Park embodied aim to create a better world
HIGH on Bridge Hill, above Alexandra, there is a 6ha semiarid, seminatural public reserve with fine specimen trees and shrubs, protected by a QEII covenant and used for recreation and reflection by the wider community.
This is Jolendale Park — the living legacy of Jolyon Christopher Manning and his wife Enny.
Mr Manning, who died at Ranui Home in Alexandra aged 84 on April 9, was widely regarded as a man of many enthusiasms and great community vision.
The park is the result of nearly 60 years of plantings and stewardship — the manifestation of a deeply held intention to leave the earth a better place.
Born in Gore on October 4, 1933, Mr Manning was schooled in Invercargill and Dunedin before being directed into accountancy training at J.S. McInnes & Sons by his father, Arthur Manning, a journalist.
Although Jolyon Manning had a lifelong interest in numbers and statistics, his true passions were many and varied, including meteorology, forestry and hydrology, as well as a deep love of classical music.
His mother, Marjorie, was an accomplished pianist and teacher in Dunedin, and his father wrote concert reviews for local papers.
Mr Manning himself sang in St Paul’s Cathedral choir in Dunedin for 27 years and built an extensive library of highquality music recordings, many of which were later donated to the University of Otago.
It was a great source of regret for him that he was denied the opportunity to choose his own vocation but true to his lifelong motto — ‘‘opportunity oriented, not problem focused’’ — Mr Manning soon redirected his career towards fields of more personal interest.
Throughout his life, Mr Manning was a strong advocate for Otago. He held many positions of public office and had a particular gift for being able to take a wider perspective on an issue, informed by his broad interests.
A confident and articulate speaker, he was known for his wellthoughtout and passionate views.
He actively participated in public consultation processes and frequently wrote submissions and newspaper articles and attended many public meetings and hearings — focusing particularly on issues of regional development, employment, tourism and forestry.
Mr Manning’s promotion of the Otago region began with his work in the Otago Visitor Centre. He became wellknown for leading summer walks in and around Dunedin, highlighting the area’s natural beauty.
He had a great belief in the region and was the driving force behind the establishment of the Otago Council Inc (forerunner of the Otago Regional Council), which he was chief executive of for nearly two decades.
He also served for a term as a Dunedin city councillor and his book, Focus on Otago, highlighted trends and growth opportunities in the region.
In addition, he held leadership roles and positions of office in many organisations local and national, including the Men of the Trees, Tree Crops Society, Otago Chamber of Commerce, Dunedin Arts Council, Institute of Foresters, the National Youth Hostel Association and the National Tourism Board.
Mr Manning was also an active member of the Anglican Church for most of his life and was a lay canon and people’s warden.
❛ You could almost bet on it that if there was an opportunity to make
a submission on a significant local issue, Jolyon would be there
Mr Manning’s community engagement began at a young age and he met his wife Enny on a working bee on Quarantine Island in Otago Harbour.
Mrs Manning (nee Waal) was a young house surgeon at the time, having migrated from Indonesia as a Dutch refugee after the war years.
The couple married on May 16, 1959, in Old St Paul’s in Wellington and had three children — Marina, Christopher and William.
Their early married life quickly became a balancing act between two busy careers, three children and regular commutes to and from Alexandra to establish a ‘‘neighbour wood’’ park for all.
Although characterised by beautiful schist outcrops, the land was arid and covered with dense sweet briar when they bought it in the early 1960s. The challenge was to plant species that could withstand the extremes of the Alexandra climate — both drought and frost.
Mr Manning read about the shelterbelt plantings for the dust bowl in the United States and contacted the US Forest Service, from which he imported seeds to be propagated at the NZ Forest Service nursery in Milton.
For many years he kept detailed meteorological records for the park and wrote a monthly research update of the trial plantings for the NZ Forest Service.
Any saplings surplus to requirement at Jolendale were donated for experimental plantings around the South Island as well as for beautification plantings around the new hydro dams.
The couple retired to Alexandra in the 1990s and became highly involved in local community affairs.
Central Otago’s mayor from 2001 to 2010, Malcolm Macpherson, said Mr Manning might have been the most frequent visitor to council meetings and hearings.
‘‘You could almost bet on it that if there was an opportunity to make a submission on a significant local issue, Mr Manning would be there with a point of view, almost without fail.
‘‘He was certainly a personality — engaging, striking. You knew Jolyon was part of the conversation or in the room’’.
In 2004, Jolendale Park became protected with a QEII covenant and was given to the Alexandra community in 2010, managed by the Jolendale Charitable Trust, of which Dr Macpherson was the inaugural chairman.
‘‘For years to come, people will look back at the Mannings’ contribution to inland Otago and to the whole subject of tree and shrub husbandry in New
Zealand, and Jolendale will be one of the shining lights,’’ Dr Macpherson said.
In later years, the Mannings extended their plantings to include roadside reserves in Gorge Creek and Champagne Gully beside Lake Dunstan.
In 1995 the Mannings received an environmental award from the ORC for creating the park.
In 2000, Mr Manning a lifelong member of the NZ Arboricultural Association, received the Ronald Flook Award for tree care, an honour he was particularly proud of.
More recently, as his health and eyesight failed, Mr Manning again drew closer to his first love — music — and found comfort in the natural environment of his beloved park.
Mr Manning is survived by his wife, their three children and four grandchildren.