Cornwall Park, Hastings
Cornwall Park, Hastings
Cornwall Park, also called Papa Rēhia o Mākaramū, is a public park in the Mahora area of Hastings, New Zealand. It covers about 8.34 hectares and opened in November 1905 after the council bought the land in 1901. The park was named for King George V, who visited New Zealand the year it opened. Over the years the park gained sports fields, many trees, and a major renovation in the 1920s.
Main attractions
- Osmanthus Garden: a traditional Chinese garden opened in 1996 to mark Hastings’ sister-city link with Guilin, China.
- John Holt Memorial Display House: a heated glasshouse opened in 1966.
- King George V Coronation drinking fountain: a historic fountain installed in 1911.
- An aviary with about 100 birds and 15 red-eared slider turtles, upgraded in 2023.
Other features include a tea kiosk (1928), a mini zoo, ponds, flower beds, a playground, and a large central field used for cricket and other sports. The Mākaramū River runs through the park.
History in brief
- Before Cornwall Park, Hastings had little space for public recreation. The council bought land and opened the park in 1905, with cricket and athletics events.
- In the 1920s, Christchurch designer A. W. Buxton planned improvements: gates, flower beds, ponds, the aviary, the tea kiosk, a playground, and a small zoo.
- The 1930s public works added seats and bridges.
- The tea rooms survived the 1931 earthquake but burned in 1957. They later became Te Mākaramū / The Meeting Room in 2023 after restoration.
- The aviary was upgraded in 2023 after community input, with more space and new signs and murals.
- In 2023, trees were planted to celebrate Hastings’ 150th anniversary, and a tree was planted to mark the coronation of King Charles III (a kahikatea was chosen).
Governance
- Hastings District Council manages the park under the Cornwall Park Reserve Management Plan.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:30 (CET).