Tuakau’s Pā Harakeke (Collection of NZ Flax in North Waikato)

One of Tuakau’s special spots is a collection of Harakeke (NZ Flax), planted by Buckley Fyers in 1989.

Buckley wrote a ‘Tribute to Flax’ which is attached with a letter to the ‘Keep Tuakau Beautiful’ Committee and a comprehensive list of the 23 varieties, with the source of each plant.

The names listed include: Rene Orchiston, Viv Gregory, Schruers, Mrs Schuster, Digger Te Kanawa, Len Scott, Mick Pendergrast, J. Jefferis, Ken Lewis.

As I research this collection of Harakeke, the following questions come to mind:

• Did Buckley plant with a group of weavers, or on his own?
• How many of the original plants are left in the park?
• Is there an interest in the community to identify which plants are which, and create signs to name them?

These questions and many more will hopefully be answered as Tuakau’s weavers, gardeners and composters work together to tidy up the weeds growing in and around the plants.

History of the park

For more history of Centennial Park, the Tuakau & Districts Museum holds a generous folder with photos, letters, landscaping plans and other papers.

Kairoa stream runs through the park, and used to contain a swimming hole for the local community. As I gather up weeds from the stream in the December heat, I think of how many decades ago, this was where the town came to cool off.

What makes this collection significant?

Buckley travelled widely to collect different varieties, and in his letter to the ‘Keep Tuakau Beautiful’ committee in 1992, he expresses the hope that this Paa Harakeke would be looked after.

In 1989, the Manurewa Botanic Gardens established their Pā Harakeke, and used the 23 varieties collected by Buckley to start their collection. Read more about the Manurewa Botanic Gardens here.

The following is from their website:

What’s the connection to Blue Borage?

The connection is pretty accidental! I came across the documentation from Buckley Fyers in 2023 while researching the other half of Centennial Park, in particular the evolution of the space from a swimming hole to a park. I knew that the collection was intentional when, by pure chance, I happened to attend a weekend class on Raranga (Māori weaving) at a summer arts festival in Pokeno hosted by Jane Crosbie in early 2023. The teacher was Amber Fonua, who teaches at the Mangere campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Jane suggested to the group that the Level 3 Raranga course was life-changing, and it seemed like a great way for me to take a scenic detour off on a side tangent of my Hua Parakore studies. I’d completed a Te Reo Māori Language paper with the Open Polytechnic in 2023, but found the online learning frustrating, and wanted to experience the atmosphere of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

So in July 2024, I began level 3 Raranga studies, which involved harvesting Harakeke from our local community and studying any aspects of the craft that took my interest. This meant going back to Buckley’s notes, and meeting up with the local weavers using the plants at Centennial Park.

There is general consensus among the weavers that we need to host some working bees to tidy up the weeds, and perhaps also some actual weaving sessions. I’ve asked if we can turn the invasive weeds into soil inside the park using hot composting methods, and people seem open to the idea. I’m in touch with the Waikato District Council and also chatting with Stuart Graham, who tends to the flower beds and pathways around the park.

Stay tuned to see what evolves! My hope is that these special plants bring more of the community into connection with the art of Raranga, and that we form a merry group of locals maintaining the health of the Kairoa stream with non-toxic weed management, a.k.a. pulling plants out of the stream.

To get in touch, please email me at katrina@blueborage.co.nz or come and find me on social media — Instagram at @blue_borage or LinkedIn at Katrina Wolff is best.

I’ll add in contact details for the other weavers once I have their permission.

To see the letters and notes from Buckley, the Tuakau & Districts Museum is open on Thursday mornings (for working bees), Sunday afternoons (staffed by volunteers), and can be opened by appointment for groups and visitors as required.

Contact details for the Museum can be found here on their Facebook page.

This is a living document, and I’ll add more details in the coming months.

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As the main Blue Borage compost consultant, I’m able to help businesses, schools, community organisations and home gardeners learn how to tidy their Harakeke (NZ Flax) plants. I don’t teach weaving, but can refer you to my teacher Amber at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa or other weavers I have met.
If you have Harakeke growing on your premises, then learning to prune it is relatively simple, and once the leaves are harvested, I can use them to create woven treasures for your whānau or workmates.
It’s often easiest to talk through a project like this on a Zoom call, and I put time aside in my schedule for these sorts of quotes.
Book a session here: https://calendly.com/blueborage/15min
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