Domain Wintergardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Domain Wintergardens |
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Looking across the courtyard of the Wintergardens, towards the Tropic House with Auckland City Hospital visible in the background.
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| General information | |
| Type | Wintergarden |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Address | Wintergarden Road, Auckland Domain |
| Coordinates | 36°51′37″S 174°46′27″E / 36.860253°S 174.77409°E |
| Construction started | 1916 |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Inaugurated | 2 May 1928 |
| Renovated | 1945, 1954, and 1993-1994 |
| Owner | Auckland Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Henry Gummer and Charles Reginald Ford |
| Architecture firm | Gummer and Ford |
| Designated: | 21-Sep-1989 |
| Reference #: | 124 |
The Domain Wintergardens is a beautiful set of gardens found inside the Auckland Domain in Auckland, New Zealand. It's a very special place, listed as a 'Category I' historic site by Heritage New Zealand. This means it's super important to New Zealand's history and culture!
Contents
What are the Domain Wintergardens?
The Wintergardens have two big glasshouses. One is called the Temperate House. It is not heated, so it's like a normal warm day. The other is the Tropical House. It is kept very warm, around 28 °C, just like a tropical jungle!
Between these two glasshouses, there is a fancy courtyard. It has cool old statues and a pond in the middle. There's also a special Fernery. This is a place where ferns grow, and it's built inside an old rock quarry.
History of the Wintergardens
The Domain Wintergardens were built after World War I. The money for them came from a big event called the Industrial, Agricultural and Mining Exhibition. This exhibition happened in 1913-1914 in the same spot.
Other local people also gave money to help build the gardens. A very important person was Sir George Elliot. He was a businessman and helped lead the exhibition. He also led the Bank of New Zealand.
The Auckland Domain has been a public park since 1844. The Wintergardens were built to make the park even nicer. They gave people a fun place to visit, especially during the colder winter months.
How the Wintergardens Were Built
The gardens were designed by a company called Gummer and Ford. Their design was inspired by famous English designers, Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll. It also showed ideas from the Arts and Crafts movement.
First, only the Temperate House was built. It opened to the public on 12 October 1921. Later, in the 1920s, the courtyard, the Tropical House, and the Fernery were added. The first part cost about £4000 to build. The second part was built by Fletcher Building and cost £19500.
The Mayor of Auckland City at the time, George Baildon, officially opened the complete Wintergardens on 2 May 1928.
Updates and Renovations
Many of the statues you see in the courtyard were added in 1945. The pond in the middle of the gardens was put in during 1954.
A big project to fix up the Wintergardens happened in 1993 and 1994. This made sure the gardens stayed beautiful and safe for everyone to enjoy.
Special Plants at the Wintergardens
On 1 December 2013, something amazing happened at the Tropical House. It was the first place in New Zealand to have a giant plant called the Amorphophallus titanum bloom. This plant is super rare! It can take 10 years for it to flower. When it does, its flower smells like rotting meat. It's a very unique smell!
Images for kids
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An exterior view of the wintergardens.
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The interior of the temperate house.
