Aunty's Garden, based near Waipatu Marae, was vandalised over the weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor
The community is “up in arms” after vandals attacked the beloved Aunty’s Garden run by Aunty Arohanui (Hanui) Lawrence.
The Aunty’s Garden Facebook page made a post on Sunday morning which said someone had gone to the premises while it was closed and vandalised the tunnel house.
“They went through the cupboards, upturned seeds, tools and seed trays,” the post said.
Pictured in the post were four razor blades found in the garden’s koha box after the attack.
“Aunty works so hard to keep this maara going and it is distressing when people do not respect this,” the post said.
“This is a maara for the community, it runs on manaakitanga, respect and trust so we ask you to please keep a watch out for any negative behaviour.”
Marion Thomson, who helps Aunty Hanui manage the garden, said she is away at the moment and found out about the vandalism from her granddaughter, who sent her pictures.
She said they had experienced minor vandalism in the past, but there had never been much damage.
“This has got people who support the garden up in arms.”
Hawke’s Bay Today reached out to Aunty Hanui for comment, but she was unable to be contacted.
Aunty’s Garden has been featured in the Tihei Kahungunu insert of Hawke’s Bay Today since June 2015, where Aunty Hanui shares recipes and stories, cooking hints, ideas and ways to make exciting dishes using vegetables and fruits from Aunty’s Garden.
Aunty Hanui was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in the 2020/2021 New Year Honours in recognition of her services to Māori and sustainable food production in Aunty’s Garden.
The 0.8-hectare paddock next to Hastings’ Waiatu Marae was converted into a community garden before opening in 2010.
She has encouraged others to grow their own vegetables with gardening workshops to show them how and has produced affordable organic kai for years now.
Her workshops are attended by around 70 people and the organically grown fresh kai is available to anyone at no set prices, just any koha that people are willing to offer.
Herald NOW: Daily News Update: June 23 2025. Video / Herald NOW
