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The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum is moving on to its next stage.
The charitable trust that manages the park has appointed a park manager to replace former owners, John and Dorothy Wakeling.
This is part of the transition of the park which is now owned by a Foundation set up to ensure long-term stewardship of the park.
Antoinette Van der Weerden takes the reins at the park. Her background is in landscape architecture with considerable experience in horticulture. Her appointment will further enhance the park’s legacy of promoting environmental care and inspiring creativity in the arts.
The park is a story of renewal; a model of land rehabilitation, showing that even the most damaged landscapes can be restored to life and purpose.
Over the course of 34 years, this former 17.5 ha quarry has been transformed into a place of recreation and inspiration – a landscape of art, nature, and community.
More than 25,000 trees stand where bare rock once dominated, now a testament of regeneration and renewal.
The park continues to host sculpture exhibitions and run creative workshops. It is a place where people gather and reconnect for many different reasons. The arboretum invites visitors of all ages to connect with the environment, relax in its beauty, and take time out from the stresses of modern life.
Entry fees, grant organisations, sponsors and volunteers support the Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum to keep this endeavour available to the community.
