Barton's Bush
Encyclopedia
Barton's Bush, in Trentham Memorial Park
, is the largest remaining area of lowland mixed podocarp
/broadleaf forest in the Hutt Valley
of New Zealand
. Named after Richard Barton
who settled in the area in 1841, it was his desire that this section of the native forest should remain whilst the city of Upper Hutt
gradually took shape and land was cleared for farming and settling.
By 1924, Barton's descendents had started to clear the remaining native bush on the estate. Attempts were made to protect the remaining bush as a public reserve through discussions with the family as well as representation to the Minister of Lands. However, it was only in 1950 that ₤26,000 were able to be raised to purchase the bush area. Of the money raised, ₤13,000 came from a War Memorial subsidy while the remainder was one third public subscription and one third each from the Upper Hutt Borough and Hutt County Councils.
While acquisition of Barton's Bush was intended to preserve the bush remnant as an indication of what the forest had been like before the Europeans came to New Zealand, it was far from pristine. During the 1940's the area had been logged. Based on the remaining stumps, over 100 Totara had been felled, while the bush was also been infested with the exotic pest plants Old Mans Beard (Clematis Vitalba) and Wandering Jew (Tradescantia Fluminensis), both detrimental to the forest. Since 1980 a control programme has actively removed these pest plants and supplementary plantings have encouraged native flora development.
In recent years, the bush tracks have been gravelled and lightly fenced to provide clear walking paths while protecting the forest and discouraging people and animals from wandering off the formed tracks and inadvertently damaging the natural undergrowth.
, with some Totara, Matai
and Kahikatea canopy trees also present. There is also a broad range of native undercanopy trees and other undergrowth plants. While it has been subject to some human modification, Barton's Bush still gives a good indication of the sort of lowland forest that the European settlers encountered when they first moved into the Hutt Valley.
Trentham Memorial Park
Trentham Memorial Park is a large park and a major sport and recreation ground in Trentham, a suburb of Upper Hutt, in the Wellington region of New Zealand....
, is the largest remaining area of lowland mixed podocarp
Podocarpaceae
Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. It contains 19 genera if Phyllocladus is included and if Manoao and Sundacarpus are recognized....
/broadleaf forest in the Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley, New Zealand
The Hutt Valley is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Like the river that flows through it, it takes its name from Sir William Hutt, a director of the New Zealand Company in early colonial New Zealand.The river flows roughly along...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Named after Richard Barton
Richard Barton
Richard Barton was the first European resident of Trentham, Upper Hutt, in New Zealand. He was born on 30 August 1790 in Newport, Isle of Wight. He arrived in Wellington in 1840 on the "Oriental", the second of four early settler ships, and in 1841 purchased 100-acres for a farm in the Upper Hutt...
who settled in the area in 1841, it was his desire that this section of the native forest should remain whilst the city of Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
gradually took shape and land was cleared for farming and settling.
History
In 1841, Richard Barton purchased 100 acres of land in the upper Hutt Valley. He modeled his development of his estate on that of Trentham in England, where he had been a supervisor of the estate. This meant part of the land was cleared for farming and settlement while some of it was left as natural bush land. Over time, Barton and his wife acquired more land so that eventually his estate extended from Quinns Post to Silverstream to the west of the Main Road and on both sides of the Hutt River.By 1924, Barton's descendents had started to clear the remaining native bush on the estate. Attempts were made to protect the remaining bush as a public reserve through discussions with the family as well as representation to the Minister of Lands. However, it was only in 1950 that ₤26,000 were able to be raised to purchase the bush area. Of the money raised, ₤13,000 came from a War Memorial subsidy while the remainder was one third public subscription and one third each from the Upper Hutt Borough and Hutt County Councils.
While acquisition of Barton's Bush was intended to preserve the bush remnant as an indication of what the forest had been like before the Europeans came to New Zealand, it was far from pristine. During the 1940's the area had been logged. Based on the remaining stumps, over 100 Totara had been felled, while the bush was also been infested with the exotic pest plants Old Mans Beard (Clematis Vitalba) and Wandering Jew (Tradescantia Fluminensis), both detrimental to the forest. Since 1980 a control programme has actively removed these pest plants and supplementary plantings have encouraged native flora development.
In recent years, the bush tracks have been gravelled and lightly fenced to provide clear walking paths while protecting the forest and discouraging people and animals from wandering off the formed tracks and inadvertently damaging the natural undergrowth.
Flora
More than 100 different species of native plants live in Barton's Bush. Most of the mature canopy trees are TawaTawa (tree)
The Tawa tree is a New Zealand broadleaf tree common in the central parts of the country. Tawa is often the dominant canopy species in lowland forests in the North Island and the north east of the South Island, but will also often form the subcanopy in primary forests throughout the country in...
, with some Totara, Matai
Prumnopitys taxifolia
Prumnopitys taxifolia is an endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island/Rakiura but is uncommon there....
and Kahikatea canopy trees also present. There is also a broad range of native undercanopy trees and other undergrowth plants. While it has been subject to some human modification, Barton's Bush still gives a good indication of the sort of lowland forest that the European settlers encountered when they first moved into the Hutt Valley.
Further reading
- Upper Hutt City Council Information Board at Trentham Memorial Park, near the children's playground carpark, entrance off Brentwood Street.
External links
- Tracks.org.nz Barton's Bush, retrieved 28 December 2010.
- Outdoorz.co.nz: Upper Hutt: Bartons Bush in Trentham Memorial Park, retrieved 28 December 2010.