Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga mayors Ross Paterson and Stuart Crosby formally opened Huharua Park at a special ceremony on Friday, 18 June, attended by Tauranga Moana iwi representatives, Te Puna School students, the park's former landowners and council staff.

The 8 7-hectare reserve is located at the end of Plummer’s Point Road bounded by the Tauranga Harbour to the north and lies within the rohe of the Pirirakau hapu of Ngati Ranginui iwi, descendants of the Takitimu waka.

The land was originally settled by dairy farmers Ada and Thomas Plummer in 1908 and was later converted to orchard by their grandson Tony Thorne.

Mayor Paterson thanked the Thorne family for having the foresight to preserve the land in public ownership by selling it to the councils in 2003, despite having had offers to sell the land on the open market.

“The family has owned this land since 1908 and it is their commitment that has led to us having the land here today in the form of a harbourside park with signicant cultural heritage features. Thank you for preserving our history and thanks also to the Pirirakau hapu for all you have done to help us get to this stage,” said Ross.

“The two councils have developed it to this stage and it is now over to the community to give this park a heart. I look forward to seeing the community step forward to give the park a pulse – and maybe set up an organisation such as Friends of Huharua.”

Mayor Crosby reflected on the earlier foresight of the community that had pressured the councils in the 1990s to retain important landscape and heritage areas for posterity.

This had resulted in three sub-regional parks being set aside – the Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park, the TECT All Terrain adventure park and the Passive Harbourside Huharua Park.

“That was good foresight in those days. This park is a good example of how we work together to achieve in the Western Bay of Plenty. That is the strength of our community. It is not just the councils working together, it is councils working with the community,” said Stuart.

Ngati Ranginui kaumatua Colin Bidois said Huharua was of huge significance to the tangata whenua of Tauranga Moana and he too thanked the councils and the Thorne family for their foresight and love of the land to preserve such a significant cultural heritage site for the Bay of Plenty.

Ron and Tony Thorne, the grandsons of Thomas Plummer – attended the park's opening and were delighted with the way the park has been developed.

“We are very impressed with what has happened and the way it has turned out,” said Ron. “Our family has been associated with this piece of land for 100 years. My grandparents Thomas and Ada Plummer lived in the old homestead that is still in Plummer's Point today and mum and dad came here in 1965 and built a house in the park.  It is a special place and we are very pleased it has been preserved,” said Ron.

At the opening, seven pohutukawa were planted at the headland of the Park – each one representing the councils and the marae within the Park's rohe - Paparoa, Tutereinga, Poututerangi and Tawhitinui.

The next stage of development will be the preservation of the Ongarahu Pa, one of the most well preserved defensive fortifications known in New Zealand. This will be done by members and carvers of the Pirirakau hapu in conjunction with the councils.

Huharua Park fact sheet:

• The land of Huharua Park was alienated from Maori ownership by forced land acquisition (Te Puna Katikati Purchase 1865 – 1871). The area now known as Plummer’s Point was known as Huharua which contained Huharua and Ongarahu Pa.
• The land is part of the original property settled by Ada and Thomas Plummer in 1908 and was retained by the family for almost 100 years.
• The land was farmed until 1976 when Tony Thorne, the grandson of Thomas Plummer, established a kiwifruit, citrus and avocado orchard.
• The park is within the rohe of the Pirirakau hapu of Ngati Ranginui iwi, descendants of the Takitimu waka. Ngati Ranginui held the harbour lands of Tauranga Moana from the Waimapu River to the Waipapa River.
• Western Bay of Plenty District and Tauranga City councils jointly purchased the land from the Thorne family in 2003 for conversion to a sub-regional park.
• The 8.7-hectare reserve will serve as a passive public park for walking, picnicking and enjoying the thriving bird life and harbourside environment.
• The Western Bay of Plenty District Council in partnership with Pirirakau Hapu is undertaking the park’s development.
• Huharua is the site of the Ongarahu Pa, one of the most well preserved defensive fortifications known in New Zealand.
• Huharua translated means a gully or swale. The meaning of the name relates to an oral tradition of a tunnel or covered ditch that linked the two pa of Huharua and Ongarahu. It is said that warriors used the tunnel to escape when the pa was under siege.
• The park falls under the administration of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, as the lead authority.
• Governance of the park is under the sub-regional parks committee that also oversees the TECT All Terrain Park in Pyes Pa. This committee is made up of representatives from Tauranga City and Western Bay councils and tangata whenua.