Heritage Talk - Whangārei Quarry Gardens

Stone quarry to five-star public gardens

Talk date: 29 November 2023.

Thomas Nance, manager of the Quarry Gardens, talked about the varied history of the 25-hectare site in the Western Hills of Whangārei. From a stone quarry developed in the 1940s by Hardie Brothers that supplied the district with roading aggregate, to five-star public gardens, created and managed by volunteers.

Thomas also talked about the challenges of maintaining public gardens on a difficult site with rock falls, fires, flooding and slips.

Image shows an overview of the Whangārei Quarry Gardens in 2011.

Watch the talk on YouTube

Whangarei Quarry Gardens by Thomas Nance on YouTube

Image above shows the stone quarry, developed by Hardie Brothers in the 1940s.

About Thomas Nance

Whangārei born, Thomas spent most of his working life as a commercial mariner. Managing a public garden was an unlikely career move, but one that has had unexpected rewards. As an artist, qualified landscape designer and general doer, Thomas has found the opportunities at the Quarry Gardens a good fit for his interests and skills. Thomas returned to Whangārei after living overseas and has found himself at the helm of a challenging project of rebuilding the Whangārei Quarry Gardens after the damage caused from Cyclone Gabrielle.