Tree back to roots of its city

By BERNARD ORSMAN

The remains of the felled Monterey pine on One Tree Hill have been divvied up for carving, research and to go on public display.

The local tangata whenua, Ngati Whatua, have been given the largest section of the trunk, about 6m, for carving.

The Auckland Museum has received a 2m section of the lower trunk, including the area damaged by activist Mike Smith with a chainsaw in October 1994, to go on public display.

The attack shortened the life of the tree, which was removed from the summit on October 26.

The mid-section of the main trunk will be cut into cross-sections to go on display at the Cornwall Park Trust Board visitor centre, the Auckland Observatory in Cornwall Park and to be used for research by Auckland University. The Auckland City Council also gets to keep a cross-section.

The city council's parks and recreation committee decided yesterday to give pieces to organisations with the closest ties to the tree or which had the greatest audience.

The committee's acting chairman, David Hay, said many requests had been made for pieces of the tree.

Some people wanted a piece for personal reasons, such as a loved one's ashes being scattered over the site, or that a relative had cared for the pine during its 125 years on the Auckland skyline.

The council is preparing a resource consent application for a replacement tree, which is expected to be ready in February and notified for the public to have a say.

Herald Online feature: Tree on the Hill