Ohinerau Mt Hobson war memorials

In 1948 members of the Remuera and Meadowbank Garden Club began gathering daffodil bulbs for a mass planting on Ōhinerau in memory of the boys from Remuera who played on the mountain maunga and lost their lives in World War I and II.

In 1947 a project started to plant parts of the cutting and lower slopes of Mount Hobson facing Remuera Road with drifts of daffodils. This plan, put forward and sponsored by the newly formed Remuera and Meadowbank Garden Club, found favour with the chairman of the City Council parks committee, Cr. Leonard Coakley, and the ‘superintendent of parks and reserves. Mr J. A. McPherson.

In 1948 members of the Remuera and Meadowbank Garden Club began gathering daffodil bulbs for a mass planting on Ōhinerau in memory of the boys from Remuera who played on the mountain maunga and lost their lives in World War I and II. In an article “In Memory of the Boys”, Jeanette De Heer describes the games that were played by Remuera boys from all the local schools on the slopes of Mt Hobson. [1]

An appeal was started for people to contribute daffodil bulbs. The idea was that Remuera residents would contribute surplus bulbs, such as are usually thrown away, and that the City Council should do the setting with its bulb planting machine. Bulbs would not be planted in set beds. They would grow in the turf, push through the periwinkle which has matted part of the hillside. They would clump with the seasons, be added to by further plantings from time to time. The visualised effect at springtime would be the mountain’s green slopes rising from a sea of gold. It would be a stimulating sight near the entrance to Remuera; it is not inconceivable that it would draw visitors as a spectacle. It was said that sheep do not eat daffodils.

Cattle might break them down, but cattle, because of the damage they do to the turf, damage in turn leading to erosion and slips, have now been banned from Hobson. The deep and matted daffodil bulbs with strong roots would play a part in the consolidation of Hobson’s base; The idea of a community daffodil effort has inspiration from Christchurch’s Hagley Park. [2]

The Remuera Round newspaper said bulbs could be left at Strickett’s, seedsmen, Remuera Road, Sibun’s, seedsmen, Newmarket, McLaren’s Service Station, Remuera Road, or at the home of any member of the committee of the Remuera and Meadowbank Garden Club. The Misses Goldie, Remuera Road, are among those who have given cash donations. Among Other contributors are Mrs Cox, Lucerne Road, Mrs Lawson, Lucerne Road, Mrs Forgie, Lucerne Road, Mr A. Hughes, Upland Road Mrs A. McCosh Clark, Bassett Road.[3]

A War Memorial Fund was established by Mrs H Corbin of Dunholme Road. In March 1950 the fund had amounted to £246 7/6. [3]. A memorial seat was then constructed in June 1958 opposite the daffodils so that families could enjoy them on their visits to the mountain at daffodil-flowering time.  Mrs H Corbin who came up with the idea, donated the stone for the seat. The relatives of those who served and died then raised £250 for the seat, surrounding paving and a brass plaque. The plaque set into the seat reads “This seat was given by residents of Remuera in memory of boys who played on the slopes of the mountain and who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II.” Rosemary for remembrance was planted around the seat. [4,5]

The seat was designed by Mr S. V. Hart, a landscape artist at the Auckland City Council. [6]

The brass plaque set into the seat reads: “This seat was given by residents of Remuera in memory of boys who played on the slopes of the mountain and who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II.” [7]

Further planting of 1800 bulbs was done by 30 children from Remuera Intermediate in 2016. [8].

In the early 2000s drifts of yellow daffodils, jonquils and EarlyCheer spread across the northern slopes of Ohinerau but have become repeatedly mown over by contractors. Time for a new daffodils project to commemorate the Remuera boys who played on the slopes of Mt Hobson and served in WW1 and WW2?