Garden gains heritage status
Coinciding with this year’s Suffrage Day celebrations,
Ka¯ piti’s Suffrage Centennial Garden has been awarded heritage status and is now registered as a historic site on the council’s district plan.
It is recognised as being significant to the cultural landscape and historical heritage of the district and has become a protected site.
Opened on September 19, 1993, Suffrage Day this year marked the 25th anniversary of the official opening of the Suffrage Centennial Garden.
That year, Ka¯ piti women joined women all over the country in a series of projects to commemorate 100 years of women’s suffrage.
The garden which surrounds the Kapiti Women’s Centre on Ngahina St was initiated by the Kapiti Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL), developed largely by the women of the community over a ten-year period and since 2003 has been maintained by the Kapiti Women’s Centre.
“From the outset we were aware that the Ka¯ piti town centre lacked an urban public garden,” said project coordinator Laura van Peer.
“We never imagined that our project located in the swampy wasteland at the end of a cul-desac, adjacent to the Women’s Centre, school and kindergarten could potentially become an integral part of the town centre.
“But with the more recentlyarrived community centre, aquatic centre, and through-road to the library and council buildings it has become a beautifully-located focal point for the wider community available for use by everyone.”
In 2011, a carpark was built at the rear of the garden. While the council ensured this was carefully constructed around the garden, it did raise questions about future safety of the garden. This resulted in the application for recognition of heritage status being lodged by the Kapiti Women’s Centre in 2012.
“The tranquil garden we enjoy today is the result of a concerted community effort, years of hard work, goodwill, and generous donations of time, materials, labour, and skill,” said the co-ordinator of the centre at the time, Rae Lutman.
“Many local artists shared their expertise and guided the many willing helpers to create the beautiful features of the garden. It is a legacy from dedicated and passionate people, many of whom are no longer with us. The garden is a fitting memorial to their commitment to make a positive difference in our world.”