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Story: Landscape architecture

Plan for Western Park, Auckland, 1873

Western Park in Freemans Bay, Auckland, is one of the city's oldest public parks. In 1873 a design competition was held for the park, known then as City Park, and was won by surveyor William Hammond. The extensive plantings were of exotic trees and the park was intended to act as a 'lung' for the city, freshening the air for its inhabitants. 

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Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Reference: NZ Map 4686

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Landscape architecture – Garden design and landscaping, 19th and early 20th centuries, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/42896/plan-for-western-park-auckland-1873 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 1 October 2013, updated 26 March 2015.