Azalea Place

Azalea Place runs off Brooklands Road and was named in 1970 for the colourful plants that once filled Truby King Dell.

Originally an unformed continuation of Holsworthy Road, Azalea Place was separated in 1964 and renamed because of its proximity to the municipal reserve opposite Brooklands Drive. The little cul-de sac began appearing as Azalea Place in street directories from 1971.

The land forming Truby King Dell was acquired by New Plymouth District Council between 1952 and 1971, and officially classified as a Recreation Reserve in 1982. The dell was planted with 200 trees during an Arbor Day ceremony on Saturday 6 August 1955. Members of the public were invited to attend and lend a hand, with Mayor Edward Hill planting the first of dozens of azaleas. All the trees and shrubs were donated by the local Rotary Club and horticultural society, with speeches delivered by well-known nurseryman Victor Davies, among others. 

The Taranaki Daily News reported that former Governor-General Lord Charles Bledisloe, who opened Brooklands Park 21 years before, had sent a letter congratulating New Plymouth on this contribution to Arbor Day. He claimed he knew of no other place “throughout the British Empire that constitutes by reason of its site or its past achievements in arboreal beautification a more fitting or perfect setting for such celebrations”.

The dell, dubbed “one of New Plymouth’s prettiest spots” by the Taranaki Photo News magazine, was subsequently named for Frederic Truby King (1858-1938). The New Plymouth-born founder of the Plunket movement was a passionate gardener who imported thousands of plants during his lifetime and corresponded with other green-fingered enthusiasts around the world, including Lord Bledisloe.

Azaleas are flowering shrubs from the Rhododendron family which originated in China. There are nearly 10,000 different varieties, with annual azalea festivals held in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and across the southern United States.

Arbor Day was never a public holiday in Aotearoa, but until the First World War most government departments and schools took a day off to observe it by planting trees, usually in July or August. Arbor Day was revived in 1934 and since 1977 has been celebrated on 5 June, World Environment Day.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

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