generous gift of this tree, and to Statement Trees, our local nursery, from which it was purchased. I also warmly acknowledge Green By Nature for preparing the site and for the care they will give this tree as it becomes established.
Today, we honour all those whose vision, hard work and generosity have shaped these gardens over the past 150 years. Like them, we plant not only for today, but for people we may never meet — for the children and families who will one day rest beneath these branches and enjoy the gardens we have cherished.
May this Weeping Ash put down deep roots, grow with strength and grace, and stand as a living symbol of our gratitude for the past and our hope for the future.
It is now my great honour and privilege to plant this tree in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Oamaru Public Gardens. I am told the experts will take care of it from then on — which is reassuring - both for the tree, and the gardens."
ENDS
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